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Panasonic ZS1 vs Nikon D610 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS1

10 MP | 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) CCD Sensor

Panasonic ZS1
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Nikon D610

24 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D610
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Panasonic ZS1 vs Nikon D610 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic ZS1, which was introduced in May 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 10.0MP 1/2.5-inch sensor whereas Nikon D610, which was introduced in October 2013 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, ZS1 is 4 years older than D610. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic ZS1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-05-14
  • 10MP - 1/2.5-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 2.7" Fixed Type Screen
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • - 640 x 480 video resolution
  • 229g. 103 x 60 x 33 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ6

Nikon D610 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-10-08
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 6 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 850g. 141 x 113 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D600 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 over Nikon D610
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Weight
229 g vs 850 g 621 g lighter


Reasons to choose Nikon D610 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 10 MP 140% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
39 vs 11 28 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 2.7" 0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 230k dots 300% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
6.0fps vs 3.0fps 3 fps faster
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 5.3m 6.7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
35.66µm2 vs 2.48µm2 1337% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 640 x 480 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
7 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Nikon D610
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
2.7" vs 3.2" Large display
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Nikon D610
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Panasonic ZS1 vs Nikon D610: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS1 has external dimensions of 103 x 60 x 33 mm (4.06 x 2.36 x 1.3″) and weighs 229 g (0.50 lb / 8.08 oz) (including batteries). Nikon D610 has external dimensions of 141 x 113 x 82 mm (5.55 x 4.45 x 3.23″) and weighs 850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610. Panasonic ZS1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 38mm narrower, 53mm shorter and 49mm thinner than Nikon D610. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS1 has a built-in lens but Nikon D610 doesn't. Once you put a lens on D610, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Nikon D610 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS1 is significantly lighter (621g ) than the Nikon D610 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on D610, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of D610, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to ZS1.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D610's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic ZS1's 2.7" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Panasonic ZS1 vs Nikon D610: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic ZS1 has a 10.0MP 1/2.5-inch (5.744 x 4.308 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Nikon D610 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor.

Nikon D610's sensor provides 14MP more than Panasonic ZS1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the ZS1 and D610 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Nikon D610 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon D610 has a 34.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic ZS1 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Nikon D610 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D610 for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon D610 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
11 Focus Points
300 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 900 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D610 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
229g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
850g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon D610 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 vs Nikon D610: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic ZS1 and Nikon D610 scores compare:

Panasonic ZS1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #378 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1058 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Nikon D610
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #20 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #75 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon D610 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS1 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic ZS1. Otherwise, Nikon D610 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic ZS1
Panasonic ZS1
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Nikon D610
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Nikon D610 vs Panasonic ZS1 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 Nikon D610
Brand Panasonic Nikon
Announced 2009-05-14 2013-10-08
Body Type Compact Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.5-inch Full frame
Dimensions 5.744 x 4.308 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 24.74mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 3648 x 2736 6016 x 4016
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 11 39
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Nikon F
Lens Focal Range 25-300 mm (12×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.3-4.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 3cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 2.7" 3.2"
Resolution 230k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.30 m (Auto ISO) 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 6.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 640 x 480 1920 x 1080
Video Formats Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 229g 850g
Dimensions 103 x 60 x 33mm 141 x 113 x 82mm
Battery Life n/a 900 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 94
DxO Color Depth not tested 25.1
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 14.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2925
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