Panasonic ZS5 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS5 and Pentax K-5 IIs, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the ZS5 (12MP) and K-5 IIs (16MP) and the ZS5 (1/2.3") and K-5 IIs (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The ZS5 was manufactured 4 years earlier than the K-5 IIs and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 IIs being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the ZS5 scores versus the K-5 IIs in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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

In case you're planning to lug around your camera often, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS5 provides exterior dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 IIs has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS5 and Pentax K-5 IIs in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the ZS5 against the K-5 IIs.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the ZS5 and K-5 IIs is 92 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by seeing specs. The visual underneath might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS5 and K-5 IIs.

All in all, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS5 featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-5 IIs will show more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older ZS5 will be behind in sensor tech.