Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony W800

Lets look a little more in depth at the Panasonic ZS1 and Sony W800, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS1 (10MP) and W800 (20MP) and the ZS1 (1/2.5") and W800 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor size.

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The ZS1 was announced 5 years earlier than the W800 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the ZS1 grades against the W800 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W800. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS1 Gallery and Sony W800 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS1 offers external dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony W800 has specifications of 97mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS1 and Sony W800 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the ZS1 compared to the W800.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS1 and W800 is 91 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it can be tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by researching a spec sheet. The picture here should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS1 and W800.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS1 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony W800 will provide you with greater detail with its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged ZS1 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.