Panasonic FX580 vs Pentax K-500

Here, we are analyzing the Panasonic FX580 versus Pentax K-500, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the FX580 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the FX580 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The FX580 was introduced 5 years earlier than the K-500 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FX580 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short summary of how the FX580 scores versus the K-500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 and Pentax K-500. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FX580 Gallery and Pentax K-500 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FX580 enjoys outside measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) and the Pentax K-500 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FX580 versus Pentax K-500 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have during that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the FX580 against the K-500.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FX580 and K-500 is 95 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor sizes purely by going through specifications. The image below may give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FX580 and K-500.

To sum up, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FX580 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-500 will show more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged FX580 will be behind in sensor tech.