Panasonic TS1 vs Pentax K-500

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic TS1 vs Pentax K-500, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the TS1 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the TS1 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The TS1 was released 5 years earlier than the K-500 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic TS1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise summation of how the TS1 scores against the K-500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 & Pentax K-500. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic TS1 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera often, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic TS1 comes with external dimensions of 98mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.5" x 0.9") and a weight of 189 grams (0.42 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic TS1 vs Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the TS1 vs the K-500.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the TS1 and K-500 is 93 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it is tough to envision the gap between sensor dimensions only by reading specs. The pic underneath will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the TS1 and K-500.

All in all, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The TS1 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-500 will offer more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged TS1 is going to be behind in sensor tech.