Panasonic GF1 vs Pentax K-50

On this page, we will be contrasting the Panasonic GF1 vs Pentax K-50, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the GF1 (12MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the GF1 (Four Thirds) and K-50 (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The GF1 was manufactured 5 years before the K-50 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief summary of how the GF1 grades vs the K-50 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 & Pentax K-50. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GF1 Gallery & Pentax K-50 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic GF1 features exterior measurements of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) and the Pentax K-50 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GF1 vs Pentax K-50 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at the time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the GF1 against the K-50.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the GF1 and K-50 is 85 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reading specs. The picture below should give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the GF1 and K-50.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The GF1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax K-50 will offer more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged GF1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.