Panasonic ZS70 vs Pentax K-50

Its time to take a deeper look at the Panasonic ZS70 and Pentax K-50, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the ZS70 (20MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the ZS70 (1/2.3") and K-50 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The ZS70 was launched 3 years later than the K-50 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS70 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a in depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the ZS70 matches up versus the K-50 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 and Pentax K-50. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS70 Gallery and Pentax K-50 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS70 has got exterior dimensions of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs) and the Pentax K-50 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS70 and Pentax K-50 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the ZS70 against the K-50.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS70 and K-50 is 87 and 63 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements only by checking out specs. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS70 and K-50.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS70 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Panasonic ZS70 will produce extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The newer ZS70 should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.