Panasonic S1 vs Panasonic ZS45

In this write-up, we will be reviewing the Panasonic S1 and Panasonic ZS45, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both built by Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the S1 (24MP) and ZS45 (16MP) and the S1 (Full frame) and ZS45 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The S1 was manufactured 4 years later than the ZS45 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick view of how the S1 grades vs the ZS45 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic S1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic S1 offers physical measurements of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") and a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS45 has sizing of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

Check the Panasonic S1 and Panasonic ZS45 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the S1 against the ZS45.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S1 and ZS45 is 54 and 91 respectively.

Typically, its hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading a spec sheet. The graphic here will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the S1 and ZS45.

Clearly, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The S1 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic S1 will deliver extra detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The more modern S1 should have an edge in sensor technology.