Panasonic FZ100 vs Pentax K-5

Its time to take a deeper look at the Panasonic FZ100 and Pentax K-5, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the FZ100 (14MP) and the K-5 (16MP) is pretty similar but the FZ100 (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) use different sensor size.

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The FZ100 was revealed 5 months prior to the K-5 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FZ100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the FZ100 scores versus the K-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100 and Pentax K-5. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ100 Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FZ100 has outer dimensions of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") having a weight of 540 grams (1.19 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FZ100 and Pentax K-5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the FZ100 against the K-5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the FZ100 and K-5 is 67 and 60 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reading technical specs. The picture below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the FZ100 and K-5.

As you can tell, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FZ100 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-5 will offer you more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively.