Panasonic FP2 vs Pentax MX-1

Below is a in depth analysis of the Panasonic FP2 vs Pentax MX-1, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the FP2 (14MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the FP2 (1/2.3") and MX-1 (1/1.7") use totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FP2 was announced 4 years prior to the MX-1 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FP2 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief summary of how the FP2 grades against the MX-1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP2 and Pentax MX-1. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FP2 Gallery and Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FP2 comes with outer dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs) and the Pentax MX-1 has measurements of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") having a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FP2 vs Pentax MX-1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. The following is the front view size comparison of the FP2 against the MX-1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FP2 and MX-1 is 95 and 84 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through specs. The photograph below might provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FP2 and MX-1.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FP2 using its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Panasonic FP2 will resolve extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older FP2 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.