Panasonic ZS8 vs Pentax K-5

Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic ZS8 versus Pentax K-5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the ZS8 (14MP) and the K-5 (16MP) is fairly similar but the ZS8 (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

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The ZS8 was announced 8 months later than the K-5 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short summation of how the ZS8 grades against the K-5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 & Pentax K-5. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS8 Gallery & Pentax K-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS8 offers physical dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS8 versus Pentax K-5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the ZS8 vs the K-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS8 and K-5 is 92 and 60 respectively.

Normally, it can be difficult to visualize the difference between sensor measurements simply by going over specs. The graphic here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS8 and K-5.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS8 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-5 will offer you extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos way more aggressively. The more modern ZS8 should have an edge in sensor innovation.