Panasonic FZ80 vs Pentax K-500

Below is a in depth overview of the Panasonic FZ80 and Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the FZ80 (18MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is very similar but the FZ80 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The FZ80 was unveiled 3 years later than the K-500 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short view of how the FZ80 grades vs the K-500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 & Pentax K-500. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ80 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FZ80 features external measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FZ80 and Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at the time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the FZ80 and the K-500.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FZ80 and K-500 is 63 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualise the difference between sensor measurements just by going over specs. The visual here will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the FZ80 and K-500.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FZ80 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will offer extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more recent FZ80 will have a benefit in sensor innovation.