Panasonic ZS1 vs Panasonic GF2 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS1

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

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Panasonic GF2

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

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Panasonic ZS1 vs Panasonic GF2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Panasonic cameras 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 Panasonic GF2, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. There is 21 months difference between ZS1 and GF2 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger GF2, especially in sensor tech.

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 Panasonic GF2 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

Panasonic GF2 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-02-24

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3" Fixed Type Screen

3 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

310g. 113 x 68 x 33 mm

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Compare

Panasonic GF2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 (Lumix DMC-TZ6)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS1 and Panasonic GF2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Weight	229 g vs 310 g	81 g lighter

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1

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	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% more pixels
Number of Focus Points	23 vs 11	12 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Flash Coverage	6.0m vs 5.3m	0.7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	18.74µm² vs 2.48µm²	655% 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

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Panasonic ZS1 vs Panasonic GF2: 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 Panasonic GF2 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). Panasonic GF2 has external dimensions of 113 x 68 x 33 mm (4.45 x 2.68 x 1.3″) and weighs 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Panasonic GF2. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS1 has a built-in lens but Panasonic GF2 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GF2, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Panasonic GF2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Panasonic GF2.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Panasonic GF2 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 (81g ) than the Panasonic GF2 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 GF2, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 (Lumix DMC-TZ6) nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 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

Panasonic GF2's 3" 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 Panasonic GF2: 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, Panasonic GF2 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Below you can see the ZS1 and GF2 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Panasonic GF2 Cameras

As seen above, Panasonic GF2 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 Panasonic GF2 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS1 and Panasonic GF2 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

Panasonic GF2 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

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
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF2 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

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
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF2 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

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

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GF2 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

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
310g
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF2 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: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 vs Panasonic GF2: 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 Panasonic GF2, 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 Panasonic GF2 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

Panasonic GF2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #92 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #404 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic GF2 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, Panasonic GF2 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic GF2 vs Panasonic ZS1 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Brand	Panasonic	Panasonic
Announced	2009-05-14	2011-02-24
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	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3648 x 2736	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 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	23
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	Fixed type
Size	2.7"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
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)	6.00 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	3.0 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	AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	229g	310g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	113 x 68 x 33mm
Battery Life	n/a	300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	54
DxO Color Depth	not tested	21.2
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	10.3
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	506
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