Panasonic S1 vs Pentax K-500

Here is a comprehensive comparison of the Panasonic S1 and Pentax K-500, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the S1 (24MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the S1 (Full frame) and K-500 (APS-C) use different sensor size.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The S1 was launched 5 years later than the K-500 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short highlight of how the S1 scores against the K-500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and Pentax K-500. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic S1 Gallery and Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic S1 comes with exterior measurements of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") along with a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

See the Panasonic S1 and Pentax K-500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is the front view scale comparison of the S1 vs the K-500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S1 and K-500 is 54 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing just by reading specifications. The visual here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the S1 and K-500.

To sum up, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The S1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic S1 will offer extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The younger S1 provides a benefit with regard to sensor technology.