Panasonic ZS5 vs Pentax K-5

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS5 versus Pentax K-5, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the ZS5 (12MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the ZS5 (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) possess different sensor size.

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The ZS5 was announced 6 months before the K-5 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a simple summary of how the ZS5 grades against the K-5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 and Pentax K-5. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS5 features outer dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS5 versus Pentax K-5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the ZS5 and the K-5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS5 and K-5 is 92 and 60 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing merely by viewing specs. The visual underneath will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS5 and K-5.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZS5 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Pentax K-5 will render extra detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures much more aggressively.