Panasonic SZ5 vs Pentax ist DS2

Here is a in depth analysis of the Panasonic SZ5 vs Pentax ist DS2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the SZ5 (14MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the SZ5 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

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The SZ5 was manufactured 7 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a concise summation of how the SZ5 matches up versus the ist DS2 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5 and Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic SZ5 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic SZ5 has outer dimensions of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Pentax ist DS2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic SZ5 vs Pentax ist DS2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ5 compared to the ist DS2.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ5 and ist DS2 is 95 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to see the difference between sensor sizing merely by reading specs. The photograph here should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ5 and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ5 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic SZ5 will offer extra detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The fresher SZ5 will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.