Panasonic ZS1

Panasonic ZS1 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially revealed on May of 2009. The camera houses a 10MP, CCD 1/2.5" size sensor with a max resolution of 3648 x 2736. It is referred to as "Lumix DMC-TZ6" in other markets.

The ZS1 places at #241 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and over all #1151 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. You should test our Smart camera search to get camera listings based on your personal criteria.

Below is a diagram of specific factors used in the rating system.

You can look at the ZS1 from various angles in the gallery below.

Here is a selection of pros and cons of the Panasonic ZS1 based on things that are normally considered essential in a digital camera.

The sensor dimension on the Panasonic ZS1 is 5.744mm x 4.308mm (1/2.5"). The 25 mm² sensor can capture 3648 x 2736 pixels using aspect ratios of 16:9, 4:3 and 3:2. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization since the latter can easily produce cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 10 megapixels and delivers a standard ISO range of 100 to 6400. Unfortunately, RAW photos are not supported so you have less margin for error.

The graphic below displays the ZS1's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The ZS1 sensor comes with a crop factor of 6.3 and is outlined in green.

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To get an understanding of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Panasonic ZS1 weighs in at 0.50 lbs (229g or 8.08 ounces) and the dimensions of the camera is 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3"). The weight of typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387g and the Panasonic ZS1 is less heavy as compared to various rivals.

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Below is a pic of the Panasonic ZS1 with a soft drink to help you to have a feel for its size.

The top view below will illustrate the button design on the ZS1.

The ZS1 is equipped with an inbuilt lens offering a focal range of 25-300mm giving it a 12.0 x zoom which isn't really outstanding however it will probably be valuable in a few scenarios.

At it's widest 25mm, it will have an aperture of f3.3 which is quite sluggish and not ideal in low light events and you will likely find it difficult to capture a shallow depth of field. You will also need to up your ISO which causes noisy photos. With the long end, 300mm is outstanding zoom and comes at f4.9 making it pretty sluggish and you may have to go with slower shutter speeds.

The ZS1 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes

Digital cameras that consist of NFC and Bluetooth connectivity can be controlled wirelessly via smartphones. You can send images and in some cases alter camera settings without the hassle of connecting physically with the camera.

Several apps also provide a Liveview and hit the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external monitor. Virtually all cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack through the USB port.

The max video quality on the Panasonic ZS1 is 640 x 480 and it can record in Motion JPEG file format. 480p is low by today's requirements. You should really shoot for a minimum FUll HD quality for good video. The body does not have a mic and headphone port so you get absolutely no control over your sound. It is probably best to look into an alternative camera if you want better sound in your videos.

Panasonic ZS1 does not have environment proofing so damp conditions could damage the camera.

The Panasonic ZS1 is equipped with a 2.7" fixed display screen having a resolution of 230k dots.

Please note that the display offers no touch support.

Photography Glossary

The ViewFinder specifications regarding Panasonic ZS1 are the following:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be quite beneficial during bright outdoor conditions which can easily make the camera screen washed out and difficult to view.

Panasonic ZS1 can shoot continuously at 3.0 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

Panasonic ZS1 boasts just inbuilt flash without external flash support.

Panasonic ZS1 boasts only Contrast Based Autofocus and doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more faster and accurate as compared to Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera supports Face detection which can be handy for taking portraits of people.

It supports 11 focus points to choose from. Panasonic ZS1 doesn't have manual focusing. Manual focusing option can be good during low light conditions or you require more precise control on depth of field.

The usual Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR features the maximum (600) battery life within this kind of cameras.

Listed below is a list of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras which have the strongest battery life:

The following illustration provides a rundown of the Panasonic ZS1 for varying types of photography. To understand more, go to the specific paragraph below.

The Panasonic ZS1 gets a points total of 25 which is awful, meaning that it is not really suitable for portrait photography. Photographing portraits favors heavily to sensor dimensions, support for RAW files plus the option to work with off-camera lighting.

Getting a decent score of 60, the Panasonic ZS1 is relatively adequate for street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

A awful sports photography rating of 24 indicates the Panasonic ZS1 is not really suitable for photographing sports. A camera needs to have good autofocus and continuous shooting for sports photography.

Portability is really crucial when selecting a travel camera. All round, the Panasonic ZS1 gets a above average 63 as a travelling camera which is a fine fit to take with you on your holidays.

If you find yourself looking to pick a camera for landscape photography, the most vital aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Panasonic ZS1 with it's awful grade of 31 as a landscape camera is not really suitable within the current market.

A camera for vlogging should offer a articulating display, mic input and preferably image stabilization. Considering every thing, the Panasonic ZS1 is not really suitable for vlogging as it gets a awful score of 31.

If you are searching for alternatives to the ZS1, below is a list of the highest placed cameras that fall in to the family of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The diagram followed below gives you a summary of the ZS1 versus it's highest ranking competitors mentioned above.

These are various other cameras you may look at as alternatives. To look at a comprehensive comparison, click the "compare" link.