Panasonic ZS1 vs Pentax K-3

Following is a detailed review of the Panasonic ZS1 versus Pentax K-3, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS1 (10MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the ZS1 (1/2.5") and K-3 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The ZS1 was brought out 5 years prior to the K-3 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick overview of how the ZS1 matches up against the K-3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Pentax K-3. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS1 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS1 comes with outside dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS1 versus Pentax K-3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS1 and the K-3.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS1 and K-3 is 91 and 59 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes merely by viewing a spec sheet. The image below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS1 and K-3.

Clearly, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZS1 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Pentax K-3 will render greater detail having its extra 14 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged ZS1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.