Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic ZS1

Below, we are looking at the Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic ZS1, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and ZS1 (10MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and ZS1 (1/2.5") feature different sensor sizes.

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The E-M1 II was manufactured 7 years later than the ZS1 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-M1 II grades against the ZS1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery and Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera, you should factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 II provides outer measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") having a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS1 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic ZS1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-M1 II versus the ZS1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and ZS1 is 68 and 91 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements just by seeing specs. The graphic here might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 II and ZS1.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 II because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 II will show greater detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images much more aggressively. The younger E-M1 II should have an edge in sensor innovation.