Panasonic ZS8 vs Pentax K-5 II

Its time to take a deeper look at the Panasonic ZS8 vs Pentax K-5 II, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the ZS8 (14MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is pretty comparable but the ZS8 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) have different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS8 was launched 22 months before the K-5 II which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short highlight of how the ZS8 grades vs the K-5 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 and Pentax K-5 II. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS8 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS8 has outer 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) while the Pentax K-5 II has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS8 vs Pentax K-5 II in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using during that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the ZS8 against the K-5 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS8 and K-5 II is 92 and 60 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements merely by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS8 and K-5 II.

Clearly, each of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS8 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-5 II will produce extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs more aggressively. The older ZS8 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.