Panasonic FS7 vs Pentax S1

Lets take a deeper look at the Panasonic FS7 and Pentax S1, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the FS7 (10MP) and S1 (14MP) and the FS7 (1/2.5") and S1 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

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The FS7 was released 3 years earlier than the S1 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS7 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the FS7 grades vs the S1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS7 and Pentax Optio S1. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic FS7 Gallery and Pentax S1 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic FS7 comes with external measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") having a weight of 139 grams (0.31 lbs) whilst the Pentax S1 has specifications of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FS7 and Pentax S1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have during that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the FS7 compared to the S1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FS7 and S1 is 95 and 93 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to picture the gap between sensor measurements only by checking a spec sheet. The graphic below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the FS7 and S1.

Clearly, both cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FS7 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax S1 will resolve greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos way more aggressively. The older FS7 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.