Panasonic S1 vs Panasonic ZS8

Here, we are evaluating the Panasonic S1 vs Panasonic ZS8, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are produced by Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the S1 (24MP) and ZS8 (14MP) and the S1 (Full frame) and ZS8 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The S1 was unveiled 7 years later than the ZS8 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a short view of how the S1 scores against the ZS8 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic S1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic S1 provides physical dimensions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") and a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS8 has dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic S1 vs Panasonic ZS8 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have during that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the S1 versus the ZS8.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the S1 and ZS8 is 54 and 92 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizing purely by looking at technical specs. The graphic here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the S1 and ZS8.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The S1 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic S1 will give extra detail having an extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos way more aggressively. The younger S1 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.