Olympus 1s vs Panasonic SZ8

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus 1s and Panasonic SZ8, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and SZ8 (16MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and SZ8 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The 1s was brought out 16 months later than the SZ8 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic SZ8 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the 1s scores against the SZ8 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 1s Gallery & Panasonic SZ8 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus 1s has outside dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") and a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ8 has specifications of 100mm x 60mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus 1s and Panasonic SZ8 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the 1s and the SZ8.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 1s and SZ8 is 79 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing just by reviewing specifications. The photograph underneath should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the 1s and SZ8.

To sum up, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The 1s featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic SZ8 will deliver greater detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The younger 1s should have an edge in sensor tech.