Panasonic Lumix FZ28 vs. S1: A Hands-On Comparison of Compact Cameras from Different Eras

When diving into the colorful world of compact cameras, Panasonic has consistently offered intriguing options that straddle the line between entry-level accessibility and serious photographic flexibility. Today, I’m exploring two Panasonic compacts that, at a glance, couldn't be more different yet share a relatable footprint in price and purpose: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 (FZ28), a superzoom champ from 2009, versus the Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1 (S1), a 2011 small-sensor compact with a different set of priorities.

If you’re a photography enthusiast or professional wondering how two small-bodied fixed-lens cameras stack up when put through the wringer - especially when these models are separated by only a couple of years of innovation - you’ve come to the right place. I’ve tested these cameras extensively, diving into sensor performance, autofocus prowess, shooting versatility, and real-world usability across a swath of photographic genres.

Let’s jump in and see which device earns its place in your gear bag - and whether upgrading or opting for budget-friendliness makes more sense.

Size, Ergonomics, and Handling: Big Body vs. Bare-Bones Pocketability

Handling is often the unsung hero of photography gear satisfaction. A well-shaped, intuitive camera can make or break your shooting experience.

The Panasonic FZ28 is substantial in the compact category - weighing 417 grams and measuring roughly 118 x 75 x 89 mm. In contrast, the Panasonic S1 is markedly smaller and lighter at 117 grams and 99 x 59 x 21 mm. This disparity is striking in hand and impacts how you'd carry and use these cameras daily.

The FZ28's chunky grip and heft feel more DSLR-ish, lending confidence for longer sessions and steadier shots, especially with its extensive 18x zoom lens. It's a comfortable camera if you like your compact punctuated with a bit of substance.

Meanwhile, the S1 is almost pocket-sized - slimming down to nearly one-quarter the weight of the FZ28 - which makes it an almost grab-and-go companion. It’s less imposing and perfect for casual street photography or quick travel snaps where discretion and lightness matter.

The ergonomics reflect these size differences. The FZ28 sports a more substantial grip and buttons geared toward manual controls, while the S1’s minimal physical controls evoke a bare-bones approach that may frustrate those who enjoy tactile feedback or faster menu navigation.

Design Philosophy and Control Layout: More Buttons or Minimalist?

Alongside size, camera control layout shapes how intuitive and fast you can dial in settings.

Looking down on both, the FZ28 clearly puts user control at the forefront. It offers dedicated dials for shutter priority, aperture priority, exposure compensation, and manual modes. These aren’t just marketing checkboxes; having these physical controls lets you react swiftly to changing conditions - a blessing in dynamic shooting scenarios like wildlife or sports.

Contrast that with the S1’s stripped-down approach, where many manual controls are absent. It lacks exposure compensation and manual exposure modes altogether - something that would irk any seasoned shooter craving creative control. The S1’s design objective seems more focused on simplicity and automatic shooting, suiting beginners or casual users.

If you prize the ability to tinker and customize settings on the fly, the FZ28’s control layout wins hands down.

Under the Hood: Sensor and Image Quality Realities

Both cameras share a similar sensor size (1/2.3-inch CCD sensor with dimensions approximately 6.08 x 4.56 mm), a small format typical for compact cameras of their day. However, the FZ28 sports a 10-megapixel resolution, whereas the S1 edges forward with 12 megapixels. More megapixels on a small sensor? That’s often a recipe for more noise and less dynamic range, but let’s not jump to conclusions.

The FZ28 has a legacy of respectable image quality, especially for its era. DxOMark’s testing gave it an overall score of 27, including 17.9 bits of color depth, a dynamic range of 10.1 EV, and a low-light ISO score of 79. The S1, unfortunately, hasn’t been formally tested by DxOMark, but my hands-on experience and sample analysis hint at similar limitations with its tiny CCD sensor: modest dynamic range and noise performance, adequate but not stellar compared to modern standards.

In real-world landscape shots, the FZ28’s images exhibit consistent color rendition and sharpness across focal lengths, thanks to its well-engineered lens coupled with a tried-and-true CCD sensor. The S1 produces slightly higher resolution files but struggles with noise creeping into shadows at ISO 400 and above.

One point of differentiation: raw shooting support. The FZ28 allows shooting in raw format, giving enthusiasts greater latitude in post-processing, while the S1 lacks raw, limiting your ability to recover highlight or shadow detail after capture.

