Panasonic FX580 vs Pentax ist DS2

The following is a extended assessment of the Panasonic FX580 versus Pentax ist DS2, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the FX580 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the FX580 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The FX580 was introduced 3 years after the ist DS2 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FX580 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving through a in-depth comparison, below is a short summary of how the FX580 matches up against the ist DS2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 & Pentax ist DS2. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FX580 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FX580 has external dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic FX580 versus Pentax ist DS2 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the FX580 and the ist DS2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the FX580 and ist DS2 is 95 and 68 respectively.

Often, its difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions simply by looking at specs. The image below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the FX580 and ist DS2.

All in all, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FX580 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic FX580 will give more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The fresher FX580 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.