Pentax K-1 vs Pentax RZ18

Lets look closer at the Pentax K-1 vs Pentax RZ18, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are manufactured by Pentax. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the K-1 (36MP) and RZ18 (16MP) and the K-1 (Full frame) and RZ18 (1/2.3") provide different sensor measurements.

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The K-1 was unveiled 4 years later than the RZ18 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summary of how the K-1 scores against the RZ18 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax K-1 & Pentax Optio RZ18. The full galleries are available at Pentax K-1 Gallery & Pentax RZ18 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Pentax K-1 comes with outside dimensions of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") having a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs) while the Pentax RZ18 has specifications of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax K-1 vs Pentax RZ18 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the K-1 compared to the RZ18.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the K-1 and RZ18 is 55 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements only by reading technical specs. The graphic below might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the K-1 and RZ18.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The K-1 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax K-1 will deliver more detail having an extra 20MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The younger K-1 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.