Panasonic SZ5 vs Pentax K100D S

Here is a in depth overview of the Panasonic SZ5 and Pentax K100D S, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the SZ5 (14MP) and K100D S (6MP) and the SZ5 (1/2.3") and K100D S (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ5 was unveiled 5 years later than the K100D S and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D S being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a full comparison, here is a quick overview of how the SZ5 grades vs the K100D S with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5 and Pentax K100D Super. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic SZ5 Gallery and Pentax K100D S Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic SZ5 enjoys outside dimensions of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Pentax K100D S has specifications of 129mm x 91mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic SZ5 and Pentax K100D S in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the SZ5 vs the K100D S.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ5 and K100D S is 95 and 65 respectively.

Normally, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing merely by viewing technical specs. The visual underneath will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ5 and K100D S.

As you can tell, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ5 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic SZ5 will provide you with more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The younger SZ5 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.