Panasonic ZS20 vs Pentax K20D

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic ZS20 and Pentax K20D, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the ZS20 (14MP) and the K20D (15MP) is fairly comparable but the ZS20 (1/2.3") and K20D (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The ZS20 was unveiled 3 years later than the K20D and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a concise overview of how the ZS20 matches up against the K20D with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 and Pentax K20D. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery and Pentax K20D Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS20 has got external measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Pentax K20D has dimensions of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS20 and Pentax K20D in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at the time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the ZS20 compared to the K20D.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS20 and K20D is 92 and 59 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements merely by going through technical specs. The visual underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS20 and K20D.

As you can tell, both cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS20 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K20D will produce extra detail having an extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The newer ZS20 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.