Panasonic LZ40 vs Pentax W80

Its time to take a closer look at the Panasonic LZ40 vs Pentax W80, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the LZ40 (20MP) and W80 (12MP) but they come with the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The LZ40 was brought out 4 years after the W80 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a quick summation of how the LZ40 matches up against the W80 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40 and Pentax Optio W80. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic LZ40 Gallery and Pentax W80 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic LZ40 enjoys outside dimensions of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") and a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs) while the Pentax W80 has measurements of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic LZ40 vs Pentax W80 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the LZ40 vs the W80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the LZ40 and W80 is 67 and 94 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by looking at a spec sheet. The picture below will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the LZ40 and W80.

As you can see, the 2 cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Panasonic LZ40 to resolve extra detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The fresher LZ40 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.