Panasonic ZS40 vs Pentax E85

Lets look a bit more closely at the Panasonic ZS40 and Pentax E85, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the ZS40 (18MP) and E85 (12MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The ZS40 was released 4 years after the E85 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the ZS40 matches up against the E85 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 & Pentax Optio E85. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery & Pentax E85 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS40 comes with external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) and the Pentax E85 has measurements of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS40 and Pentax E85 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the ZS40 and the E85.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS40 and E85 is 90 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes simply by looking at technical specs. The image underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS40 and E85.

As you have seen, both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Panasonic ZS40 to resolve greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The more recent ZS40 will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.