Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic TS5

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Panasonic TS5, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and TS5 (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and TS5 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was unveiled 3 years before the TS5 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a quick summary of how the XZ-1 matches up against the TS5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Panasonic TS5 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 offers physical dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) whilst the Panasonic TS5 has sizing of 110mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-1 versus Panasonic TS5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use during that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the TS5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and TS5 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizing simply by viewing technical specs. The photograph here may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-1 and TS5.

As you can tell, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 with its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic TS5 will provide you with extra detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images much more aggressively. The older XZ-1 will be behind in sensor innovation.