Panasonic ZR3 vs Pentax K-1

Following is a extensive analysis of the Panasonic ZR3 vs Pentax K-1, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the ZR3 (14MP) and K-1 (36MP) and the ZR3 (1/2.3") and K-1 (Full frame) feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The ZR3 was brought out 7 years before the K-1 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZR3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief overview of how the ZR3 matches up versus the K-1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3 & Pentax K-1. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZR3 Gallery & Pentax K-1 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZR3 comes with outer measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-1 has sizing of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") and a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZR3 vs Pentax K-1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the ZR3 versus the K-1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the ZR3 and K-1 is 94 and 55 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to picture the gap in sensor sizes merely by looking through technical specs. The picture below should give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the ZR3 and K-1.

As you can tell, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZR3 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax K-1 will result in more detail having its extra 22 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The more aged ZR3 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.