Panasonic G5 vs Pentax K-500

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic G5 vs Pentax K-500, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the G5 (16MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is fairly similar but the G5 (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

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The G5 was released 16 months before the K-500 making them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic G5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a brief view of how the G5 matches up against the K-500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 & Pentax K-500. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic G5 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic G5 comes with exterior measurements of 120mm x 83mm x 71mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 2.8") with a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs) and the Pentax K-500 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic G5 vs Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the G5 compared to the K-500.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the G5 and K-500 is 74 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizing only by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the G5 and K-500.

As you can see, the two cameras come with the identical megapixels but not the same sensor sizing. The G5 contains the tinier sensor which will make obtaining shallower DOF tougher. The older G5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.