CdS/ZnO branched heterostructures have been successfully synthesized by combining thermal vapour deposition and a hydrothermal method. Drastic optoelectronic performance enhancement of such heterostructures was revealed, compared to plain CdS nanobelts, as documented by comparative in situ optoelectronic studies on corresponding individual nanostructures using an originally designed laser-compatible transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique. Furthermore, flexible thin-film based photodetectors based on standard CdS nanobelts and newly prepared CdS/ZnO heterostructures were fabricated on PET substrates, and comparative photocurrent and photo-responsivity measurements thoroughly verified the in situ TEM results. The CdS/ZnO branched heterostructures were found to have better performance than standard CdS nanobelts for optoelectronic applications with respect to the photocurrent to dark current ratio and responsivity.