Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony RX10 IV

Below is a thorough analysis of the Panasonic ZS1 versus Sony RX10 IV, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the ZS1 (10MP) and RX10 IV (20MP) and the ZS1 (1/2.5") and RX10 IV (1") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS1 was launched 9 years earlier than the RX10 IV and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 IV being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the ZS1 grades against the RX10 IV in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS1 Gallery & Sony RX10 IV Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS1 has got exterior dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony RX10 IV has specifications of 133mm x 94mm x 145mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.7") along with a weight of 1095 grams (2.41 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS1 versus Sony RX10 IV in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the ZS1 versus the RX10 IV.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS1 and RX10 IV is 91 and 52 respectively.

Often, it's tough to envision the gap in sensor measurements simply by researching technical specs. The graphic below might give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS1 and RX10 IV.

As you can tell, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS1 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony RX10 IV will render greater detail utilizing its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older ZS1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.