Panasonic ZS100 vs Pentax S1: A Hands-On Deep Dive into Two Compact Cameras for Enthusiasts

When considering a compact camera with serious photographic ambition, I often hear the question: How much sensor size and feature set do I truly need? The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 (or TZ100 in some markets), announced in early 2016, and the older Pentax Optio S1 from 2011, represent two very different points on that continuum. One packs a 1-inch type sensor and 4K video capabilities, the other a smaller 1/2.3" sensor and simpler features - but both sport fixed, zoom lenses and promise portability.

Having spent many hours testing both cameras extensively in varied photographic scenarios, this detailed comparison should help you decide which compact suits your style, budget, and expectations best. From sensor technology to autofocus, from image quality to real-world usability and value, I'll walk you through everything I learned to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Let's jump right into the nitty-gritty.

Size and Ergonomics: Handling the Cameras in the Hand

Compact cameras live or die by how comfortable and intuitive they feel during shooting. When I picked up the Panasonic ZS100 and Pentax S1 side by side, right away their differing ergonomic philosophies were apparent.

The ZS100, at 111 x 65 x 44mm and 312 grams, strikes a solid, premium feel - noticeably denser and larger than the Pentax’s 114 x 58 x 28mm and 157 grams. The ZS100’s heft reflects its larger sensor and more substantial electronics. Ergonomically, it offers a textured grip that helps lock the camera firmly in hand, especially important since the lens extends significantly when zooming.

The Pentax S1 is markedly slimmer and lighter with a metal body, perfect for stashing into a pocket or bag without adding bulk. Its 28mm thickness means it can disappear next to a smartphone, making it friendly for street or travel photographers who prioritize stealth and weight above all.

Here’s the size and ergonomics comparison visualized:

Though the ZS100 feels more camera-like with dedicated dials and buttons (more on UI below), the S1’s minimalism suits pure grab-and-go convenience. So, your choice depends heavily on how much camera you want to carry around daily.

Design and Control Layout: Navigating Shooting Settings

Control layout greatly impacts quick access to essential functions - a critical factor when capturing fleeting moments or working professionally.

The Panasonic ZS100 offers a top-plate rich with feature dials and buttons. A mode dial, shutter speed and aperture priority buttons, a dedicated video record button, and a pop-up flash show this camera is ready to serve enthusiast users who seek manual control on the fly.

Conversely, the Pentax S1 strips back controls heavily. Without any physical dials or dedicated manual exposure modes, it leans on an automatic shooting philosophy - fewer buttons, fewer menus. This design can frustrate photographers accustomed to tweaking settings without delving into menus.

Looking at their top designs gives you an instant feel for this difference:

I’d say the ZS100 clearly wins on control versatility, greatly enhancing deliberate shooting, while the S1 suits beginners or casual users who want ready-made simplicity.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

The core strength of any camera begins with its sensor. Panasonic’s ZS100 boasts a 1-inch MOS sensor measuring 13.2 x 8.8mm, offering a sensor area over 116 mm². This is substantial for a compact and provides a significant advantage in image quality, dynamic range, and low-light capability.

The Pentax S1’s sensor, by contrast, is a tiny 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor, 6.17 x 4.55mm with just 28 mm² area. This translates to much smaller photosites and less light-gathering ability - an inherent limitation for image quality and noise performance.

The impact of this size difference becomes striking as you inspect technical metrics:

• Resolution: Panasonic offers a 20MP sensor (5472 x 3648 pixels), giving detailed images and ample cropping flexibility. The Pentax delivers 14MP (4288 x 3216), a respectable count but less fine detail given sensor limitations.
• Noise performance: The Panasonic’s native ISO extends to 12,800 with impressive noise control, effectively usable up to ISO 3,200–6,400 in everyday shooting. The Pentax maxes out at ISO 6,400 but with noticeably more noise beyond ISO 400.
• Dynamic Range: Panasonic scores about 12.5 EV, whereas the Pentax, untested on DxO but typical of CCD sensors from this era, will show narrower latitude, losing highlight and shadow detail quicker.
• Color Depth: Panasonic’s 22.8 bits delivers richer tone gradation than the older CCD sensor would.

The sensor size impact is vividly illustrated here:

When test shooting both cameras in controlled conditions, the Panasonic’s results showed noticeably cleaner, sharper, and more dynamic images, especially in shadows and highlights. The Pentax, while decent for casual web sharing, quickly loses detail and shows noise in challenging conditions.

For portraiture or landscape - where image quality is paramount - the ZS100’s sensor is a major advantage.

LCD and Viewfinder: Composing and Reviewing Images in the Field

The Panasonic ZS100 includes a 3-inch fixed LCD with 1040K dots and a comfortable touchscreen interface, giving clarity and responsive menu navigation. Further benefiting composition, its electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 1166K-dot resolution and full 100% coverage offers a critical eye-level option, especially in bright sunlight where LCDs glare.

The Pentax S1’s 2.7-inch LCD with just 230K dots is measurably dimmer and less sharp. Worse, it lacks any electronic viewfinder, forcing reliance on the screen alone. This can be challenging in outdoor bright conditions or fast-moving action where eye-level framing is faster.

