Panasonic L1 vs Panasonic ZS100

The following is a in depth comparison of the Panasonic L1 vs Panasonic ZS100, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the L1 (7MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the L1 (Four Thirds) and ZS100 (1") possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The L1 was announced 9 years prior to the ZS100 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a complete comparison, below is a concise summary of how the L1 matches up vs the ZS100 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic L1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic L1 comes with external dimensions of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic L1 vs Panasonic ZS100 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the L1 and the ZS100.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the L1 and ZS100 is 65 and 87 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions simply by looking at technical specs. The pic underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the L1 and ZS100.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The L1 with its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZS100 will resolve extra detail with its extra 13 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The more aged L1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.