Panasonic ZS20 vs Pentax K10D

Lets examine more closely at the Panasonic ZS20 and Pentax K10D, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the ZS20 (14MP) and K10D (10MP) and the ZS20 (1/2.3") and K10D (APS-C) possess different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The ZS20 was launched 5 years later than the K10D and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K10D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving through a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the ZS20 scores against the K10D in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 & Pentax K10D. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery & Pentax K10D Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS20 features physical measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Pentax K10D has dimensions of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") along with a weight of 793 grams (1.75 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS20 and Pentax K10D in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the ZS20 versus the K10D.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS20 and K10D is 92 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements just by reading through specs. The visual underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS20 and K10D.

As you can plainly see, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS20 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZS20 will give more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The more modern ZS20 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.