Panasonic ZS200 vs Pentax ist DS2

Lets look much closer at the Panasonic ZS200 and Pentax ist DS2, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the ZS200 (20MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the ZS200 (1") and ist DS2 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The ZS200 was released 12 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a short highlight of how the ZS200 matches up versus the ist DS2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 & Pentax ist DS2. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS200 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS200 provides outer measurements of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS200 and Pentax ist DS2 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the ZS200 against the ist DS2.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS200 and ist DS2 is 86 and 68 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading through specifications. The visual here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS200 and ist DS2.

To sum up, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZS200 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Panasonic ZS200 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 14MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures far more aggressively. The younger ZS200 will have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.