Panasonic ZS200 vs Pentax K-5 II

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic ZS200 vs Pentax K-5 II, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the ZS200 (20MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the ZS200 (1") and K-5 II (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ZS200 was unveiled 4 years after the K-5 II which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short overview of how the ZS200 grades against the K-5 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 and Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS200 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS200 provides outer measurements of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") and a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 II has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS200 vs Pentax K-5 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the ZS200 compared to the K-5 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS200 and K-5 II is 86 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizes only by reviewing a spec sheet. The pic below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS200 and K-5 II.

As you can see, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS200 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Panasonic ZS200 will deliver more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The newer ZS200 will have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.