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Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS15

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic ZS15
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Pentax MX-1

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax MX-1
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Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Panasonic and Pentax. Panasonic ZS15 was introduced to market in June 2012 and Pentax MX-1 was launched in July 2013. There is 12 months difference between ZS15 and MX-1 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger MX-1, especially in sensor tech.

Both cameras have 12.0MP sensors but Panasonic ZS15's sensor is 1/2.3-inch sized whereas Pentax MX-1 has a 1/1.7-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic ZS15 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-06-29
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 24-384 mm F3.3-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 2 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 208g. 105 x 58 x 33 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ25

Pentax MX-1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-07-01
  • 12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • 28-112 mm F1.8-2.5 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 391g. 122 x 61 x 51 mm

Panasonic ZS15 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 (Lumix DMC-TZ25)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 vs Pentax MX-1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 over Pentax MX-1
Continuous Shooting
2.0fps vs 1.0fps 1 fps faster
Weight
208 g vs 391 g 183 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 28mm 4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
384mm vs 112mm 272 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
16× vs 4× more flexible focal coverage


Reasons to choose Pentax MX-1 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 23 2 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
920k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
290 shots vs 260 shots 30 more frames with a single charge
Max Aperture - Wide
1.80 vs 3.30 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
2.50 vs 5.90 faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 6.4m 5.6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
3.46µm2 vs 2.34µm2 47% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range
±2 EV vs ±1 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 and Pentax MX-1
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
Manual Exposure
Yes vs Yes better exposure control
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 and Pentax MX-1
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Continuous Shooting
2.0fps vs 1.0fps Slow shooting speeds
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1: 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 ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS15 has external dimensions of 105 x 58 x 33 mm (4.13 x 2.28 x 1.3″) and weighs 208 g (0.46 lb / 7.34 oz) (including batteries). Pentax MX-1 has external dimensions of 122 x 61 x 51 mm (4.8 x 2.4 x 2.01″) and weighs 391 g (0.86 lb / 13.79 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1. Panasonic ZS15 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 3mm shorter and 18mm thinner than Pentax MX-1.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1.
Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS15 is significantly lighter (183g ) than the Pentax MX-1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS15
MX-1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS15
MX-1
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 (Lumix DMC-TZ25) nor Pentax MX-1 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

Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Pentax MX-1 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Panasonic ZS15 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to MX-1.
Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Panasonic ZS15's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Pentax MX-1's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Pentax MX-1'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 ZS15.

Below you can see the ZS15 and MX-1 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 Cameras


As seen above, Pentax MX-1 has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS15. 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 ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS15 features a 24-384 mm F3.3-5.9 16× zoom lens whereas Pentax MX-1 features a 28-112 mm F1.8-2.5 4× zoom lens.

Panasonic ZS15 has 4mm wider coverage than the Pentax MX-1. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Pentax MX-1 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS15 has 272mm longer reach than the Pentax MX-1. However, with a max aperture of f2.50, Pentax MX-1 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS15
MX-1
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS15
MX-1
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS15
MX-1
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS15
MX-1
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 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 ZS15 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Pentax MX-1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 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
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax MX-1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 for Sports Photography

POOR

Pentax MX-1 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
384 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
112 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax MX-1 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
208g
16.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
391g
Body Thickness 51mm
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax MX-1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax MX-1: 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 ZS15 and Pentax MX-1, 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 ZS15 and Pentax MX-1 scores compare:

Panasonic ZS15
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #209 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #787 out of 1226 in all Cameras
Pentax MX-1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #22 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #378 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Pentax MX-1 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS15 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic ZS15. Otherwise, Pentax MX-1 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic ZS15
Panasonic ZS15
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Pentax MX-1
Pentax MX-1
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Pentax MX-1 vs Panasonic ZS15 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 Pentax MX-1
Brand Panasonic Pentax
Announced 2012-06-29 2013-07-01
Body Type Compact Compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/1.7-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area 28.07mm2 41.52mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,800 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 23 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 24-384 mm (16×) 28-112 mm (4×)
Max Aperture F3.3-5.9 F1.8-2.5
Macro Focus Range 3cm 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.40 m 12.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 2.0 fps 1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 208g 391g
Dimensions 105 x 58 x 33mm 122 x 61 x 51mm
Battery Life 260 shots 290 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 49
DxO Color Depth not tested 20.4
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 208
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