Panasonic ZS40 vs Pentax K-r

On this page, we are looking at the Panasonic ZS40 and Pentax K-r, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the ZS40 (18MP) and K-r (12MP) and the ZS40 (1/2.3") and K-r (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The ZS40 was launched 2 years later than the K-r and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-r being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the ZS40 grades vs the K-r for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 & Pentax K-r. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery & Pentax K-r Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS40 has outer measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) and the Pentax K-r has proportions of 125mm x 97mm x 68mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.7") with a weight of 598 grams (1.32 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS40 and Pentax K-r in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is a front view size comparison of the ZS40 versus the K-r.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS40 and K-r is 90 and 67 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing simply by seeing specs. The photograph here will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS40 and K-r.

All in all, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS40 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic ZS40 will provide greater detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more modern ZS40 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.