Panasonic GM5 vs Panasonic ZS1

On this page, we will be looking at the Panasonic GM5 and Panasonic ZS1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are designed by Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the GM5 (16MP) and ZS1 (10MP) and the GM5 (Four Thirds) and ZS1 (1/2.5") boast different sensor sizes.

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The GM5 was brought out 5 years later than the ZS1 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GM5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summation of how the GM5 scores vs the ZS1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GM5 Gallery and Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GM5 provides outside dimensions of 99mm x 60mm x 36mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 211 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS1 has dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Panasonic GM5 and Panasonic ZS1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the GM5 vs the ZS1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the GM5 and ZS1 is 91 and 91 respectively.

Often, its difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizing purely by going through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the GM5 and ZS1.

As you can see, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The GM5 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic GM5 will produce more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The newer GM5 provides a benefit with regard to sensor tech.