Panasonic ZS200 vs Pentax K-50

Below, we will be contrasting the Panasonic ZS200 and Pentax K-50, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a significant difference among the resolutions of the ZS200 (20MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the ZS200 (1") and K-50 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS200 was introduced 4 years later than the K-50 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a concise overview of how the ZS200 matches up against the K-50 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 and Pentax K-50. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS200 Gallery and Pentax K-50 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS200 provides external dimensions of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") having a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs) while the Pentax K-50 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS200 and Pentax K-50 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the ZS200 versus the K-50.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the ZS200 and K-50 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor measurements purely by checking out specs. The photograph below should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS200 and K-50.

All in all, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS200 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZS200 will produce more detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more recent ZS200 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.