Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax K-5

On this page, we are analyzing the Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax K-5, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the ZS3 (10MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the ZS3 (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The ZS3 was unveiled 19 months before the K-5 making them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a short view of how the ZS3 scores vs the K-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Pentax K-5. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS3 Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS3 offers outer dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 has sizing of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax K-5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the ZS3 vs the K-5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the ZS3 and K-5 is 91 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements purely by looking through specifications. The graphic here should offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS3 and K-5.

To sum up, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS3 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-5 will result in greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older ZS3 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.