Panasonic FS42 vs Pentax K-5

Here is a extensive overview of the Panasonic FS42 and Pentax K-5, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the FS42 (10MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the FS42 (1/2.5") and K-5 (APS-C) offer different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FS42 was announced 20 months prior to the K-5 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the FS42 scores versus the K-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42 & Pentax K-5. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FS42 Gallery & Pentax K-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FS42 features external dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FS42 and Pentax K-5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the FS42 and the K-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FS42 and K-5 is 95 and 60 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to picture the difference between sensor sizing simply by reading through specifications. The visual below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the FS42 and K-5.

To sum up, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FS42 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-5 will give you more detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older FS42 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.