Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax K-50

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Panasonic ZS80 and Pentax K-50, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and K-50 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ZS80 was introduced 4 years later than the K-50 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a simple summation of how the ZS80 matches up vs the K-50 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Pentax K-50. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Pentax K-50 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS80 comes with physical dimensions of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") and a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst 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 ZS80 and Pentax K-50 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the ZS80 compared to the K-50.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the ZS80 and K-50 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS80 and K-50.

As you can see, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS80 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic ZS80 will deliver extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a little more aggressively. The more modern ZS80 provides an edge in sensor innovation.