Olympus 1s vs Panasonic ZS100

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus 1s vs Panasonic ZS100, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and ZS100 (1") boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 1s was revealed 8 months prior to the ZS100 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summary of how the 1s scores against the ZS100 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 1s Gallery & Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 1s enjoys 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 ZS100 has dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 1s vs Panasonic ZS100 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the 1s and the ZS100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the 1s and ZS100 is 79 and 87 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions only by looking through technical specs. The image here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the 1s and ZS100.

As you have seen, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The 1s with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZS100 will result in greater detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged 1s will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.