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Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020 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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Olympus FE-5020

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Olympus FE-5020
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Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. Panasonic ZS1 was introduced to market in May 2009 and Olympus FE-5020 was launched in July 2009. There is only 2 months difference between ZS1 and FE-5020 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Panasonic ZS1 has a 10.0MP 1/2.5-inch sensor whereas Olympus FE-5020 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020 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

Olympus FE-5020 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-07-22
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 64 - 1600
  • 24-120 mm F3.3-5.8 Zoom Lens
  • 2.7" Fixed Type Screen
  • continuous shooting
  • - 640 x 480 video resolution
  • 137g. 93 x 56 x 25 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Also known as X-935

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 over Olympus FE-5020
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max ISO
6.400 vs 1.600 300% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter
1/2000s vs 1/500s faster mechanical shutter
Focal Length - Tele
300mm vs 120mm 180 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
12× vs 5× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele
4.90 vs 5.80 faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage
5.3m vs 4.1m 1.2m longer range


Reasons to choose Olympus FE-5020 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1
Max Sensor Resolution
12 MP vs 10 MP 19% more pixels
Weight
137 g vs 229 g 92 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 25mm 1 mm wider coverage

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
LCD Screen Size
2.7" vs 2.7" Small display
LCD Screen Resolution
230k dots vs 230k dots Low resolution screens
Manual Focusing
No vs No No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure
No vs No No manual exposure control
New5
New4
Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020: 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 Olympus FE-5020 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). Olympus FE-5020 has external dimensions of 93 x 56 x 25 mm (3.66 x 2.2 x 0.98″) and weighs 137 g (0.30 lb / 4.83 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020. Olympus FE-5020 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 10mm narrower, 4mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Panasonic ZS1.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus FE-5020 is significantly lighter (92g ) than the Panasonic ZS1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS1
FE-5020
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS1
FE-5020
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of FE-5020, 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

Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 2.7".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020: 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, Olympus FE-5020 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features TruePic III processor.

Below you can see the ZS1 and FE-5020 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020 Cameras


As seen above, Olympus FE-5020 has a 1.1x 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.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS1 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens whereas Olympus FE-5020 features a 24-120 mm F3.3-5.8 5× zoom lens.

Olympus FE-5020 has 1mm wider coverage than the Panasonic ZS1. Both cameras has a max aperture of f3.30 at the wide end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS1 has 180mm longer reach than the Olympus FE-5020. At f4.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS1
FE-5020
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS1
FE-5020
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS1
FE-5020
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS1
FE-5020
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus FE-5020 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

Olympus FE-5020 for Portrait Photography

POOR
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
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
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

Panasonic ZS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus FE-5020 for Street Photography

POOR
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
Small Body
Live-view
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus FE-5020 for Sports Photography

POOR
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
Environmental Sealings
120 mm Tele Lens
No Image Stabilization
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 Max shutter speed: 1/500s
Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus FE-5020 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
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
Compact Body
137g
Environmental Sealings
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus FE-5020 for Landscape Photography

POOR
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
Environmental Sealings
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus FE-5020: 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 Olympus FE-5020, 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 Olympus FE-5020 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
Olympus FE-5020
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #457 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1180 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic ZS1 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus FE-5020 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic ZS1
Panasonic ZS1
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Olympus FE-5020
Olympus FE-5020
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Olympus FE-5020 vs Panasonic ZS1 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 Olympus FE-5020
Brand Panasonic Olympus
Announced 2009-05-14 2009-07-22
Body Type Compact Compact
Sensor
Type CCD CCD
Size 1/2.5-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 5.744 x 4.308 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 24.74mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 3648 x 2736 3968 x 2976
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 1,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 64 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 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 25-300 mm (12×) 24-120 mm (5×)
Max Aperture F3.3-4.9 F3.3-5.8
Macro Focus Range 3cm 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 2.7" 2.7"
Resolution 230k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/500s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.30 m (Auto ISO) 4.10 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps n/a
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 640 x 480 640 x 480
Video Formats Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 229g 137g
Dimensions 103 x 60 x 33mm 93 x 56 x 25mm
Battery Life n/a n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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