Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic ZS1

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic ZS1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the ZS1 (10MP) is very well matched but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and ZS1 (1/2.5") come with different sensor measurements.

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The E-P1 was manufactured 3 months later than the ZS1 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-P1 scores versus the ZS1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P1 has external dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS1 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic ZS1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-P1 versus the ZS1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and ZS1 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements purely by checking technical specs. The graphic below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and ZS1.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-P1 will give you extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images much more aggressively.