Panasonic ZS50 vs Pentax K-S1

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic ZS50 versus Pentax K-S1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the ZS50 (12MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the ZS50 (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The ZS50 was brought out 5 months later than the K-S1 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a brief summation of how the ZS50 matches up vs the K-S1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 and Pentax K-S1. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS50 Gallery and Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera often, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS50 comes with outer dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") with a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs) while the Pentax K-S1 has measurements of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS50 versus Pentax K-S1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the ZS50 and the K-S1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the ZS50 and K-S1 is 90 and 69 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to see the contrast between sensor measurements purely by checking technical specs. The visual below should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS50 and K-S1.

As you have seen, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS50 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-S1 will give more detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images more aggressively.