Panasonic FX78 vs Pentax Q10

Let's look a little more in depth at the Panasonic FX78 and Pentax Q10, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the FX78 (12MP) and the Q10 (12MP) is fairly comparable and they use the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The FX78 was manufactured 19 months earlier than the Q10 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q10 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief summary of how the FX78 grades vs the Q10 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 and Pentax Q10. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FX78 Gallery and Pentax Q10 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FX78 features physical measurements of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) while the Pentax Q10 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic FX78 and Pentax Q10 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the FX78 against the Q10.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FX78 and Q10 is 95 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing simply by going through a spec sheet. The visual below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the FX78 and Q10.

As you can see, the 2 cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing and the identical megapixels and you should expect comparable quality of images however you would want to consider the release date of the cameras into account. The older FX78 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.