Panasonic ZR1 vs Pentax K-S1

Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic ZR1 vs Pentax K-S1, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the ZR1 (12MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the ZR1 (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The ZR1 was revealed 6 years prior to the K-S1 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a full comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the ZR1 matches up versus the K-S1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 and Pentax K-S1. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZR1 Gallery and Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZR1 offers outside dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-S1 has measurements of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") with a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZR1 vs Pentax K-S1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the ZR1 and the K-S1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the ZR1 and K-S1 is 94 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements purely by researching a spec sheet. The visual underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the ZR1 and K-S1.

As you can see, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZR1 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Pentax K-S1 will result in extra detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures more aggressively. The older ZR1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.