Panasonic SZ7 vs Pentax K-500

Lets look a little more closely at the Panasonic SZ7 vs Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the SZ7 (14MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is fairly similar but the SZ7 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SZ7 was unveiled 22 months earlier than the K-500 making them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic SZ7 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick summation of how the SZ7 scores versus the K-500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 & Pentax K-500. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic SZ7 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic SZ7 features external dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic SZ7 vs Pentax K-500 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the SZ7 compared to the K-500.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ7 and K-500 is 95 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizing simply by reviewing specifications. The graphic underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ7 and K-500.

Plainly, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ7 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Pentax K-500 will offer greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The older SZ7 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.