Panasonic ZS45 vs Pentax KP

Below is a extended assessment of the Panasonic ZS45 versus Pentax KP, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the ZS45 (16MP) and KP (24MP) and the ZS45 (1/2.3") and KP (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS45 was revealed 3 years earlier than the KP and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera and the Pentax KP being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summation of how the ZS45 grades vs the KP for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 & Pentax KP. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS45 Gallery & Pentax KP Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS45 comes with outside dimensions of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Pentax KP has sizing of 132mm x 101mm x 76mm (5.2" x 4.0" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 703 grams (1.55 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS45 versus Pentax KP in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the ZS45 against the KP.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS45 and KP is 91 and 61 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to see the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading technical specs. The photograph underneath will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS45 and KP.

As you have seen, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS45 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax KP will offer more detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older ZS45 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.