Fujifilm S4200 vs Panasonic ZS1

Its time to take a deeper look at the Fujifilm S4200 versus Panasonic ZS1, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by rivals FujiFilm and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the Fujifilm S4200 (14MP) and ZS1 (10MP) and the Fujifilm S4200 (1/2.3") and ZS1 (1/2.5") posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The Fujifilm S4200 was announced 2 years later than the ZS1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Fujifilm S4200 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the Fujifilm S4200 matches up against the ZS1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Fujifilm FinePix S4200 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The whole galleries are provided at Fujifilm S4200 Gallery & Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Fujifilm S4200 has external dimensions of 118mm x 81mm x 100mm (4.6" x 3.2" x 3.9") and a weight of 543 grams (1.20 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS1 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Fujifilm S4200 versus Panasonic ZS1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the Fujifilm S4200 against the ZS1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the Fujifilm S4200 and ZS1 is 67 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizing merely by looking through specs. The visual below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the Fujifilm S4200 and ZS1.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The Fujifilm S4200 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Fujifilm S4200 will result in extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more modern Fujifilm S4200 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.