Panasonic ZS50 vs Pentax K100D

On this page, we are analyzing the Panasonic ZS50 vs Pentax K100D, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the ZS50 (12MP) and K100D (6MP) and the ZS50 (1/2.3") and K100D (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS50 was introduced 8 years after the K100D which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the ZS50 scores vs the K100D in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 and Pentax K100D. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS50 Gallery and Pentax K100D Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS50 has got exterior dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs) while the Pentax K100D has specifications of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS50 vs Pentax K100D in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the ZS50 versus the K100D.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS50 and K100D is 90 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes only by researching specifications. The picture here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS50 and K100D.

Plainly, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS50 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS50 will render extra detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The younger ZS50 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.