Panasonic ZS5 vs Pentax K-3

Below is a thorough review of the Panasonic ZS5 versus Pentax K-3, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the ZS5 (12MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the ZS5 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS5 was revealed 4 years before the K-3 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the ZS5 scores against the K-3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 & Pentax K-3. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS5 comes with exterior measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS5 versus Pentax K-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS5 compared to the K-3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS5 and K-3 is 92 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements simply by viewing specs. The photograph here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS5 and K-3.

As you can plainly see, both cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS5 having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-3 will provide you with greater detail because of its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older ZS5 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.