Panasonic ZR1 vs Panasonic ZS70

On this page, we are looking at the Panasonic ZR1 and Panasonic ZS70, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are created by Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZR1 (12MP) and ZS70 (20MP) but both cameras have the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The ZR1 was unveiled 8 years prior to the ZS70 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the ZR1 grades against the ZS70 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZR1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS70 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZR1 features outside dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS70 has dimensions of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") having a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZR1 and Panasonic ZS70 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the ZR1 vs the ZS70.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the ZR1 and ZS70 is 94 and 87 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements purely by checking technical specs. The photograph here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the ZR1 and ZS70.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different MP. You can expect to see the Panasonic ZS70 to give greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The older ZR1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.