Panasonic FH3 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic FH3 and Pentax K-5 IIs, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the FH3 (14MP) and the K-5 IIs (16MP) is pretty well matched but the FH3 (1/2.3") and K-5 IIs (APS-C) posses totally different sensor size.

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The FH3 was announced 4 years earlier than the K-5 IIs and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 IIs being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a simple overview of how the FH3 scores vs the K-5 IIs with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3 & Pentax K-5 IIs. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FH3 Gallery & Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH3 features outside measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 IIs has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FH3 and Pentax K-5 IIs in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the FH3 and the K-5 IIs.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the FH3 and K-5 IIs is 94 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to see the contrast between sensor measurements purely by looking at specifications. The graphic here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the FH3 and K-5 IIs.

Plainly, both of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FH3 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax K-5 IIs will resolve more detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots more aggressively. The older FH3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.