Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-5 II

Its time to examine more in depth at the Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-5 II, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the ZS10 (14MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is relatively comparable but the ZS10 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS10 was unveiled 3 years prior to the K-5 II and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick summary of how the ZS10 matches up against the K-5 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 and Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS10 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera, you should take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS10 features physical dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 II has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic ZS10 vs Pentax K-5 II in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the ZS10 against the K-5 II.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS10 and K-5 II is 91 and 60 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to visualise the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing technical specs. The visual here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS10 and K-5 II.

As you can tell, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS10 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-5 II will produce greater detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The older ZS10 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.