Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic ZS7

The following is a in depth review of the Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic ZS7, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the XZ-1 (10MP) and the ZS7 (12MP) is fairly similar but the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and ZS7 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was released 5 months prior to the ZS7 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the XZ-1 grades against the ZS7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS7 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-1 offers outside measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS7 has proportions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic ZS7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the XZ-1 vs the ZS7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and ZS7 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by reading specs. The image underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and ZS7.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic ZS7 will deliver greater detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images more aggressively.