Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax X-5

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax X-5, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and X-5 (16MP) but they possess the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The ZS80 was manufactured 5 years later than the X-5 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 X-5 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going through a comprehensive comparison, below is a short introduction of how the ZS80 scores versus the X-5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Pentax X-5. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Pentax X-5 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS80 has outer measurements 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 X-5 has dimensions of 119mm x 86mm x 107mm (4.7" x 3.4" x 4.2") along with a weight of 595 grams (1.31 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic ZS80 vs Pentax X-5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the ZS80 compared to the X-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS80 and X-5 is 86 and 65 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements just by researching a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS80 and X-5.

As you can see, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Panasonic ZS80 to result in more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more recent ZS80 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.