Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic ZS1

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic ZS1, one is a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the TG-870 (16MP) and ZS1 (10MP) and the TG-870 (1/2.3") and ZS1 (1/2.5") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The TG-870 was announced 6 years after the ZS1 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the TG-870 scores against the ZS1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-870 Gallery and Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus TG-870 has got exterior dimensions of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS1 has specifications of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic ZS1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the TG-870 compared to the ZS1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-870 and ZS1 is 91 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by reading a spec sheet. The picture below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-870 and ZS1.

Clearly, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The TG-870 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus TG-870 will offer you more detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively. The more recent TG-870 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.