Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic ZS1

In this write-up, we are analyzing the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic ZS1, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and ZS1 (10MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and ZS1 (1/2.5") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The PEN-F was released 6 years after the ZS1 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the PEN-F matches up vs the ZS1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN-F & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F comes with physical dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") having a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS1 has dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic ZS1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the PEN-F and the ZS1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and ZS1 is 84 and 91 respectively.

Often, it's tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizes just by looking at a spec sheet. The pic underneath may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the PEN-F and ZS1.

Clearly, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The PEN-F featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will give you more detail as a result of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a little more aggressively. The more recent PEN-F should have an advantage in sensor innovation.