Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-1

Below is a comprehensive comparison of the Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-1, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and K-1 (36MP) and the FS12 (1/2.3") and K-1 (Full frame) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The FS12 was unveiled 7 years before the K-1 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the FS12 scores vs the K-1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 and Pentax K-1. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FS12 Gallery and Pentax K-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FS12 has exterior dimensions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Pentax K-1 has proportions of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") with a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the FS12 vs the K-1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FS12 and K-1 is 95 and 55 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements simply by checking out a spec sheet. The visual here should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the FS12 and K-1.

Clearly, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FS12 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-1 will produce greater detail having an extra 24MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older FS12 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.