Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Panasonic ZS1

Below, we will be looking at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Panasonic ZS1, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and ZS1 (10MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and ZS1 (1/2.5") use different sensor size.

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The SZ-16 iHS was introduced 3 years later than the ZS1 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise summary of how the SZ-16 iHS scores against the ZS1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS has outside measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS1 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Panasonic ZS1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the SZ-16 iHS against the ZS1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and ZS1 is 89 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to visualize the difference between sensor measurements purely by reading a spec sheet. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-16 iHS and ZS1.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SZ-16 iHS having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will offer extra detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The fresher SZ-16 iHS should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.