Panasonic G5 vs Pentax E85

Its time to examine more closely at the Panasonic G5 vs Pentax E85, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the G5 (16MP) and E85 (12MP) and the G5 (Four Thirds) and E85 (1/2.3") feature different sensor dimensions.

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The G5 was brought out 2 years after the E85 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic G5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax E85 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the G5 scores vs the E85 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 & Pentax Optio E85. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic G5 Gallery & Pentax E85 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic G5 enjoys outside dimensions of 120mm x 83mm x 71mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 2.8") having a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs) and the Pentax E85 has specifications of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") along with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Check the Panasonic G5 vs Pentax E85 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the G5 compared to the E85.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the G5 and E85 is 74 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes just by going over specs. The picture below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the G5 and E85.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The G5 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic G5 will offer more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The more modern G5 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.