Panasonic FP5 vs Pentax ist DL2

On this page, we will be analyzing the Panasonic FP5 and Pentax ist DL2, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the FP5 (14MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the FP5 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

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The FP5 was unveiled 5 years later than the ist DL2 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise summation of how the FP5 grades versus the ist DL2 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5 & Pentax ist DL2. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FP5 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FP5 comes with outside dimensions of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DL2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

See the Panasonic FP5 and Pentax ist DL2 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the FP5 and the ist DL2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the FP5 and ist DL2 is 95 and 69 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to picture the difference in sensor sizing only by going through specs. The graphic below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the FP5 and ist DL2.

All in all, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FP5 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic FP5 will produce extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The fresher FP5 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.