Panasonic ZR1 vs Pentax K-500

Let's look a bit more closely at the Panasonic ZR1 and Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the ZR1 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the ZR1 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

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The ZR1 was manufactured 5 years prior to the K-500 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the ZR1 grades versus the K-500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 & Pentax K-500. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZR1 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZR1 features outside dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Pentax K-500 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic ZR1 and Pentax K-500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the ZR1 versus the K-500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZR1 and K-500 is 94 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements merely by going over technical specs. The graphic underneath will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZR1 and K-500.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZR1 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-500 will deliver greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots much more aggressively. The older ZR1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.