CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison
  • BRANDS
    • Sony Cameras
    • Canon Cameras
    • Nikon Cameras
    • Pentax Cameras
    • Fujifilm Cameras
    • Olympus Cameras
    • Panasonic Cameras
    • Leica Cameras
    • Samsung Cameras
  • BODY TYPE
    • Mirrorless Cameras
    • DSLR Cameras
    • Compact Cameras
    • Bridge Cameras
    • Waterproof Cameras

Panasonic ZS1 vs Sigma SD1 Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Panasonic ZS1

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

Panasonic ZS1
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Sigma SD1

15 MP | APS-C (24 x 16 mm) CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor

Sigma SD1
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Panasonic ZS1 vs Sigma SD1 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 Sigma SD1, which was introduced in September 2010 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 15.0MP APS-C sensor. There is 16 months difference between ZS1 and SD1 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger SD1, especially in sensor tech.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task 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 Sigma SD1 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

Sigma SD1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2010-09-21
  • 15MP - APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor
  • ISO -
  • Sigma SA Bayonet Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • g. 146 x 113 x 80 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Sigma SD1 was replaced by Sigma SD1 Merrill. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sigma SD1
Sigma SD1 Merrill 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 Sigma SD1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 over Sigma SD1
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 0 0% higher Max ISO
Max Video Resolution
640 x 480 vs None Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Sigma SD1 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
15 MP vs 10 MP 50% more pixels
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
460k dots vs 230k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 3.0fps 2 fps faster
Weight
g vs 229 g 229 g lighter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area
25.00µm2 vs 2.48µm2 908% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Sigma SD1
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Sigma SD1
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Resolution
230k dots vs 460k dots Low resolution screens
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
Panasonic ZS1 vs Sigma SD1: 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 Sigma SD1 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). Sigma SD1 has external dimensions of 146 x 113 x 80 mm (5.75 x 4.45 x 3.15″) and weighs (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Sigma SD1. Panasonic ZS1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 43mm narrower, 53mm shorter and 47mm thinner than Sigma SD1. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS1 has a built-in lens but Sigma SD1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on SD1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Sigma SD1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Sigma SD1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sigma SD1 is 229g lighter than the Panasonic ZS1 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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 SD1, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of SD1, 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

Sigma SD1'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 Sigma SD1: 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, Sigma SD1 has a 15.0MP APS-C (24 x 16 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features Dual True II processor.

Sigma SD1's sensor provides 5MP 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 SD1 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Sigma SD1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Sigma SD1 Cameras


As seen above, Sigma SD1 has a 15.5x 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 Sigma SD1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS1 and Sigma SD1 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

Sigma SD1 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
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sigma SD1 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
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sigma SD1 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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
2 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sigma SD1 for Daily Photography

POOR
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 APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
Body Thickness 80mm
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sigma SD1 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 APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 vs Sigma SD1: 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 Sigma SD1, 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 Sigma SD1 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
Sigma SD1
This camera is not rated yet!

Panasonic ZS1
Panasonic ZS1
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Sigma SD1
Sigma SD1
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Sigma SD1 vs Panasonic ZS1 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 Sigma SD1
Brand Panasonic Sigma
Announced 2009-05-14 2010-09-21
Body Type Compact Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS (Foveon X3)
Size 1/2.5-inch APS-C
Dimensions 5.744 x 4.308 mm 24 x 16 mm
Area 24.74mm2 384.00mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 15 megapixels
Max Resolution 3648 x 2736 4800 x 3200
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 0 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 0 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 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Sigma SA Bayonet
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 Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 96%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.64x
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) n/a
Max Flash Sync n/a s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 640 x 480 None
Video Formats Motion JPEG n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 229g n/a
Dimensions 103 x 60 x 33mm 146 x 113 x 80mm
Battery Life n/a n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Nikon Z7
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Sony A6000
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7 III
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Fujifilm X-T3
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R
30 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Sony A6400
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Nikon D5600
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Nikon D850
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Top Rated Compact Cameras
Top Compact Cameras Under $200
Top Compact Cameras Under $500
Top Compact Cameras Under $750
Top Compact Cameras Under $1000
Top Rated DSLR Cameras
Top DSLR Cameras Under $500
Top DSLR Cameras Under $750
Top DSLR Cameras Under $1000
Top DSLR Cameras Under $1500
Latest Cameras
Fujifilm GFX 100S
102 MP | Medium format Sensor | Fujifilm G Mount
Fujifilm X-E4
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Sony a1
50 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Leica SL2-S
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm
Fujifilm X-S10
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Nikon Z7 II
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Nikon Z6 II
25 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Copyright © 2021 by CameraDecision
About Feedback Privacy Cameras

Report a Correction