Panasonic FP3 vs Pentax K-30

The following is a in-depth comparison of the Panasonic FP3 and Pentax K-30, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the FP3 (14MP) and the K-30 (16MP) is fairly comparable but the FP3 (1/2.3") and K-30 (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FP3 was revealed 3 years prior to the K-30 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise summary of how the FP3 scores versus the K-30 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 and Pentax K-30. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic FP3 Gallery and Pentax K-30 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic FP3 offers physical measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Pentax K-30 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FP3 and Pentax K-30 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the FP3 vs the K-30.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the FP3 and K-30 is 95 and 63 respectively.

Often, it's tough to envision the gap in sensor dimensions only by checking out specifications. The picture here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the FP3 and K-30.

To sum up, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The FP3 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax K-30 will provide extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged FP3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.