Panasonic ZS1 vs Ricoh GR Digital III Comparison

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Panasonic ZS1

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

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Ricoh GR Digital III

10 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CCD Sensor

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Panasonic ZS1 vs Ricoh GR Digital III Comparison Overview

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

Both cameras have 10.0MP sensors but Panasonic ZS1's sensor is 1/2.5-inch sized whereas Ricoh GR Digital III has a 1/1.7-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III 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

Ricoh GR Digital III Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-07-27

10MP - 1/1.7-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 64 - 1600

28 mm f1.90 Prime Lens

3" Fixed Type Screen

continuous shooting

- 640 x 480 video resolution

208g. 109 x 59 x 26 mm

Replaced Ricoh GR Digital II Compare

Ricoh GR Digital III was replaced by Ricoh GR Digital IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Ricoh GR Digital IV vs Ricoh GR Digital III
Ricoh GR Digital IV 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 Ricoh GR Digital III compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 over Ricoh GR Digital III

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
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 28mm	3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	300mm vs 28mm	272 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	12× vs 1�	more flexible focal coverage
Flash Coverage	5.3m vs 3.0m	2.3m longer range

Reasons to choose Ricoh GR Digital III over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	920k dots vs 230k dots	300% higher resolution screen
Weight	208 g vs 229 g	21 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Aperture - Wide	1.90 vs 3.30	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	1.90 vs 4.90	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	4.16µm² vs 2.48µm²	67% larger pixel area
Built-in ND Filter	Yes vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
Max Resolution	10 MP vs 10 MP	Less details and smaller prints
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing	No vs No	Not good for multi-exposure HDR

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Panasonic ZS1 vs Ricoh GR Digital III: 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 Ricoh GR Digital III 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). Ricoh GR Digital III has external dimensions of 109 x 59 x 26 mm (4.29 x 2.32 x 1.02″) and weighs 208 g (0.46 lb / 7.34 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III. Ricoh GR Digital III is 1mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Panasonic ZS1 but it is also 6mm wider.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III 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. Ricoh GR Digital III is 21g lighter than the Panasonic ZS1 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS1

GR Digital III

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS1

GR Digital III

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 (Lumix DMC-TZ6) nor Ricoh GR Digital III 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Ricoh GR Digital III'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 Ricoh GR Digital III: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III have 10.0 MP resolution sensors but Panasonic ZS1's sensor is 1/2.5-inch (5.744 x 4.308 mm ) and Ricoh GR Digital III's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Ricoh GR Digital III's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Panasonic ZS1.

Below you can see the ZS1 and GR Digital III sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III Cameras

As seen above, Ricoh GR Digital III has a 1.7x 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 Ricoh GR Digital III Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS1 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens whereas Ricoh GR Digital III features a 28 mm F1.9 Prime lens.

It is not easy to compare a prime lens with a zoom lens. Panasonic ZS1's zoom lens provides a great flexibility compared to Ricoh GR Digital III's 28mm fixed focal length lens. On the other hand, GR Digital III's prime lens makes it a specialized camera. You compromise the flexibility of a zoom in order to enjoy the high image quality and unique rendering of this fast lens. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS1 has 272mm longer reach than the Ricoh GR Digital III. However, with a max aperture of f1.90, Ricoh GR Digital III is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS1

GR Digital III

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS1

GR Digital III

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS1

GR Digital III

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS1

GR Digital III

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS1 and Ricoh GR Digital III 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

Ricoh GR Digital III 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

RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Ricoh GR Digital III 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

RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.90
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Ricoh GR Digital III 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

RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
28 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Ricoh GR Digital III 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

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
208g
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Ricoh GR Digital III 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

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 vs Ricoh GR Digital III: 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 Ricoh GR Digital III, 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 Ricoh GR Digital III 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

Ricoh GR Digital III

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #128 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #627 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Ricoh GR Digital III is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS1 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Ricoh GR Digital III vs Panasonic ZS1 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1	Ricoh GR Digital III
Brand	Panasonic	Ricoh
Announced	2009-05-14	2009-07-27
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.5-inch	1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	5.744 x 4.308 mm	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	24.74mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	10 megapixels
Max Resolution	3648 x 2736	3648 x 2736
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×)	28 mm (1�)
Max Aperture	F3.3-4.9	F1.9
Macro Focus Range	3cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.7"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.30 m (Auto ISO)	3.00 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	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	229g	208g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	109 x 59 x 26mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction