Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax K-500

In this write-up, we are looking at the Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the ZS15 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the ZS15 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS15 was revealed 17 months prior to the K-500 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the ZS15 scores vs the K-500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 & Pentax K-500. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS15 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS15 enjoys outer dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) and the Pentax K-500 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the ZS15 and the K-500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS15 and K-500 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Often, its difficult to see the gap between sensor sizing just by going over a spec sheet. The visual here might provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS15 and K-500.

Clearly, both of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZS15 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-500 will offer you greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics a little more aggressively. The older ZS15 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.