Panasonic ZS45 vs Pentax K-S2

Below, we are comparing the Panasonic ZS45 and Pentax K-S2, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the ZS45 (16MP) and the K-S2 (20MP) is very well matched but the ZS45 (1/2.3") and K-S2 (APS-C) use different sensor size.

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The ZS45 was brought out at a similar time to the K-S2 so they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S2 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the ZS45 scores versus the K-S2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 & Pentax K-S2. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS45 Gallery & Pentax K-S2 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS45 comes with outside dimensions of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Pentax K-S2 has dimensions of 123mm x 91mm x 73mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.9") along with a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS45 and Pentax K-S2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the ZS45 vs the K-S2.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS45 and K-S2 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizes simply by checking a spec sheet. The image underneath might provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS45 and K-S2.

Clearly, both of those cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS45 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K-S2 will resolve greater detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively.