Panasonic FX78 vs Pentax K-5 II

Below, we will be matching up the Panasonic FX78 and Pentax K-5 II, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the FX78 (12MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the FX78 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The FX78 was launched 3 years before the K-5 II and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the FX78 grades versus the K-5 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 and Pentax K-5 II. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic FX78 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera often, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FX78 enjoys external measurements of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 II has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FX78 and Pentax K-5 II in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the FX78 vs the K-5 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the FX78 and K-5 II is 95 and 60 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing purely by seeing technical specs. The photograph here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the FX78 and K-5 II.

As you can tell, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FX78 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-5 II will provide more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots much more aggressively. The older FX78 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.