Clicky

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10

Portability
92
Imaging
42
Features
48
Overall
44
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 front
 
Pentax Q10 front
Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
56
Overall
44

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 Key Specs

Panasonic ZS30
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
  • 198g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
  • Introduced January 2013
  • Also Known as Lumix DMC-TZ40
  • Succeeded the Panasonic ZS25
  • Updated by Panasonic ZS35
Pentax Q10
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • 200g - 102 x 58 x 34mm
  • Announced September 2012
  • Previous Model is Pentax Q
  • Newer Model is Pentax Q7
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 Overview

Lets look a little more closely at the Panasonic ZS30 and Pentax Q10, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the ZS30 (18MP) and Q10 (12MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The ZS30 was brought out 4 months after the Q10 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q10 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the ZS30 matches up vs the Q10 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
	
	

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS30 over the Pentax Q10

 ZS30 Q10 
Display resolution920k460kClearer display (+460k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax Q10 over the Panasonic ZS30

 Q10 ZS30 
Focus manually Dial accurate focusing

Common features in the Panasonic ZS30 and Pentax Q10

 ZS30 Q10 
AnnouncedJanuary 2013September 2012Similar age
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display sizing
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 Physical Comparison

When you are looking to travel with your camera often, you need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS30 comes with exterior measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) whilst the Pentax Q10 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS30 and Pentax Q10 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS30 and the Q10.

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS30 and Q10 is 92 and 92 respectively.

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it's tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions simply by looking at technical specs. The pic below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS30 and Q10.

As you can tell, each of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Panasonic ZS30 to resolve more detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos more aggressively.

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 sensor size comparison

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic ZS30 Portrait photography factors
Pentax Q10 Portrait photography factors
33
decent megapixels (18MP)
manual focus not available
external flash not possible
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
48
has manual focus
above average flash sync (1/2,000 seconds)
includes face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
low MP (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Street Comparison

Panasonic ZS30 Street photography details
Pentax Q10 Street photography details
66
image stabilization (Optical)
provides touch focus
lighter than competition (198g)
no moving screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
68
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
delivers RAW formats
lighter than competition (200 grams)
screen is fixed
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Panasonic ZS30 Sports photography features
Pentax Q10 Sports photography features
46
amazing zoom range (24-480mm 20.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (18MP)
supports tracking focus
low max shutter speed (1/1,200s)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
terrible battery life (260 per charge)
lack of phase detect auto focus
36
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes tracking autofocus
continuous shooting slow (5.0 frames/s)
low MP (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
low battery life (270 shots)
no phase detect auto focus
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Panasonic ZS30
Travel photography with Pentax Q10
69
lighter than competition (198g)
provides touch focus
decent megapixels (18 megapixels)
flash built-in
reasonably wide (24mm)
long zoom (480mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
terrible battery life (260 shots)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
60
lighter than competition (200 grams)
flash built-in
low battery life (270 shots)
low MP (12 megapixels)
does not feature selfie friendly display
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Landscape Comparison

Panasonic ZS30 Landscape photography factors
Pentax Q10 Landscape photography factors
44
reasonably wide (24mm)
nice screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (18MP)
manual focus not available
cannot switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
terrible battery life (260 shots)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
54
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Pentax Q mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
delivers RAW formats
low MP (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
low battery life (270 CIPA)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS30 Vlogging highlights
Pentax Q10 Vlogging highlights
35
reasonably wide (24mm)
touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competition (198 grams)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
doesn't have mic socket
35
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition (200g)
does not feature selfie friendly display
does not have external microphone port
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Panasonic ZS30 vs Pentax Q10 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic ZS30 and Pentax Q10
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30Pentax Q10
General Information
Manufacturer Panasonic Pentax
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 Pentax Q10
Otherwise known as Lumix DMC-TZ40 -
Category Small Sensor Superzoom Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2013-01-07 2012-09-10
Body design Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 18MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4896 x 3672 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 23 25
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Pentax Q
Lens zoom range 24-480mm (20.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/3.3-6.4 -
Macro focusing distance 3cm -
Amount of lenses - 8
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 920 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display tech - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical (optional)
Features
Minimum shutter speed 15 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/1200 secs 1/8000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 10.0 frames/s 5.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 6.40 m 7.00 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Trailing-curtain sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync - 1/2000 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720p (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 198 gr (0.44 lb) 200 gr (0.44 lb)
Physical dimensions 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") 102 x 58 x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 49
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 21.1
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 10.9
DXO Low light rating not tested 183
Other
Battery life 260 photos 270 photos
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - D-LI68
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots One One
Price at release $250 $350