Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax ist DS2

Following is a complete assessment of the Panasonic FZ47 and Pentax ist DS2, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the FZ47 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the FZ47 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The FZ47 was announced 5 years after the ist DS2 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FZ47 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a thorough comparison, here is a short introduction of how the FZ47 scores versus the ist DS2 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 and Pentax ist DS2. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ47 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic FZ47 has outer measurements of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 498 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has specifications of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

See the Panasonic FZ47 and Pentax ist DS2 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the FZ47 against the ist DS2.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FZ47 and ist DS2 is 68 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizes purely by going through specs. The picture here will provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FZ47 and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FZ47 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field trickier and the Panasonic FZ47 will produce extra detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more modern FZ47 should have an edge with regard to sensor tech.