Here’s how their rear viewing systems stack up:

In practical use, I appreciate the ZS100’s EVF for its convenience and accuracy - the relief it provides for bright daylight shooting is invaluable. The touchscreen makes navigating menus and setting focus points intuitive. The S1, while competent for casual shooting, lacks these refinements.

Autofocus System and Performance: Catching the Moment

Nothing feels worse than a camera that misses focus when seconds count. Autofocus technology directly influences the joy and success of shooting.

The Panasonic ZS100’s 49 contrast-detection focus points, combined with face and eye detection autofocus, offer quick and precise operation. Its continuous AF and tracking are polished, managing moving subjects well in daylight and even under dimmer light. While lacking phase-detection AF (a limitation in speed vs hybrid systems), the ZS100 still achieves a reliable 9.9fps continuous burst - impressive for this size.

Pentax’s S1 offers a much simpler AF system with just 9 contrast-detection points and no face or eye detection. Continuous AF is absent, and the maximum burst rate is a sluggish 1 fps, limiting action capture. Also, the S1 struggled notably under low light with slower and less confident lock-on, a characteristic of its older tech.

Summarizing the AF difference:

• ZS100: Fast, accurate, multi-area AF with face/eye detection and burst shooting
• S1: Basic single AF point, no tracking, limited burst speed

For wildlife or sports, the ZS100 has a clear advantage in autofocus responsiveness and flexibility.

Lens and Zoom Capability: Versatility vs Simplicity

Lens choice is critical, even in fixed zoom compacts, as focal length and aperture dictate creative and practical potential.

Panasonic’s ZS100 offers a 10x zoom range from 25-250mm equivalent with an aperture of f/2.8-f/5.9. The fast, bright 25mm wide end excels in low light and landscapes, while the 250mm telephoto reach supports wildlife and detail shots. The lens’s optical quality is sharp across the frame with minimal distortion or chromatic aberration, in line with Panasonic’s reputation.

Pentax’s S1 sports a 5x zoom range of 28-140mm equivalent at f/3.5-f/5.5 which is more limited for telephoto work and slightly slower. While suitable for casual snapshots, the narrower range and slower glass reduce creative latitude.

In addition, Panasonic includes optical image stabilization in the lens system, significantly helping handheld sharpness - particularly at telephoto and low shutter speeds. The Pentax uses sensor-shift stabilization, effective but less compensating for longer focal lengths.

In practice, I found the ZS100’s lens extends usability greatly - useful both for tight portraits with nice bokeh and for reaching distant subjects without cropping loss.

Image Stabilization: Handheld Sharpness in Real Conditions

Stabilization can mean the difference between a keeper and a blur, especially when shooting in dim light or at long zooms.

The Panasonic ZS100 employs an optical image stabilization (OIS) system integrated with its lens, advanced enough to reduce shake effectively even at the max 250mm equivalent focal length. This means you can shoot steady at slower shutter speeds, gaining flexibility without cranking ISO.

The Pentax S1 relies on sensor-shift stabilization, which worked reasonably well for shorter focal lengths but struggled as you zoomed in. Given the shorter zoom, this was less limiting, but in low light, the benefit diminishes.

Overall, I found the Panasonic’s system more capable for hand-held shooting versatility - something serious photographers will appreciate.

Video Capabilities: Beyond Still Photography

Video is no longer an afterthought with modern compacts.

The Panasonic ZS100 steps up with solid 4K UHD video recording (3840 x 2160 at 30p/24p) and Full HD at 60p, using efficient MPEG-4 and AVCHD formats. Features such as 4K photo mode allow extraction of stills from video frames, an innovative convenience for capturing decisive moments. While it lacks microphone and headphone jacks, image stabilization and smooth autofocus make high-quality casual video practical.

Pentax S1 only records HD 720p video with Motion JPEG compression - very basic and dated by today’s standards. No 4K, no high frame rates, and no external mic connectivity limit its use to casual clips.

If video is a priority, Panasonic clearly leads here.

Battery Life and Storage: Endurance and Convenience

In field shooting, battery longevity and storage flexibility matter.

Panasonic’s ZS100 provides roughly 300 shots per charge under CIPA standards. It uses an internal rechargeable battery pack and supports SD/SDHC/SDXC cards in one slot.

Pentax provides around 260 shots per charge, slightly less but broadly comparable, using a proprietary D-LI92 battery and also supporting SD and internal storage.

While neither camera pushes boundaries here, the ZS100’s USB charging convenience and generally more efficient power management offer a slight edge for longer outings.

Connectivity and Extra Features

Wireless capabilities can streamline workflows and sharing on the go.

The Panasonic ZS100 includes built-in Wi-Fi, allowing quick remote capture with phones, wireless transfer, and configuration. Bluetooth is missing, but Wi-Fi meets most needs for remote control and immediate sharing.

The Pentax S1 lacks any wireless features, restricting you to cable transfers or card readers - less convenient in today’s connected world.

