Panasonic G3 vs Pentax K100D

On this page, we are reviewing the Panasonic G3 versus Pentax K100D, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the G3 (16MP) and K100D (6MP) and the G3 (Four Thirds) and K100D (APS-C) boast different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The G3 was revealed 4 years later than the K100D and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a short highlight of how the G3 scores against the K100D when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 and Pentax K100D. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic G3 Gallery and Pentax K100D Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic G3 offers exterior dimensions of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Pentax K100D has measurements of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic G3 versus Pentax K100D in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the G3 compared to the K100D.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the G3 and K100D is 83 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing only by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the G3 and K100D.

As you can see, each of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The G3 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic G3 will result in extra detail because of its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The newer G3 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.