Panasonic F5 vs Pentax ist DS2

Lets look more in depth at the Panasonic F5 and Pentax ist DS2, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the F5 (14MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the F5 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The F5 was released 7 years after the ist DS2 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic F5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the F5 scores versus the ist DS2 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 and Pentax ist DS2. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic F5 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic F5 enjoys outer measurements of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") and a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic F5 and Pentax ist DS2 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using during that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the F5 vs the ist DS2.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the F5 and ist DS2 is 96 and 68 respectively.

Normally, its hard to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by seeing specs. The image here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the F5 and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The F5 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic F5 will provide more detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The newer F5 should have a benefit in sensor technology.