Panasonic FP7 vs Pentax MX-1

On this page, we are analyzing the Panasonic FP7 and Pentax MX-1, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the FP7 (16MP) and MX-1 (12MP) and the FP7 (1/2.3") and MX-1 (1/1.7") have totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FP7 was revealed 3 years before the MX-1 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP7 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the FP7 scores vs the MX-1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP7 & Pentax MX-1. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic FP7 Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FP7 provides external dimensions of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") having a weight of 147 grams (0.32 lbs) and the Pentax MX-1 has dimensions of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") having a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FP7 and Pentax MX-1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the FP7 versus the MX-1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FP7 and MX-1 is 95 and 84 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to envision the difference in sensor sizing simply by checking out specs. The photograph below will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FP7 and MX-1.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FP7 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic FP7 will provide greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The older FP7 will be behind in sensor technology.