Olympus TG-860 vs Panasonic ZS1

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus TG-860 versus Panasonic ZS1, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the TG-860 (16MP) and ZS1 (10MP) and the TG-860 (1/2.3") and ZS1 (1/2.5") offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The TG-860 was manufactured 5 years later than the ZS1 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a quick summary of how the TG-860 scores versus the ZS1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-860 Gallery and Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-860 has outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") having a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS1 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-860 versus Panasonic ZS1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the TG-860 versus the ZS1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-860 and ZS1 is 91 and 91 respectively.

Often, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing purely by looking through specs. The graphic below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-860 and ZS1.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The TG-860 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh simpler and the Olympus TG-860 will result in more detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures more aggressively. The newer TG-860 will have an advantage in sensor tech.