Panasonic LZ40 vs Pentax K-5

Its time to look closer at the Panasonic LZ40 versus Pentax K-5, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the LZ40 (20MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the LZ40 (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The LZ40 was launched 3 years later than the K-5 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a concise summary of how the LZ40 scores vs the K-5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40 and Pentax K-5. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic LZ40 Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic LZ40 features outside measurements of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") accompanied by a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

See the Panasonic LZ40 versus Pentax K-5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the LZ40 versus the K-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the LZ40 and K-5 is 67 and 60 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing just by looking through specifications. The visual here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the LZ40 and K-5.

To sum up, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The LZ40 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic LZ40 will render extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The more modern LZ40 provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.