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Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II

Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
14
Overall
26
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 front
 
Pentax K-3 II front
Portability
59
Imaging
66
Features
84
Overall
73

Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II Key Specs

Panasonic FS12
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600 (Bump to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 31-124mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 129g - 97 x 55 x 22mm
  • Revealed April 2009
Pentax K-3 II
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3.2" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 800g - 131 x 100 x 77mm
  • Introduced April 2015
  • Earlier Model is Pentax K-3
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Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II Overview

Below is a in depth overview of the Panasonic FS12 versus Pentax K-3 II, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the FS12 (12MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the FS12 (1/2.3") and K-3 II (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The FS12 was revealed 7 years prior to the K-3 II and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the FS12 matches up against the K-3 II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic FS12 over the Pentax K-3 II

 FS12 K-3 II 

Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 II over the Panasonic FS12

 K-3 II FS12 
IntroducedApril 2015April 2009More recent by 73 months
Focus manually More exact focus
Display dimension3.2"2.7"Larger display (+0.5")
Display resolution1037k230kCrisper display (+807k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic FS12 and Pentax K-3 II

 FS12 K-3 II 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither comes with Touch friendly display

Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II Physical Comparison

When you are planning to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS12 comes with physical dimensions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has measurements 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 out the Panasonic FS12 versus Pentax K-3 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the FS12 versus the K-3 II.

Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FS12 and K-3 II is 95 and 59 respectively.

Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II top view buttons comparison

Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is very tough to envision the gap in sensor measurements only by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic below should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FS12 and K-3 II.

Clearly, both of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FS12 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-3 II will provide extra detail because of its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics much more aggressively. The older FS12 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II sensor size comparison

Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Panasonic FS12
Portrait photography with Pentax K-3 II
21
no manual focus
no manual control
can't use external flash
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
79
you can focus manually
good resolution (24 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
comes with face detection autofocus
supports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Street photography factors
Pentax K-3 II Street photography factors
57
built in image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
69
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
weather sealing
good high ISO (51,200)
screen is fixed
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic FS12 as a Sports photography camera
Pentax K-3 II as a Sports photography camera
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
slow frames per second (2.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
76
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (24MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
comes with tracking autofocus
weather sealing
sensor has phase detect autofocus
low battery pack (720 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Travel photography factors
Pentax K-3 II Travel photography factors
51
built-in flash
lack of Timelapse mode
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
wide angle not great (31mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
56
weather sealing
good resolution (24 megapixels)
low battery pack (720 shots)
display isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Panasonic FS12
Landscape photography with Pentax K-3 II
28
built in image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
cannot switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (31mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
no manual control
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
lack of Timelapse mode
78
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen size is good (3.2 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (24 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
no low pass filter
good high ISO (51,200)
supports RAW files
weather sealing
has dual storage slots
low battery pack (720 shots)
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic FS12 Vlogging details
Pentax K-3 II Vlogging details
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not great (31mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
video quality not great (640 x 480 resolution)
lack of microphone support
34
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detection autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
includes external mic jack
display isn't selfie friendly
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Panasonic FS12 vs Pentax K-3 II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic FS12 and Pentax K-3 II
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12Pentax K-3 II
General Information
Manufacturer Panasonic Pentax
Model Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12 Pentax K-3 II
Category Ultracompact Advanced DSLR
Revealed 2009-04-17 2015-04-23
Body design Ultracompact Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Chip - Prime III
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 24 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 6016 x 4000
Highest native ISO 1600 51200
Highest enhanced ISO 6400 -
Minimum native ISO 80 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points - 27
Cross focus points - 25
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens focal range 31-124mm (4.0x) -
Largest aperture f/2.8-5.9 -
Macro focus distance 5cm -
Amount of lenses - 151
Crop factor 5.9 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 2.7 inches 3.2 inches
Display resolution 230k dot 1,037k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.64x
Features
Min shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Max shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/8000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 2.0 frames per sec 8.3 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 6.30 m no built-in flash
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync (available with dedicated external flash)
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync - 1/180 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p)
Highest video resolution 640x480 1920x1080
Video data format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Optional
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 129 grams (0.28 pounds) 800 grams (1.76 pounds)
Dimensions 97 x 55 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") 131 x 100 x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 80
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.6
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 13.6
DXO Low light score not tested 1106
Other
Battery life - 720 photos
Battery format - Battery Pack
Battery model - D-LI90
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC card, Internal Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots Single 2
Retail price $228 $829