Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZS50

Following is a in-depth overview of the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic ZS50, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the SH-1 (16MP) and ZS50 (12MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SH-1 was announced 9 months earlier than the ZS50 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the SH-1 scores vs the ZS50 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS50 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-1 provides physical measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS50 has measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic ZS50 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the SH-1 compared to the ZS50.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-1 and ZS50 is 88 and 90 respectively.

Normally, its hard to see the difference in sensor sizes just by looking through a spec sheet. The pic here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-1 and ZS50.

Clearly, both of the cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Olympus SH-1 to result in greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged SH-1 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.