Panasonic ZS70 vs Pentax K-1

Let's examine more in depth at the Panasonic ZS70 and Pentax K-1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS70 (20MP) and K-1 (36MP) and the ZS70 (1/2.3") and K-1 (Full frame) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The ZS70 was released 15 months later than the K-1 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS70 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief summary of how the ZS70 matches up against the K-1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 and Pentax K-1. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS70 Gallery and Pentax K-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS70 offers physical measurements of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") and a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs) and the Pentax K-1 has measurements of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") along with a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS70 and Pentax K-1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at the time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the ZS70 against the K-1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS70 and K-1 is 87 and 55 respectively.

Typically, it is very tough to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements merely by going through a spec sheet. The visual below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS70 and K-1.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS70 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Pentax K-1 will show more detail as a result of its extra 16MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more modern ZS70 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.