Clicky

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8

Portability
59
Imaging
38
Features
36
Overall
37
Olympus E-1 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 front
Portability
92
Imaging
37
Features
39
Overall
37

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 Key Specs

Olympus E-1
(Full Review)
  • 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
  • Introduced November 2003
  • Successor is Olympus E-3
Panasonic ZS8
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 210g - 105 x 58 x 33mm
  • Released July 2011
  • Also Known as Lumix DMC-TZ18
  • Older Model is Panasonic ZS7
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 Overview

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and ZS8 (14MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

The E-1 was manufactured 8 years prior to the ZS8 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-1 matches up vs the ZS8 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Panasonic ZS8

 E-1 ZS8 
Focus manually Dial precise focusing

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS8 over the Olympus E-1

 ZS8 E-1 
ReleasedJuly 2011November 2003Fresher by 92 months
Display size3"1.8"Larger display (+1.2")
Display resolution230k134kSharper display (+96k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic ZS8

 E-1 ZS8 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither contains selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither contains Touch friendly display

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 Physical Comparison

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-1 has got external measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS8 has proportions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen during that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-1 against the ZS8.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and ZS8 is 59 and 92 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is difficult to see the gap between sensor sizing just by checking a spec sheet. The visual underneath might give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and ZS8.

As you can see, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-1 featuring a larger sensor will make shooting bokeh easier and the Panasonic ZS8 will resolve greater detail due to its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-1 Portrait photography details
Panasonic ZS8 Portrait photography details
46
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
no liveview
sensor resolution low (5MP)
30
decent MP (14MP)
lack of manual focus
cannot use external flash
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-1
Street photography with Panasonic ZS8
57
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
weather proof
lighter than average in class (735g)
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
61
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than others in class (210 grams)
screen does not articulate
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-1 Sports photography advice
Panasonic ZS8 Sports photography advice
40
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
weather proof
has phase detect autofocus
no liveview
continuous shooting slow (3.0 frames per second)
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (5MP)
47
great zoom range (24-384mm 16.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (14MP)
features tracking focus
very slow continuous shooting (2.0 frames/s)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-1 Travel photography details
Panasonic ZS8 Travel photography details
47
lighter than average in class (735g)
weather proof
does not have Timelapse recording
sensor resolution low (5MP)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
69
lighter than others in class (210 grams)
decent MP (14MP)
built-in flash
rather wide (24mm)
very long reach (384mm)
lack of Time Lapse function
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
slow max aperture (f3.3)
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-1 Landscape photography info
Panasonic ZS8 Landscape photography info
46
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
weather proof
small screen (1.8 inch)
no liveview
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (5 megapixels)
does not have Timelapse recording
44
rather wide (24mm)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (14MP)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
lack of Time Lapse function
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-1
Vlogging with Panasonic ZS8
9
can't record video
30
rather wide (24mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than others in class (210g)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
video res low (1280 x 720 pxls)
lack of mic port
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic ZS8
 Olympus E-1Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus E-1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8
Alternative name - Lumix DMC-TZ18
Class Pro DSLR Small Sensor Superzoom
Introduced 2003-11-29 2011-07-19
Body design Large SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Venus Engine FHD
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 5 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 2560 x 1920 4320 x 3240
Max native ISO 3200 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 3 11
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-384mm (16.0x)
Largest aperture - f/3.3-5.9
Macro focusing distance - 3cm
Total lenses 45 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.9
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 1.8 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 134k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology - TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.48x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 secs 60 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames per sec 2.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 5.00 m
Flash modes Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/180 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution None 1280x720
Video format - MPEG-4
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 735g (1.62 lbs) 210g (0.46 lbs)
Physical dimensions 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") 105 x 58 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life - 340 pictures
Battery form - Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Launch pricing $1,700 $275