Panasonic ZS35 vs Pentax K-30

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS35 and Pentax K-30, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the ZS35 (16MP) and the K-30 (16MP) is pretty comparable but the ZS35 (1/2.3") and K-30 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS35 was released 15 months after the K-30 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS35 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the ZS35 scores versus the K-30 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS35 & Pentax K-30. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS35 Gallery & Pentax K-30 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS35 provides outer dimensions of 107mm x 62mm x 32mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 305 grams (0.67 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-30 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic ZS35 and Pentax K-30 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the ZS35 against the K-30.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS35 and K-30 is 89 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by seeing technical specs. The pic here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS35 and K-30.

As you can tell, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact megapixel count albeit different sensor sizes. The ZS35 comes with the smaller sensor which should make obtaining shallower DOF more difficult. The newer ZS35 provides an advantage in sensor technology.