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Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus E-P5 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 E-P5

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-P5
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Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus E-P5 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 Olympus E-P5, which was introduced in October 2013 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, ZS1 is 4 years older than E-P5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky 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 Olympus E-P5 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 E-P5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-10-03
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 9 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 420g. 122 x 69 x 37 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-P3 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus E-P5 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 PEN E-P5
Weight
229 g vs 420 g 191 g lighter


Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-P5 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 10 MP 60% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 6.400 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
35 vs 11 24 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 230k dots 350% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
9.0fps vs 3.0fps 6 fps faster
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
7.0m vs 5.3m 1.7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 2.48µm2 469% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 640 x 480 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Olympus PEN E-P5
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Olympus PEN E-P5
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus E-P5: 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 E-P5 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 E-P5 has external dimensions of 122 x 69 x 37 mm (4.8 x 2.72 x 1.46″) and weighs 420 g (0.93 lb / 14.82 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus E-P5. Panasonic ZS1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 19mm narrower, 9mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Olympus E-P5. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS1 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-P5 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-P5, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus E-P5 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus E-P5 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus E-P5.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus E-P5 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus E-P5 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. Panasonic ZS1 is significantly lighter (191g ) than the Olympus E-P5 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 E-P5, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 (Lumix DMC-TZ6) nor Olympus PEN E-P5 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-P5's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic ZS1's 2.7" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Olympus E-P5 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic ZS1 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-P5.
Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus E-P5: 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 E-P5 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Olympus E-P5's sensor provides 6MP 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 E-P5 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus E-P5 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus E-P5 Cameras


As seen above, Olympus E-P5 has a 9.1x 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.

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus E-P5 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS1 and Olympus E-P5 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 E-P5 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-P5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus E-P5 for Sports Photography

GOOD
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
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
35 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-P5 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
420g
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-P5 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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 vs Olympus E-P5: 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 E-P5, 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 E-P5 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 E-P5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #18 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #141 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Olympus E-P5 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, Olympus E-P5 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic ZS1
Panasonic ZS1
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Olympus E-P5
Olympus E-P5
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Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic ZS1 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 Olympus PEN E-P5
Brand Panasonic Olympus
Announced 2009-05-14 2013-10-03
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.5-inch Four Thirds
Dimensions 5.744 x 4.308 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 24.74mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 3648 x 2736 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 25,600 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 35
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
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 Tilting
Size 2.7" 3"
Resolution 230k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.30 m (Auto ISO) 7.00 m (ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/320s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 9.0 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 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 229g 420g
Dimensions 103 x 60 x 33mm 122 x 69 x 37mm
Battery Life n/a 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 72
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.8
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 895
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