Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax K-5 II

Here is a extensive comparison of the Panasonic ZS80 and Pentax K-5 II, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The ZS80 was unveiled 4 years later than the K-5 II and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a complete comparison, below is a brief summary of how the ZS80 grades vs the K-5 II when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS80 comes with outer measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") with a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 II has sizing of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS80 and Pentax K-5 II in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the ZS80 against the K-5 II.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS80 and K-5 II is 86 and 60 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizing simply by researching specifications. The visual below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS80 and K-5 II.

To sum up, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS80 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic ZS80 will provide you with extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The newer ZS80 should have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.