Panasonic FH20 vs Pentax ist DL2

Below is a in depth overview of the Panasonic FH20 and Pentax ist DL2, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the FH20 (14MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the FH20 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The FH20 was released 4 years later than the ist DL2 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a brief summary of how the FH20 matches up versus the ist DL2 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 & Pentax ist DL2. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic FH20 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH20 features external measurements of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") with a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DL2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FH20 and Pentax ist DL2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the FH20 and the ist DL2.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the FH20 and ist DL2 is 93 and 69 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to see the contrast between sensor measurements just by going over specs. The graphic underneath may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the FH20 and ist DL2.

All in all, each of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FH20 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic FH20 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The fresher FH20 will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.