Panasonic FH8 vs Pentax K100D

On this page, we are evaluating the Panasonic FH8 and Pentax K100D, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the FH8 (16MP) and K100D (6MP) and the FH8 (1/2.3") and K100D (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

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The FH8 was released 5 years later than the K100D and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the FH8 matches up against the K100D with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8 and Pentax K100D. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic FH8 Gallery and Pentax K100D Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FH8 comes with physical dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs) and the Pentax K100D has dimensions of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FH8 and Pentax K100D in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the FH8 versus the K100D.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the FH8 and K100D is 96 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements merely by looking through specifications. The graphic underneath will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FH8 and K100D.

To sum up, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FH8 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh harder and the Panasonic FH8 will render more detail as a result of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more modern FH8 provides an advantage in sensor tech.