Panasonic ZS100 vs Pentax K100D

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic ZS100 and Pentax K100D, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS100 (20MP) and K100D (6MP) and the ZS100 (1") and K100D (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

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The ZS100 was introduced 9 years after the K100D which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the ZS100 scores vs the K100D in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 & Pentax K100D. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS100 Gallery & Pentax K100D Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS100 provides outside dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Pentax K100D has specifications of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS100 and Pentax K100D in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the ZS100 vs the K100D.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS100 and K100D is 87 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizes purely by seeing a spec sheet. The pic here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS100 and K100D.

Clearly, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ZS100 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh tougher and the Panasonic ZS100 will provide greater detail using its extra 14MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos more aggressively. The fresher ZS100 provides a benefit with regard to sensor technology.