Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax K-70

Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic ZS80 and Pentax K-70, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the ZS80 (20MP) and the K-70 (24MP) is fairly well matched but the ZS80 (1/2.3") and K-70 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The ZS80 was manufactured 21 months later than the K-70 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-70 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the ZS80 matches up against the K-70 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Pentax K-70. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Pentax K-70 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS80 enjoys outside measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") and a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Pentax K-70 has proportions of 126mm x 93mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 2.9") having a weight of 688 grams (1.52 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS80 and Pentax K-70 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the ZS80 vs the K-70.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS80 and K-70 is 86 and 62 respectively.

Often, it's difficult to imagine the difference between sensor measurements purely by looking at technical specs. The photograph below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS80 and K-70.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS80 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Pentax K-70 will resolve greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The younger ZS80 should have a benefit in sensor innovation.