Olympus SZ-11 vs Panasonic S1

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus SZ-11 versus Panasonic S1, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-11 (14MP) and S1 (24MP) and the SZ-11 (1/2.3") and S1 (Full frame) enjoy different sensor measurements.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The SZ-11 was brought out 8 years prior to the S1 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summary of how the SZ-11 matches up against the S1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-11 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery and Panasonic S1 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-11 has outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S1 has dimensions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") having a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-11 versus Panasonic S1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep 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 proportions comparison of the SZ-11 compared to the S1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-11 and S1 is 89 and 54 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizes purely by checking technical specs. The image underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-11 and S1.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SZ-11 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Panasonic S1 will give you extra detail having its extra 10MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged SZ-11 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.