Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax K10D

Let's look closer at the Panasonic ZS80 versus Pentax K10D, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and K10D (10MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and K10D (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS80 was introduced 11 years later than the K10D and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K10D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the ZS80 grades against the K10D with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Pentax K10D. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Pentax K10D Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS80 comes with outside dimensions of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Pentax K10D has dimensions of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") along with a weight of 793 grams (1.75 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS80 versus Pentax K10D in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the ZS80 versus the K10D.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS80 and K10D is 86 and 59 respectively.

Typically, it is very tough to picture the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS80 and K10D.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS80 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS80 will produce more detail using its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The fresher ZS80 provides an advantage in sensor tech.