Panasonic FH8 vs Pentax K-3

Below is a complete comparison of the Panasonic FH8 vs Pentax K-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the FH8 (16MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the FH8 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FH8 was launched 3 years prior to the K-3 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving in to a complete comparison, below is a quick view of how the FH8 matches up against the K-3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8 and Pentax K-3. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH8 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH8 has got outside dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 has dimensions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FH8 vs Pentax K-3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the FH8 and the K-3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the FH8 and K-3 is 96 and 59 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to picture the gap in sensor measurements simply by researching technical specs. The photograph here might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FH8 and K-3.

As you can tell, both of those cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FH8 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh trickier and the Pentax K-3 will provide you with greater detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The older FH8 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.