Panasonic ZS1 vs Samsung ST600 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS1

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

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Samsung ST600

14 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Panasonic ZS1 vs Samsung ST600 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Panasonic and Samsung. Panasonic ZS1 was introduced to market in May 2009 and Samsung ST600 was launched in January 2010. There is only 8 months difference between ZS1 and ST600 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 Samsung ST600 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600 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

Samsung ST600 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-01-06

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 4800 ( expands to 6400)

27-135 mm F3.3-5.5 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.5" Fixed Type Screen

continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

150g. 104 x 60 x 20 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 over Samsung ST600

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max ISO	6.400 vs 4.800	33% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter	1/2000s vs 1/1500s	faster mechanical shutter
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 27mm	2 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	300mm vs 135mm	165 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	12× vs 5×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	4.90 vs 5.50	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	2.48µm² vs 1.98µm²	25% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Samsung ST600 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1

Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution	14 MP vs 10 MP	39% more pixels
LCD Screen Size	3.5" vs 2.7"	0.8 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	1.152k dots vs 230k dots	400% higher resolution screen
Weight	150 g vs 229 g	79 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs 640 x 480	Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Samsung ST600

Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
LCD Screen Size	2.7" vs 3.5"	Large display

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Samsung ST600

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
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

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Panasonic ZS1 vs Samsung ST600: 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 Samsung ST600 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). Samsung ST600 has external dimensions of 104 x 60 x 20 mm (4.09 x 2.36 x 0.79″) and weighs 150 g (0.33 lb / 5.29 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600 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. Samsung ST600 is significantly lighter (79g ) than the Panasonic ZS1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS1

ST600

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS1

ST600

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 (Lumix DMC-TZ6) nor Samsung ST600 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

Samsung ST600's 3.5" 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 Samsung ST600: 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, Samsung ST600 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the ZS1 and ST600 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600 Cameras

As seen above, Samsung ST600 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 Samsung ST600 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS1 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens whereas Samsung ST600 features a 27-135 mm F3.3-5.5 5× zoom lens.

Panasonic ZS1 has 2mm wider coverage than the Samsung ST600. Both cameras has a max aperture of f3.30 at the wide end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS1 has 165mm longer reach than the Samsung ST600. At f4.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS1

ST600

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS1

ST600

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS1

ST600

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS1

ST600

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS1 and Samsung ST600 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

Samsung ST600 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

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung ST600 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

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
27 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Samsung ST600 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

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
135 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
Focus Points
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Samsung ST600 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
150g
Body Thickness 20mm
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Samsung ST600 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 Exposure Mode
27 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 vs Samsung ST600: 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 Samsung ST600, 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 Samsung ST600 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

Samsung ST600

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #18 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #716 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Samsung ST600 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

Samsung ST600 vs Panasonic ZS1 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1	Samsung ST600
Brand	Panasonic	Samsung
Announced	2009-05-14	2010-01-06
Body Type	Compact	Ultracompact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.5-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	5.744 x 4.308 mm	6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area	24.74mm²	27.72mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	14 megapixels
Max Resolution	3648 x 2736	4320 x 3240
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	4,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	6400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	80 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×)	27-135 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	F3.3-4.9	F3.3-5.5
Macro Focus Range	3cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.7"	3.5"
Resolution	230k dots	1,152k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/1500s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.30 m (Auto ISO)	5.00 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	s
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	1280 x 720
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	229g	150g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	104 x 60 x 20mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction