Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax K-1 II

The following is a comprehensive overview of the Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax K-1 II, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the ZS3 (10MP) and K-1 II (36MP) and the ZS3 (1/2.3") and K-1 II (Full frame) posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ZS3 was brought out 9 years prior to the K-1 II which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-1 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a full comparison, here is a brief summation of how the ZS3 scores against the K-1 II in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 & Pentax K-1 Mark II. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS3 Gallery & Pentax K-1 II Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS3 provides exterior dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Pentax K-1 II has sizing of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") having a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax K-1 II in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the ZS3 against the K-1 II.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS3 and K-1 II is 91 and 55 respectively.

Often, it's difficult to picture the gap in sensor dimensions merely by researching a spec sheet. The image here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS3 and K-1 II.

Clearly, each of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The ZS3 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh trickier and the Pentax K-1 II will provide you with greater detail having its extra 26 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images more aggressively. The more aged ZS3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.