Panasonic SZ1 vs Pentax K-3 II

Below, we will be analyzing the Panasonic SZ1 vs Pentax K-3 II, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the SZ1 (16MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the SZ1 (1/2.3") and K-3 II (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ1 was introduced 4 years prior to the K-3 II which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick view of how the SZ1 matches up against the K-3 II with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1 & Pentax K-3 II. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic SZ1 Gallery & Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic SZ1 comes with physical dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 II has measurements of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic SZ1 vs Pentax K-3 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the SZ1 versus the K-3 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ1 and K-3 II is 95 and 59 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to see the gap between sensor sizes simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The image underneath should provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ1 and K-3 II.

Clearly, both of those cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SZ1 having a tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh harder and the Pentax K-3 II will deliver extra detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged SZ1 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.