Panasonic FP5 vs Pentax K-3

Lets take a deeper look at the Panasonic FP5 and Pentax K-3, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the FP5 (14MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the FP5 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

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The FP5 was manufactured 4 years earlier than the K-3 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the FP5 grades vs the K-3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5 & Pentax K-3. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic FP5 Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic FP5 features outside measurements of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") having a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FP5 and Pentax K-3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the FP5 versus the K-3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FP5 and K-3 is 95 and 59 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to see the gap in sensor sizes merely by going through specs. The pic below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FP5 and K-3.

All in all, both of those cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FP5 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-3 will show greater detail due to its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged FP5 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.