Panasonic LZ30 vs Pentax ist DL2

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic LZ30 vs Pentax ist DL2, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the LZ30 (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the LZ30 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The LZ30 was revealed 7 years later than the ist DL2 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the LZ30 scores vs the ist DL2 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30 & Pentax ist DL2. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic LZ30 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera, you're going to have to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic LZ30 comes with exterior 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 ist DL2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Check the Panasonic LZ30 vs Pentax ist DL2 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the LZ30 vs the ist DL2.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the LZ30 and ist DL2 is 66 and 69 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor sizing simply by viewing technical specs. The visual here should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the LZ30 and ist DL2.

As you have seen, both cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The LZ30 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic LZ30 will render extra detail because of its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively. The younger LZ30 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.