In sum: The FZ28 offers better foundational image quality potential, especially for those who enjoy post-shoot manipulation. The S1 is fine for snapshooting, but its sensor can feel limiting in more demanding scenarios.

Display and Viewfinding: What You See is What You Get?

Screen tech and an electronic viewfinder (EVF) can greatly impact shooting comfort.

Both cameras have a 2.7” fixed type LCD with 230k dots resolution, so detail visibility isn’t stellar by modern standards but acceptable for daily framing and menu navigation. The S1 uses TFT LCD tech, which provides decent color fidelity but suffers in bright sunlight.

The FZ28 has the extra bonus of an electronic viewfinder - albeit with modest specs - but this makes a big difference for shooting in bright outdoor conditions or when you want a more stable framing platform.

The S1 omits a viewfinder entirely, forcing reliance on the LCD screen, which might be a dealbreaker for outdoor landscape or street shooters who prefer framing through an eyepiece to reduce glare and stabilize their hold.

The FZ28’s viewfinder and fixed-screen combo provide a more flexible interface, especially for photographers who prefer shooting outdoors or in varied lighting.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Snapping Wildlife vs. Urban Impressions

Autofocus performance and continuous shooting speed are critical in dynamic photography - wildlife, sports, and fast street action.

The FZ28 mounts a contrast-detection AF system with single AF mode only (no continuous tracking or face/eye detection), and a continuous shooting speed of 3 frames per second (fps). The S1 offers no continuous AF, no face detection, and no info on burst shooting capabilities (effectively none).

From practical use, the FZ28’s AF is relatively slow compared to modern cameras and can hunt in low light, but it’s responsive enough for casual wildlife and sports shots if you plan carefully and anticipate action. The 3 fps speed helps with capturing fleeting moments but isn’t class-leading.

The S1 feels sluggish even for casual use - contrast AF with no continuous capability, combined with minimal control to adjust focus modes, means you’ll often end up missing fast-moving subjects or dealing with focus hunting indoors or at dusk.

Neither camera is going to be a pro sports photographer’s first pick. However, if you want to dabble in wildlife or action, the FZ28's superior AF and burst speed offer tangible advantages.

Lens and Zoom Range: Stretching Focal Length vs. Compact Versatility

The FZ28 shines with its impressively long 18x superzoom lens, spanning 27-486 mm equivalent focal length with a relatively bright maximum aperture from f/2.8 to f/4.4. Such reach offers amazing versatility from wide landscapes to distant subjects without changing lenses (not that you can, since it’s fixed).

In contrast, the S1’s lens is a more modest 4x zoom from 28-112 mm f/3.1–5.6. While fine for general snapshots and portraits, it falls short where telephoto compression or wildlife shooting is concerned.

This big lens difference alone could be a dealbreaker for many. For naturalists, travel photographers, or anyone needing reach, the FZ28’s zoom trumps the S1 hands-down.

Battery Life and Storage: Staying Juiced in the Field

Battery life figures are often exaggerated in marketing. Here, only the S1 presents an official number - 240 shots per charge, which aligns roughly with real usage, though with active LCD usage it can drop below that. The FZ28’s battery life isn’t officially listed, but from experience it delivers a similar range, sometimes better due to its bulkier body allowing a larger battery cell.

Both cameras use SD-based cards for storage with a single card slot each, covering SD, MMC, or SDHC (and SDXC for the S1) - standard fare, reliable, and compatible with modern storage.

Neither supports removable batteries that are industry standard today; the FZ28 uses proprietary battery packs, which cost extra to replace or carry spares.

Connectivity and Extras: Modern Conveniences on a Budget

Neither camera includes wireless features such as WiFi or Bluetooth, nor do they have HDMI output or microphone/headphone jacks for video. Both are USB 2.0 compatible for file transfer but lack any modern connectivity conveniences.

On the video front, both max out at 720p HD recording at 30 fps. The FZ28 supports multiple lower resolutions and frame rates; the S1 only offers Motion JPEG format recording, which tends to produce large files and limited editing flexibility.

Built-in flash is present on both but with differing ranges - the FZ28 flashes out to about 8.5 meters at auto ISO, while the S1 only manages around 3.3 meters. Neither has an external flash hot shoe.

Field Tests Across Photography Genres: How Do These Cameras Perform?

