Panasonic FH20 vs Pentax K-01

The following is a detailed analysis of the Panasonic FH20 versus Pentax K-01, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the FH20 (14MP) and the K-01 (16MP) is very comparable but the FH20 (1/2.3") and K-01 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor size.

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The FH20 was brought out 3 years before the K-01 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the FH20 matches up vs the K-01 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 and Pentax K-01. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FH20 Gallery and Pentax K-01 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FH20 provides physical dimensions of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) and the Pentax K-01 has measurements of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") along with a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FH20 versus Pentax K-01 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the FH20 compared to the K-01.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the FH20 and K-01 is 93 and 76 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions just by seeing a spec sheet. The image below might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH20 and K-01.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FH20 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-01 will produce extra detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics much more aggressively. The more aged FH20 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.