Clicky

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50

Portability
93
Imaging
36
Features
36
Overall
36
Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 front
 
Pentax K-50 front
Portability
63
Imaging
58
Features
65
Overall
60

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 Key Specs

Panasonic 3D1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F3.9-5.7) lens
  • 193g - 108 x 58 x 24mm
  • Released November 2011
Pentax K-50
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 650g - 130 x 97 x 71mm
  • Introduced November 2013
  • Earlier Model is Pentax K-30
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 Overview

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the 3D1 (12MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the 3D1 (1/2.3") and K-50 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizing.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

The 3D1 was introduced 3 years earlier than the K-50 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic 3D1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a quick overview of how the 3D1 scores vs the K-50 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
	
	

Reasons to pick Panasonic 3D1 over the Pentax K-50

 3D1 K-50 
Screen dimensions3.5"3"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K-50 over the Panasonic 3D1

 K-50 3D1 
IntroducedNovember 2013November 2011More recent by 25 months
Manually focus Very precise focus
Screen resolution921k460kCrisper screen (+461k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic 3D1 and Pentax K-50

 3D1 K-50 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 Physical Comparison

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic 3D1 features external dimensions of 108mm x 58mm x 24mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-50 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the 3D1 against the K-50.

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 3D1 and K-50 is 93 and 63 respectively.

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it's difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the 3D1 and K-50.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The 3D1 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh more challenging and the Pentax K-50 will deliver greater detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The older 3D1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 sensor size comparison

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Portrait photography advice
Pentax K-50 Portrait photography advice
27
supports face detection focus
no manual focus
manual mode not available
cannot use external flash
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
74
you can focus manually
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
provides face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Street Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Street photography highlights
Pentax K-50 Street photography highlights
61
image stabilization (Optical)
offers touch focus
screen does not articulate
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
65
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
weather proofing
above average ISO range (51,600)
screen is fixed
heavier than competition in class (650 grams)
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Sports Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Sports photography information
Pentax K-50 Sports photography information
30
image stabilization (Optical)
supports tracking autofocus
low max shutter speed (1/1,300s)
lack of shutter priority mode
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
terrible battery (200 CIPA)
has no phase detect auto focus
67
maximum shutter speed is high (1/6,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
provides tracking autofocus
weather proofing
supports phase detect auto focus
low frames per second (6.0 fps)
not so great battery life (410 shots)
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Travel Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Travel photography information
Pentax K-50 Travel photography information
59
offers touch focus
has built in flash
reasonably wide (25mm)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
terrible battery (200 shots)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
56
weather proofing
MP count decent (16MP)
flash built-in
not so great battery life (410 per charge)
heavier than competition in class (650g)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Landscape Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Landscape photography advice
Pentax K-50 Landscape photography advice
36
reasonably wide (25mm)
big screen (3.5 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
manual mode not available
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
terrible battery (200 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
74
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen is a decent size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
above average ISO range (51,600)
delivers RAW formats
weather proofing
not so great battery life (410 per charge)
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Vlogging information
Pentax K-50 Vlogging information
34
reasonably wide (25mm)
built-in touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detection focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
screen is not selfie friendly
doesn't have external microphone socket
28
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
provides face detection focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
does not have external mic socket
heavier than competition in class (650g)
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Panasonic 3D1 vs Pentax K-50 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic 3D1 and Pentax K-50
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1Pentax K-50
General Information
Make Panasonic Pentax
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 Pentax K-50
Type Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Released 2011-11-07 2013-11-27
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by - PRIME M
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.7 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 372.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Max resolution 4000 x 3000 4928 x 3264
Max native ISO 6400 51600
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 23 11
Cross type focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/3.9-5.7 -
Macro focusing distance 5cm -
Number of lenses - 151
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3.5 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 460 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen technology TFT Full Touch Screen with AR coating TFT LCD monitor with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.61x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/1300s 1/6000s
Continuous shutter rate - 6.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.50 m 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync+Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize - 1/180s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50,30,25,24 fps), 640 x 424 (30,25,24 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, AVCHD, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 193g (0.43 lb) 650g (1.43 lb)
Physical dimensions 108 x 58 x 24mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 0.9") 130 x 97 x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 79
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.7
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.0
DXO Low light rating not tested 1120
Other
Battery life 200 shots 410 shots
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - D-LI109
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 1 1
Cost at release $670 $610