Panasonic FZ200 vs Pentax K-5

Following is a complete review of the Panasonic FZ200 and Pentax K-5, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the FZ200 (12MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the FZ200 (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

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The FZ200 was manufactured 20 months after the K-5 making them a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FZ200 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the FZ200 scores against the K-5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 & Pentax K-5. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FZ200 Gallery & Pentax K-5 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic FZ200 offers outer dimensions of 125mm x 87mm x 110mm (4.9" x 3.4" x 4.3") along with a weight of 588 grams (1.30 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 has sizing of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FZ200 and Pentax K-5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the FZ200 against the K-5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the FZ200 and K-5 is 65 and 60 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes merely by checking out specs. The image here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the FZ200 and K-5.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FZ200 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-5 will show greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The more modern FZ200 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.