Clicky

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II

Portability
91
Imaging
37
Features
46
Overall
40
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 front
 
Pentax K-3 II front
Portability
59
Imaging
66
Features
84
Overall
73

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II Key Specs

Panasonic ZS10
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 219g - 105 x 58 x 33mm
  • Introduced January 2011
  • Additionally Known as Lumix DMC-TZ20 / Lumix DMC-TZ22
Pentax K-3 II
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3.2" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 800g - 131 x 100 x 77mm
  • Released April 2015
  • Succeeded the Pentax K-3
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II Overview

Let's look closer at the Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS10 (14MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the ZS10 (1/2.3") and K-3 II (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The ZS10 was revealed 5 years earlier than the K-3 II and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a complete comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the ZS10 matches up vs the K-3 II with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
	
	

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS10 over the Pentax K-3 II

 ZS10 K-3 II 
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 II over the Panasonic ZS10

 K-3 II ZS10 
ReleasedApril 2015January 2011Fresher by 51 months
Focus manually Very exact focus
Display sizing3.2"3"Larger display (+0.2")
Display resolution1037k460kClearer display (+577k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic ZS10 and Pentax K-3 II

 ZS10 K-3 II 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II Physical Comparison

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS10 has outside dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs) while 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 the Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the ZS10 and the K-3 II.

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS10 and K-3 II is 91 and 59 respectively.

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II top view buttons comparison

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II Sensor Comparison

Typically, it is hard to picture the difference in sensor sizing purely by viewing technical specs. The photograph here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS10 and K-3 II.

As you can tell, both of those cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS10 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-3 II will render greater detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics far more aggressively. The older ZS10 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II sensor size comparison

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic ZS10 Portrait photography factors
Pentax K-3 II Portrait photography factors
30
good megapixels (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
external flash not possible
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
79
has manual focus
megapixel count good (24MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
includes face detection focusing
saves RAW formats
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Street Comparison

Panasonic ZS10 Street photography information
Pentax K-3 II Street photography information
65
image stabilization (Optical)
includes focus by touch
lighter than average (219 grams)
no articulating screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
69
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
above average high ISO (51,200)
screen is fixed
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Sports Comparison

Panasonic ZS10 Sports photography info
Pentax K-3 II Sports photography info
47
amazing zoom range (24-384mm 16.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14MP)
comes with tracking autofocus
small sensor (1/2.3")
terrible battery power (260 per charge)
lack of phase detect auto focus
76
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
includes tracking autofocus
environment proofing
supports phase detect AF
terrible battery (720 shots)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Travel Comparison

Panasonic ZS10 Travel photography information
Pentax K-3 II Travel photography information
67
lighter than average (219g)
includes focus by touch
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
has built in flash
decently wide (24mm)
very long reach (384mm)
lack of Timelapse mode
terrible battery power (260 CIPA)
display is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
56
environment proofing
megapixel count good (24MP)
terrible battery (720 per charge)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Panasonic ZS10
Landscape photography with Pentax K-3 II
42
decently wide (24mm)
screen is a good size (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
terrible battery power (260 per charge)
lack of Timelapse mode
78
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen size is good (3.2")
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
no low pass filter
above average high ISO (51,200)
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
two card slots
terrible battery (720 shots)
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS10 as a Vlogging camera
Pentax K-3 II as a Vlogging camera
34
decently wide (24mm)
has touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than average (219 grams)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
display is not selfie friendly
lack of external microphone socket
34
image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detection focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
comes with external microphone socket
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-3 II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic ZS10 and Pentax K-3 II
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10Pentax K-3 II
General Information
Brand Panasonic Pentax
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 Pentax K-3 II
Also referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ20 / Lumix DMC-TZ22 -
Class Small Sensor Superzoom Advanced DSLR
Introduced 2011-01-25 2015-04-23
Physical type Compact Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Chip Venus Engine FHD Prime III
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixels 24 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Highest resolution 4320 x 3240 6016 x 4000
Highest native ISO 6400 51200
Lowest native ISO 80 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 23 27
Cross type focus points - 25
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens zoom range 24-384mm (16.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/3.3-5.9 -
Macro focusing range 3cm -
Amount of lenses - 151
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inches 3.2 inches
Resolution of display 460 thousand dots 1,037 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.64x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/8000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 10.0 frames/s 8.3 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 5.00 m no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync (available with dedicated external flash)
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/180 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Optional
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 219g (0.48 pounds) 800g (1.76 pounds)
Dimensions 105 x 58 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") 131 x 100 x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 80
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.6
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.6
DXO Low light rating not tested 1106
Other
Battery life 260 photos 720 photos
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - D-LI90
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Single Two
Cost at launch $350 $829