Panasonic FZ80 vs Pentax K-r

The following is a in depth assessment of the Panasonic FZ80 and Pentax K-r, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the FZ80 (18MP) and K-r (12MP) and the FZ80 (1/2.3") and K-r (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FZ80 was introduced 5 years after the K-r which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-r being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief summary of how the FZ80 matches up versus the K-r in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 and Pentax K-r. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FZ80 Gallery and Pentax K-r Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FZ80 has external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") and a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-r has dimensions of 125mm x 97mm x 68mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.7") and a weight of 598 grams (1.32 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FZ80 and Pentax K-r in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the FZ80 vs the K-r.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the FZ80 and K-r is 63 and 67 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions just by looking at specs. The picture underneath may provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the FZ80 and K-r.

As you can plainly see, both cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FZ80 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic FZ80 will give you greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs way more aggressively. The fresher FZ80 will have an edge in sensor tech.