Panasonic SZ7 vs Pentax KP

Following is a thorough overview of the Panasonic SZ7 and Pentax KP, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the SZ7 (14MP) and KP (24MP) and the SZ7 (1/2.3") and KP (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The SZ7 was manufactured 6 years prior to the KP which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic SZ7 being a Compact camera and the Pentax KP being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a short overview of how the SZ7 matches up against the KP when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 & Pentax KP. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic SZ7 Gallery & Pentax KP Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry around your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic SZ7 enjoys outside dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Pentax KP has measurements of 132mm x 101mm x 76mm (5.2" x 4.0" x 3.0") having a weight of 703 grams (1.55 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic SZ7 and Pentax KP in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ7 versus the KP.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the SZ7 and KP is 95 and 61 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes only by checking out a spec sheet. The image below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ7 and KP.

As you can see, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SZ7 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Pentax KP will show extra detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged SZ7 will be behind in sensor technology.