Panasonic FZ40 vs Pentax K-S1

Here is a detailed comparison of the Panasonic FZ40 and Pentax K-S1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the FZ40 (14MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the FZ40 (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

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The FZ40 was manufactured 5 years prior to the K-S1 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the FZ40 matches up vs the K-S1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40 and Pentax K-S1. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FZ40 Gallery and Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and size. The Panasonic FZ40 has outside measurements of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") with a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-S1 has specifications of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FZ40 and Pentax K-S1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the FZ40 compared to the K-S1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the FZ40 and K-S1 is 68 and 69 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing simply by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below should give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FZ40 and K-S1.

As you can see, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FZ40 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Pentax K-S1 will provide greater detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older FZ40 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.