Panasonic ZS70 vs Pentax K-500

Here is a in-depth overview of the Panasonic ZS70 vs Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS70 (20MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the ZS70 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The ZS70 was revealed 3 years later than the K-500 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS70 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the ZS70 matches up versus the K-500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 & Pentax K-500. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS70 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS70 has got outside dimensions of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") having a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs) and the Pentax K-500 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS70 vs Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the ZS70 against the K-500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the ZS70 and K-500 is 87 and 64 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by going through a spec sheet. The visual below will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS70 and K-500.

Clearly, both of those cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS70 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS70 will provide greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The more modern ZS70 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.