Panasonic FH2 vs Pentax K-3

Here is a extensive overview of the Panasonic FH2 versus Pentax K-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the FH2 (14MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the FH2 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FH2 was manufactured 4 years earlier than the K-3 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH2 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the FH2 scores vs the K-3 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH2 and Pentax K-3. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FH2 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic FH2 provides outside measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FH2 versus Pentax K-3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the FH2 against the K-3.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the FH2 and K-3 is 96 and 59 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizing purely by checking specifications. The visual underneath may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the FH2 and K-3.

To sum up, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FH2 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-3 will resolve more detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The older FH2 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.