Panasonic ZS1 vs Pentax K100D

Here, we are contrasting the Panasonic ZS1 and Pentax K100D, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the ZS1 (10MP) and K100D (6MP) and the ZS1 (1/2.5") and K100D (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS1 was launched 2 years later than the K100D and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the ZS1 scores versus the K100D in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 & Pentax K100D. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS1 Gallery & Pentax K100D Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS1 enjoys outside measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Pentax K100D has sizing of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS1 and Pentax K100D in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the ZS1 compared to the K100D.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS1 and K100D is 91 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it's tough to picture the gap in sensor measurements only by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic below will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS1 and K100D.

As you can see, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS1 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Panasonic ZS1 will provide extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The more modern ZS1 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.