Panasonic LZ30 vs Pentax K-500

Its time to take a closer look at the Panasonic LZ30 and Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the LZ30 (16MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is fairly similar but the LZ30 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The LZ30 was unveiled 10 months prior to the K-500 which means that they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a simple summary of how the LZ30 matches up against the K-500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30 & Pentax K-500. The full galleries are available at Panasonic LZ30 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic LZ30 has physical dimensions of 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") having a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic LZ30 and Pentax K-500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the LZ30 versus the K-500.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the LZ30 and K-500 is 66 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizing just by reading specs. The graphic underneath should give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the LZ30 and K-500.

All in all, the two cameras posses the exact same megapixels but not the same sensor sizing. The LZ30 features the tinier sensor which will make getting shallow DOF trickier. The older LZ30 is going to be behind in sensor technology.