Pentax K-S1 vs Sony ZV-1

Its time to look more closely at the Pentax K-S1 and Sony ZV-1, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the K-S1 (20MP) and the ZV-1 (20MP) is fairly well matched but the K-S1 (APS-C) and ZV-1 (1") boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The K-S1 was launched 6 years prior to the ZV-1 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony ZV-1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief summation of how the K-S1 grades versus the ZV-1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K-S1 & Sony ZV-1. The complete galleries are available at Pentax K-S1 Gallery & Sony ZV-1 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Pentax K-S1 enjoys outside measurements of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs) and the Sony ZV-1 has specifications of 105mm x 60mm x 44mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 294 grams (0.65 lbs).

Look at the Pentax K-S1 and Sony ZV-1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the K-S1 compared to the ZV-1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the K-S1 and ZV-1 is 69 and 88 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizes only by checking technical specs. The pic here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the K-S1 and ZV-1.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have the same megapixels but not the same sensor sizes. The K-S1 features the larger sensor which will make obtaining shallow DOF simpler. The more aged K-S1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.