Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax K-3

Let's look closer at the Panasonic ZS80 and Pentax K-3, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the ZS80 (20MP) and the K-3 (24MP) is relatively comparable but the ZS80 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The ZS80 was announced 3 years later than the K-3 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick summation of how the ZS80 scores vs the K-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Pentax K-3. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS80 enjoys outer measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") having a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 has proportions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS80 and Pentax K-3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the ZS80 and the K-3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS80 and K-3 is 86 and 59 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements simply by checking out technical specs. The visual here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS80 and K-3.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS80 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-3 will provide extra detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The newer ZS80 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.