Panasonic ZS60 vs Pentax K-5

Following is a extensive analysis of the Panasonic ZS60 and Pentax K-5, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the ZS60 (18MP) and the K-5 (16MP) is fairly comparable but the ZS60 (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The ZS60 was introduced 5 years after the K-5 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS60 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a short overview of how the ZS60 scores against the K-5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60 & Pentax K-5. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS60 Gallery & Pentax K-5 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS60 features external dimensions of 112mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 282 grams (0.62 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS60 and Pentax K-5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the ZS60 and the K-5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS60 and K-5 is 88 and 60 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes purely by going through specs. The picture here should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS60 and K-5.

All in all, both the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZS60 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZS60 will show extra detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The more modern ZS60 should have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.