Panasonic LZ30 vs Pentax ist DS2

Its time to examine more closely at the Panasonic LZ30 and Pentax ist DS2, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the LZ30 (16MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the LZ30 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The LZ30 was revealed 7 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic LZ30 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the LZ30 matches up against the ist DS2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ30 and Pentax ist DS2. The full galleries are available at Panasonic LZ30 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic LZ30 comes with outer measurements of 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Pentax ist DS2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic LZ30 and Pentax ist DS2 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the LZ30 vs the ist DS2.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the LZ30 and ist DS2 is 66 and 68 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to envision the difference between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The photograph here will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the LZ30 and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The LZ30 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic LZ30 will offer greater detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a little more aggressively. The more recent LZ30 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.