Panasonic G1 vs Pentax K-5 II

Below, we are looking at the Panasonic G1 and Pentax K-5 II, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the G1 (12MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the G1 (Four Thirds) and K-5 II (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The G1 was revealed 5 years before the K-5 II and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic G1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the G1 grades versus the K-5 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic G1 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic G1 offers external dimensions of 124mm x 84mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") with a weight of 360 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 II has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Check the Panasonic G1 and Pentax K-5 II in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the G1 and the K-5 II.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the G1 and K-5 II is 82 and 60 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements only by going through specs. The visual here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the G1 and K-5 II.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The G1 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-5 II will produce extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older G1 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.