Panasonic ZS45 vs Pentax W80

Lets take a deeper look at the Panasonic ZS45 and Pentax W80, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the ZS45 (16MP) and W80 (12MP) but they feature the exact same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The ZS45 was launched 5 years later than the W80 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before going through a full comparison, below is a simple summation of how the ZS45 scores versus the W80 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 and Pentax Optio W80. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS45 Gallery and Pentax W80 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS45 has exterior measurements of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Pentax W80 has proportions of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS45 and Pentax W80 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the ZS45 compared to the W80.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the ZS45 and W80 is 91 and 94 respectively.

Generally, its hard to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading technical specs. The graphic below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS45 and W80.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Panasonic ZS45 to offer you more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images much more aggressively. The younger ZS45 provides an advantage in sensor tech.