Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax ist DL2

Its time to take a deeper look at the Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax ist DL2, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS15 (12MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the ZS15 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizing.

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The ZS15 was brought out 6 years later than the ist DL2 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise overview of how the ZS15 scores versus the ist DL2 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 & Pentax ist DL2. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS15 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS15 has got outside dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) and the Pentax ist DL2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax ist DL2 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is a front view scale comparison of the ZS15 against the ist DL2.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS15 and ist DL2 is 92 and 69 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to picture the gap in sensor sizing only by seeing specs. The graphic here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS15 and ist DL2.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS15 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic ZS15 will provide greater detail having its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more recent ZS15 should have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.