Panasonic ZS70 vs Pentax K-30

In this article, we are comparing the Panasonic ZS70 vs Pentax K-30, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the ZS70 (20MP) and K-30 (16MP) and the ZS70 (1/2.3") and K-30 (APS-C) use different sensor sizes.

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The ZS70 was announced 4 years after the K-30 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS70 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the ZS70 matches up versus the K-30 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 & Pentax K-30. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS70 Gallery & Pentax K-30 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS70 provides exterior dimensions of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") along with a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-30 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS70 vs Pentax K-30 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the ZS70 versus the K-30.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS70 and K-30 is 87 and 63 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to picture the gap in sensor dimensions purely by viewing a spec sheet. The image below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS70 and K-30.

Clearly, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS70 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic ZS70 will render more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images far more aggressively. The fresher ZS70 provides a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.