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Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500

Portability
68
Imaging
35
Features
45
Overall
39
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 front
 
Pentax K-500 front
Portability
64
Imaging
58
Features
70
Overall
62

Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 Key Specs

Panasonic FZ47
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 1600 (Push to 6400)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-600mm (F2.8-5.2) lens
  • 498g - 120 x 80 x 92mm
  • Launched July 2011
  • Additionally referred to as Lumix DMC-FZ48
Pentax K-500
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 646g - 130 x 97 x 71mm
  • Launched November 2013
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Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 Overview

Here is a extensive comparison of the Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the FZ47 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the FZ47 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizes.

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The FZ47 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the K-500 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FZ47 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a simple summation of how the FZ47 grades vs the K-500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic FZ47 over the Pentax K-500

 FZ47 K-500 

Reasons to pick Pentax K-500 over the Panasonic FZ47

 K-500 FZ47 
LaunchedNovember 2013July 2011Fresher by 28 months
Screen resolution921k460kCrisper screen (+461k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic FZ47 and Pentax K-500

 FZ47 K-500 
Manually focus More accurate focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen dimensions
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Absent Touch friendly screen

Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FZ47 has outer dimensions of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 498 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the FZ47 versus the K-500.

Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FZ47 and K-500 is 68 and 64 respectively.

Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing only by researching a spec sheet. The graphic below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the FZ47 and K-500.

Clearly, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FZ47 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-500 will render more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The older FZ47 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 sensor size comparison

Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic FZ47 Portrait photography highlights
Pentax K-500 Portrait photography highlights
38
manual focus
flash sync is higher than normal (1/2,000s)
provides face detection autofocus
external flash not possible
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
74
focusing manually
decent megapixels (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
includes face detect focus
delivers RAW files
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Street Comparison

Panasonic FZ47 Street photography highlights
Pentax K-500 Street photography highlights
43
image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
heavier than competition in class (498 grams)
68
image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
above average high ISO (51,600)
fixed screen
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic FZ47 Sports photography advice
Pentax K-500 Sports photography advice
42
long zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
provides tracking autofocus
great battery pack (400 CIPA)
slow frames per second (4.0 frames/s)
MP count low (12MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
72
max shutter speed is good (1/6,000s)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent megapixels (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
includes tracking focus
good battery life (710 CIPA)
has phase detect auto focus
max fps low (6.0 frames per second)
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic FZ47 Travel photography advice
Pentax K-500 Travel photography advice
51
great battery pack (400 CIPA)
has built in flash
quite wide (25mm)
great reach (600mm)
no Time Lapse recording
heavier than competition in class (498g)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
does not have selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
67
good battery life (710 shots)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic FZ47 Landscape photography features
Pentax K-500 Landscape photography features
43
manual focus
quite wide (25mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
great battery pack (400 CIPA)
can't switch lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
MP count low (12MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
no Time Lapse recording
79
focusing manually
swap lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen size is good (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
above average high ISO (51,600)
delivers RAW files
good battery life (710 shots)
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Panasonic FZ47
Vlogging with Pentax K-500
27
quite wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
does not have selfie friendly display
no external mic port
heavier than competition in class (498g)
30
image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of microphone socket
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Panasonic FZ47 vs Pentax K-500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic FZ47 and Pentax K-500
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47Pentax K-500
General Information
Brand Panasonic Pentax
Model Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 Pentax K-500
Also called Lumix DMC-FZ48 -
Class Small Sensor Superzoom Entry-Level DSLR
Launched 2011-07-21 2013-11-27
Physical type SLR-like (bridge) Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Venus Engine FHD PRIME M
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.7 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 372.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Highest Possible resolution 4000 x 3000 4928 x 3264
Maximum native ISO 1600 51600
Maximum enhanced ISO 6400 -
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 23 11
Cross focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens focal range 25-600mm (24.0x) -
Max aperture f/2.8-5.2 -
Macro focus distance 1cm -
Available lenses - 151
Crop factor 5.9 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 460 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen tech - TFT LCD monitor with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.61x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000s 1/6000s
Continuous shutter rate 4.0fps 6.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 9.50 m 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync+Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/2000s 1/180s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50,30,25,24 fps), 640 x 424 (30,25,24 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format AVCHD MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 498g (1.10 lb) 646g (1.42 lb)
Dimensions 120 x 80 x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") 130 x 97 x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 79
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.7
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 13.1
DXO Low light score not tested 1087
Other
Battery life 400 photographs 710 photographs
Battery type Battery Pack AA
Battery model - 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 pictures)) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 1 1
Launch pricing $379 $600