Olympus 1 vs Panasonic ZS10

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus 1 vs Panasonic ZS10, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the 1 (12MP) and the ZS10 (14MP) is pretty close but the 1 (1/1.7") and ZS10 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The 1 was unveiled 2 years later than the ZS10 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick view of how the 1 matches up vs the ZS10 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS10 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus 1 comes with exterior measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") accompanied by a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS10 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs).

See the Olympus 1 vs Panasonic ZS10 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at the time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the 1 against the ZS10.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 1 and ZS10 is 79 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements merely by researching technical specs. The photograph below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the 1 and ZS10.

As you can tell, each of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The 1 having a bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS10 will provide you with more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more recent 1 will have a benefit in sensor tech.