Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic S1

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus SZ-15 versus Panasonic S1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and S1 (12MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor size (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SZ-15 was manufactured 2 years later than the S1 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the SZ-15 matches up versus the S1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery and Panasonic S1 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 has got external measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S1 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SZ-15 versus Panasonic S1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the SZ-15 against the S1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-15 and S1 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements just by researching specs. The visual underneath should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-15 and S1.

All in all, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different MP. You should expect the Olympus SZ-15 to render more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more modern SZ-15 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.