Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax K-01

In this article, we are analyzing the Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax K-01, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and K-01 (16MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and K-01 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The ZS80 was brought out 5 years later than the K-01 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a simple overview of how the ZS80 grades against the K-01 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 & Pentax K-01. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery & Pentax K-01 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS80 enjoys external dimensions of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") having a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-01 has specifications of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") with a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax K-01 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is the front view size comparison of the ZS80 versus the K-01.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS80 and K-01 is 86 and 76 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor measurements purely by going through specs. The photograph below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS80 and K-01.

All in all, both of those cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS80 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZS80 will show extra detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The younger ZS80 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.