Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic ZS15

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic ZS15, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the XZ-1 (10MP) and the ZS15 (12MP) is fairly close but the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and ZS15 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-1 was brought out 17 months before the ZS15 making them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the XZ-1 scores vs the ZS15 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15. The entire galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS15 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 has outer dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS15 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Examine the Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic ZS15 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the XZ-1 versus the ZS15.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and ZS15 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it is tough to envision the gap in sensor sizing just by viewing specs. The photograph below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and ZS15.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZS15 will provide you with more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The older XZ-1 will be behind in sensor technology.