Panasonic FZ80 vs Pentax K10D

Let's take a closer look at the Panasonic FZ80 and Pentax K10D, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the FZ80 (18MP) and K10D (10MP) and the FZ80 (1/2.3") and K10D (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The FZ80 was revealed 10 years after the K10D which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K10D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summary of how the FZ80 scores against the K10D in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 & Pentax K10D. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ80 Gallery & Pentax K10D Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic FZ80 has external measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") along with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) while the Pentax K10D has specifications of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") with a weight of 793 grams (1.75 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FZ80 and Pentax K10D in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached during that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the FZ80 compared to the K10D.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FZ80 and K10D is 63 and 59 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by checking specs. The pic below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FZ80 and K10D.

All in all, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FZ80 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic FZ80 will resolve more detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The fresher FZ80 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.