Panasonic FX48 vs Pentax K-500

Following is a detailed overview of the Panasonic FX48 and Pentax K-500, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the FX48 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the FX48 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The FX48 was revealed 5 years prior to the K-500 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FX48 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the FX48 scores vs the K-500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 and Pentax K-500. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic FX48 Gallery and Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FX48 comes with outside measurements of 95mm x 53mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.9") along with a weight of 150 grams (0.33 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-500 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FX48 and Pentax K-500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the FX48 compared to the K-500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FX48 and K-500 is 95 and 64 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to picture the gap in sensor sizes purely by going through a spec sheet. The picture here should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the FX48 and K-500.

As you can see, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FX48 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Pentax K-500 will provide extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged FX48 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.