Panasonic SZ5 vs Pentax ist DL2

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic SZ5 versus Pentax ist DL2, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the SZ5 (14MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the SZ5 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ5 was manufactured 6 years later than the ist DL2 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the SZ5 scores versus the ist DL2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5 & Pentax ist DL2. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic SZ5 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic SZ5 features outside measurements of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Pentax ist DL2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic SZ5 versus Pentax ist DL2 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the SZ5 and the ist DL2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SZ5 and ist DL2 is 95 and 69 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to see the gap in sensor measurements purely by researching technical specs. The visual here might give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ5 and ist DL2.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SZ5 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Panasonic SZ5 will result in more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs much more aggressively. The more recent SZ5 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.