Panasonic FH5 vs Pentax K-3 II

Lets look a bit more closely at the Panasonic FH5 versus Pentax K-3 II, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the FH5 (16MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the FH5 (1/2.3") and K-3 II (APS-C) have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FH5 was brought out 5 years earlier than the K-3 II which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple summary of how the FH5 scores vs the K-3 II when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5 and Pentax K-3 II. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH5 Gallery and Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera, you have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic FH5 features physical measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") and a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FH5 versus Pentax K-3 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the FH5 versus the K-3 II.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FH5 and K-3 II is 96 and 59 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizes purely by looking at technical specs. The picture here will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the FH5 and K-3 II.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FH5 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Pentax K-3 II will resolve greater detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged FH5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.