Panasonic FH10 vs Pentax K10D

The following is a in-depth assessment of the Panasonic FH10 and Pentax K10D, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the FH10 (16MP) and K10D (10MP) and the FH10 (1/2.3") and K10D (APS-C) posses totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FH10 was released 6 years after the K10D which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH10 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K10D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the FH10 grades vs the K10D with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH10 and Pentax K10D. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic FH10 Gallery and Pentax K10D Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FH10 has got physical dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs) and the Pentax K10D has measurements of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") along with a weight of 793 grams (1.75 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FH10 and Pentax K10D in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the FH10 compared to the K10D.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the FH10 and K10D is 97 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to envision the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reading technical specs. The picture below should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the FH10 and K10D.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FH10 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic FH10 will offer you more detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more modern FH10 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.