Panasonic ZS1 vs Pentax K-3 II

Lets examine more closely at the Panasonic ZS1 and Pentax K-3 II, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the ZS1 (10MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the ZS1 (1/2.5") and K-3 II (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

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The ZS1 was revealed 7 years earlier than the K-3 II which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the ZS1 grades vs the K-3 II in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 & Pentax K-3 II. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS1 Gallery & Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS1 has got exterior measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 II has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS1 and Pentax K-3 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that time. The following is the front view size comparison of the ZS1 against the K-3 II.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the ZS1 and K-3 II is 91 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reading specs. The picture here will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS1 and K-3 II.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The ZS1 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Pentax K-3 II will offer you more detail because of its extra 14MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged ZS1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.