Panasonic LZ40 vs Pentax K-3

Lets examine more in depth at the Panasonic LZ40 and Pentax K-3, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the LZ40 (20MP) and the K-3 (24MP) is pretty close but the LZ40 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

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The LZ40 was manufactured 3 months prior to the K-3 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a concise summation of how the LZ40 grades vs the K-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40 & Pentax K-3. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic LZ40 Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic LZ40 has got outer dimensions of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") and a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic LZ40 and Pentax K-3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. The following is the front view size comparison of the LZ40 vs the K-3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the LZ40 and K-3 is 67 and 59 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to envision the gap in sensor measurements only by looking through specifications. The photograph here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the LZ40 and K-3.

To sum up, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The LZ40 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-3 will render more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs far more aggressively.