Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic ZS100

Following is a detailed review of the Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic ZS100, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and ZS100 (1") boast different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-1 was brought out 6 years earlier than the ZS100 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the XZ-1 scores vs the ZS100 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 provides exterior measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic ZS100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the ZS100.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and ZS100 is 88 and 87 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to picture the difference between sensor sizes simply by checking specifications. The pic here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and ZS100.

To sum up, both of those cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic ZS100 will resolve extra detail having its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.