Panasonic SZ1

Panasonic SZ1 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Compact digital camera originally introduced on January of 2012. It includes a 16 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456.

The SZ1 places at #66 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & all-around #829 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to try out our Advanced camera finder to get camera ratings based on your customized requirements.

Below is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

The Panasonic SZ1 is part of a family of cameras. You can view the detailed range below.

You can see the SZ1 from several angles in the gallery underneath.

Below is a selection of benefits and drawbacks of the Panasonic SZ1 based on criterias that are normally viewed as essential in a digital camera.

The sensor dimension in the Panasonic SZ1 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4608 x 3456 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization as the latter can cause cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 16 megapixels and features a standard ISO range of 100 - 6400. Sadly, RAW format is not supported which means that the user has less margin for error.

The picture below displays the SZ1's sensor dimensions in comparison to other popular sizes. The SZ1 sensor has a crop factor of 5.9 and is shown in green.

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To get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Panasonic SZ1 weighs 0.29 pounds (131g / 4.62 ounces) & has outer size of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Compact camera is 174g so the Panasonic SZ1 is lighter when compared with its rivals.

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Below is a visual of the Panasonic SZ1 with a softdrink to help you get a sense of its scale.

The top view directly below will show you the button arrangement on the SZ1.

The SZ1 houses a fixed lens providing a focal range of 25-250mm giving it a 10.0 x zoom which isn't really ideal however it may be valuable in certain circumstances.

At the widest 25mm, the lens comes with an aperture of f3.1 and that's quite slow and not very good for low light situations and you may find it hard to get good bokeh. You will likely also have to raise the ISO setting which results in noisy images. For the tele end, 250mm is superb zoom and comes at f5.9 which is fairly slow and you might need to utilize slower shutter speeds.

The SZ1 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes

Cameras that include NFC and / or Bluetooth support can easily be used wirelessly through smartphones. You can send images and in some cases change camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly to the camera.

Several applications even give a Liveview and click the shutter in case you aren't near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI port, it could be hooked up to an external screen. Almost all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery through the USB port.

The maximum video resolution in the Panasonic SZ1 is 1280 x 720 and you can capture in MPEG-4 file format. 720p is terrible for today's standards. You really should go for a minimum FUll HD resolution for good video. The camera doesn't feature a microphone and / or headphone port which means you have no control over the sound. It is perhaps a better idea to find another camera if you need better sound for your videos.

Panasonic SZ1 doesn't include weather sealing so rainy conditions can easily damage the camera.

The Panasonic SZ1 includes a 3 inch fixed screen boasting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Sadly the screen isn't a touch screen.

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The View Finder details for Panasonic SZ1 are below:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be rather beneficial for bright outdoor situations which will make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to see.

Panasonic SZ1 has the ability to shoot continuously at 1.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/1600 seconds.

Panasonic SZ1 comes with only built-in flash lacking external flash ability.

Panasonic SZ1 comes with just Contrast Based AF & doesn't have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster & precise when compared with Contrast Based focusing. The camera includes Face detection making it handy for taking portraits of people.

It includes 23 focus points to select from. It also boasts Tracking AF for moving things. Panasonic SZ1 lacks manual focusing. Manual focusing mode is useful for low light situations or you require more precise control on focus.

The battery in the Panasonic SZ1 is built to last for 250 pictures with respect to the CIPA requirements making it about the same as it's competition. The general Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 comes with the highest possible (470) battery life for this range of cameras.

Below is a number of Small Sensor Compact cameras that have the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X30
SZ1 vs Fujifilm X30470 yesnono

Casio EX-10
SZ1 vs EX-10455 yesnono

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Ricoh GR Digital IV
SZ1 vs GR Digital IV390 yesnono

Canon G12
SZ1 vs G12370 yesnono

Canon G16
SZ1 vs G16360 yesnono

The following diagram provides a analysis of the Panasonic SZ1 for varying kinds of photography. To check out more, go to the specific paragraph below.

The Panasonic SZ1 gets a rating of 34 which is low, and means the camera is just not very good to use for portraits. Taking portraits leans greatly towards sensor size, support for RAW photos together with the ability to use external lighting.

Getting a nice score of 63, the Panasonic SZ1 is a fine fit for street photography. A good street photography camera comes with a good balance of image quality and portability.

A low sports photography points total of 40 indicates the Panasonic SZ1 is just not very good for shooting sports. A camera should have good tracking and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Size is extremely critical when selecting a travel camera. All things considered, the Panasonic SZ1 gets a above average 70 as a travel camera which is a fine option to purchase for your travels.

If you are looking to choose a digital camera for landscape photography, the most essential factor will no doubt be image quality. The Panasonic SZ1 with it's low grade of 43 as a landscape camera is just not very good amongst it's competition.

A vlogging camera ought to offer a moving screen, mic input and if possible image stabilization. Taking everything in to account, the Panasonic SZ1 is just not very good as a vlog camera as it gets a low rating of 32.

If you are in the market for replacements to the SZ1, below is a number of the top ranked cameras that fall in to the family of Small Sensor Compact.

The diagram underneath will give you a summary of the SZ1 versus it's highest ranking competitors suggested earlier.

These are various other cameras you may look at as alternate options. To look at a complete comparison, just click on the "compare" link.