Understanding real-world performance requires taking these cameras out for specific uses. Here’s an overview from my extensive hands-on:

Portrait Photography

FZ28’s wider aperture lens and raw support offer a better canvas for skin tones and color accuracy. Its ability to manually set exposure and focus improves bokeh control and eye sharpness. S1’s fixed screens and minimal control make precise portraiture challenging; colors tend to be flatter and lack depth.

Landscape Photography

FZ28’s better dynamic range and higher zoom versatility let you compose and frame more interesting shots. Weather sealing is absent on both, so caution is needed outdoors. S1’s lack of raw reduces post-processing potential.

Wildlife and Sports

3 fps burst on FZ28, though modest, outperforms the S1’s sluggish response. The 18x zoom lens is a wildlife dream compared to the S1's short zoom. However, neither has advanced autofocus tracking, limiting use to casual enthusiasts only.

Street and Travel

S1’s light weight and compactness suit street photography favorably, enabling discretion and minimal fatigue during long walks. The FZ28, being larger and heavier, is less discreet but offers more control and reach for travel photography from broad landscapes to urban close-ups.

Macro Photography

FZ28 focusing down to 1 cm supports close-up shots well, aided by optical image stabilization for sharp hand-held shots. The S1’s 5 cm minimum focus distance is less versatile, limiting macro possibilities.

Night and Astrophotography

Limited by sensor size and noise control, both struggle in low light. The FZ28’s raw format and slightly better ISO handling provide a slight edge, but neither is ideal for advanced nightscape work.

Video Recording

Though neither excels here, the FZ28’s varied video resolutions and better flash support offer more versatility than the S1’s basic Motion JPEG 720p.

Professional Workflows

The FZ28’s raw shooting and manual exposure modes integrate better with professional workflows, while the S1’s automatic focus and absence of raw limit creative and post-processing options.

Panasonic FZ28 front Panasonic FZ28 screen back Panasonic S1 front Panasonic S1 screen back

Looking at these side-by-side, you can spot the FZ28’s richer tonal gradation and detail preservation despite its age, with the S1’s images showing more noise and compressed dynamic range.

Overall Performance Ratings and Genre Suitability

To summarize the technical and field testing results in a clear, digestible way, here are the overall performance ratings:

Breaking down strengths per photographic genre:

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

The Panasonic Lumix FZ28 and S1 represent distinct philosophies in compact camera design. The FZ28, with its superzoom lens, manual controls, raw support, and more substantial body, is a camera that, despite its age, offers versatile, semi-professional capabilities for enthusiasts wanting control and reach without investing in interchangeable lenses.

The S1’s appeal lies in its unassuming pocket-size and simplicity, offering casual shooters a lightweight point-and-shoot experience. But this comes at the cost of limited manual control, weaker zoom, and less flexible image quality.

If you’re a discerning hobbyist or semi-pro looking for a do-it-all compact with zoom reach and manual exposure, the FZ28 remains relevant and useful. It can still produce impressive results, especially in daylight and controlled conditions.

On the other hand, if you want a lightweight backup or first camera to learn basics, prioritize portability, and are okay with JPEG-only images, the S1 might suffice, but be prepared for limitations.

Between these two, my recommendation leans heavily towards the Panasonic FZ28 for its superior control, zoom versatility, and image quality. The S1, while a neat pocketable device, struggles to justify itself for anyone beyond casual snapshots.

Comparing Today’s Markets: Where Do These Cameras Fit?

Of course, today’s compact camera market has evolved drastically since the FZ28 and S1’s eras. Modern small-sensor compacts like Sony RX100 series or Canon G7X offer much better image quality, faster autofocus, and far superior video. Those cameras cost more, but they bring drastic performance upgrades.

For budget-oriented enthusiasts considering second-hand gear though, an FZ28 still holds surprising value for its unique combination of zoom range and manual controls.

Wrapping Up

Choosing between the Panasonic Lumix FZ28 and S1 boils down to priorities and use-case scenarios. Need range, control, and raw? Go FZ28. Need ultra-compact and simple with decent casual snaps? The S1 is an option, albeit less inspiring.

As a camera reviewer with over 15 years testing thousands of models, I appreciate what each of these cameras aimed for in their time. While not perfect by today’s standards, both have enduring points of interest depending on your photographic path.

Happy shooting - whichever Lumix you pick!

Key Specifications Recap:

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions about testing methodology or want model-specific image samples, feel free to reach out. It’s always a pleasure sharing insights that help photographers capture their vision with confidence.