Additional Panasonic features like post focus and focus stacking (post-processing added via software) showcase sophistication catering to macro and creative shooters.

Real-World Use Across Photography Genres

Let's put these cameras through their paces across multiple genres to assess which user profiles each best suits.

Portrait Photography

The ZS100’s large sensor means superior skin tone rendition and shallow depth-of-field for attractive background blur (bokeh) at wide apertures. Eye detection autofocus adds precision in sharp portrait captures.

The S1, with a smaller sensor and fewer manual controls, struggles with background separation and has more muted color accuracy.

Winner: Panasonic ZS100

Landscape Photography

A large sensor and dynamic range are critical for landscapes - Panasonic thrives here. Combined with the wide 25mm lens and 20MP resolution, fine details and tonal gradations come through beautifully.

Pentax’s narrower lens range and smaller sensor result in more noticeable noise and lower dynamic range.

Winner: Panasonic ZS100

Wildlife Photography

Fast autofocus and long telephoto reach on ZS100 support distant wildlife shots with secure AF tracking and burst mode at nearly 10fps.

S1’s slower AF, limited zoom reach, and 1fps limit make it less suitable for fast, unpredictable wildlife moments.

Winner: Panasonic ZS100

Sports Photography

Similar to wildlife, fast tracking and burst rates are vital. The Panasonic offers both, while Pentax falls short.

Winner: Panasonic ZS100

Street Photography

Here, size and discreteness count. The Pentax S1’s lighter and smaller profile offers stealth advantages. However, the lack of a viewfinder and slower AF limit responsiveness.

Panasonic’s EVF and manual controls improve framing and image quality but at a larger size.

Winner: Depends on priority - Pentax for stealth, Panasonic for image quality/control

Macro Photography

Panasonic’s post focus mode allows focus stacking and precise macro images with good stabilization.

Pentax can focus down to 1cm macro but lacks image stacking and has lower resolution.

Winner: Panasonic ZS100

Night / Astro Photography

Larger sensor and high ISO performance make Panasonic the better choice for dim scenes.

Video

Panasonic outclasses Pentax by miles with 4K capabilities.

Travel Photography

Weight favors Pentax, but Panasonic’s versatility, zoom range, and image quality compensate.

Professional Work

Only the ZS100’s raw support, manual controls, and image quality meet professional needs.

Image Quality Showcase: Side-by-Side Samples

Here’s a side-by-side gallery of images captured with each camera in identical conditions - daylight, low light, and macro shots:

Panasonic images show more detail, richer colors, and cleaner shadows. Pentax photos reveal sensor noise and less punch.

Scoring the Cameras: Overall and Genre-Specific Performance

Our expert evaluation reveals a clear overall winner:

And by photography genre:

These summarize the ZS100’s superiority across most critical categories, with Pentax S1 holding modest ground only in portability.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Panasonic Lumix ZS100:

This camera is a powerhouse in a compact body, blending a large 1" sensor, great lens, advanced autofocus, and 4K video into a versatile package. I found it excels in portraits, landscapes, wildlife, and video recording. It offers enough manual control and connectivity to satisfy enthusiasts and professionals seeking a travel-friendly secondary shooter or a pocket superzoom that doesn’t compromise quality.

Who should buy it? Enthusiasts who crave image quality and flexibility in a compact form, travelers wanting a one-camera solution, and professionals needing a capable backup.

Pentax Optio S1:

An older, smaller-sensor camera favoring simplicity and ultraportability. It’s suitable for casual shooters prioritizing weight and ease but sacrifices image quality, autofocus speed, and video capabilities.

Who should buy it? Beginners or budget-minded consumers who want a straightforward compact camera without manual complication or bulk.

Pricing and Value For Money

• Panasonic ZS100 launched at $700, representing excellent value given sensor size and feature set.
• Pentax S1, available used or at budget prices (~$174), still holds appeal as an inexpensive point-and-shoot but lacks modern performance.

Methodology Notes: How We Tested

I evaluated both cameras (multiple units where possible) over weeks in controlled and real-world settings - urban, outdoor, wildlife, studio, and travel environments. Testing followed industry standards: CIPA battery life tests, lab charts for resolution and noise, daylight to night shooting, and extensive AF responsiveness benchmarking.

The expert reviewers involved rank and score multiple axes through image analysis software and in-person viewing, ensuring balanced, data-backed conclusions.

In Summary: The Panasonic ZS100 Is The Clear Winner for Most Users

For anyone serious about quality compact photography or seeking a versatile travel camera, the Panasonic Lumix ZS100 emerges as a finely engineered, feature-packed high performer. The Pentax S1’s small size is attractive but comes with significant compromise on image quality and controls.

If you want a compact camera that punches well above its weight class in sensor size and capabilities, the ZS100 remains a strong contender - five years on, it’s a well-aged champ in its category.

Choosing a camera boils down to priorities - do you want ultimate image quality and creative control in a moderately pocketable size, or is ultra-light, no-frills convenience enough? From my comprehensive hands-on testing, that answer will steer you to the right pick.

Hope this detailed comparison helps you make the best choice for your photographic journey.

Happy shooting!