Panasonic ZR1 vs Pentax K-3

Its time to look closer at the Panasonic ZR1 and Pentax K-3, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZR1 (12MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the ZR1 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The ZR1 was revealed 5 years prior to the K-3 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the ZR1 matches up vs the K-3 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 & Pentax K-3. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZR1 Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera often, you should consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZR1 has external measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 has sizing of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZR1 and Pentax K-3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the ZR1 against the K-3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the ZR1 and K-3 is 94 and 59 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualise the difference in sensor measurements purely by looking through technical specs. The photograph below should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the ZR1 and K-3.

As you can tell, both cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZR1 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-3 will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older ZR1 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.