Panasonic ZS100 vs Pentax WG-2

Following is a in-depth overview of the Panasonic ZS100 vs Pentax WG-2, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Waterproof by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZS100 (20MP) and WG-2 (16MP) and the ZS100 (1") and WG-2 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS100 was manufactured 3 years after the WG-2 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Pentax WG-2 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief summary of how the ZS100 scores against the WG-2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 and Pentax Optio WG-2. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS100 Gallery and Pentax WG-2 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS100 has got outer measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Pentax WG-2 has specifications of 122mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS100 vs Pentax WG-2 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS100 against the WG-2.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS100 and WG-2 is 87 and 91 respectively.

Generally, its tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes merely by looking at specs. The image below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS100 and WG-2.

As you can plainly see, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS100 because of its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS100 will give extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The more recent ZS100 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.