Panasonic FX90 vs Pentax K-30

Here, we are looking at the Panasonic FX90 vs Pentax K-30, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the FX90 (12MP) and K-30 (16MP) and the FX90 (1/2.3") and K-30 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FX90 was introduced 14 months prior to the K-30 making them a generation away from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FX90 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the FX90 grades against the K-30 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX90 and Pentax K-30. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic FX90 Gallery and Pentax K-30 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FX90 features outside dimensions of 102mm x 56mm x 22mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 149 grams (0.33 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-30 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FX90 vs Pentax K-30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the FX90 versus the K-30.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the FX90 and K-30 is 95 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions only by going over technical specs. The picture here will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the FX90 and K-30.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The FX90 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K-30 will offer more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged FX90 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.