Panasonic GF1 vs Pentax ist DS2

Following is a comprehensive overview of the Panasonic GF1 and Pentax ist DS2, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the GF1 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the GF1 (Four Thirds) and ist DS2 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

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The GF1 was launched 4 years after the ist DS2 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick overview of how the GF1 grades against the ist DS2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 & Pentax ist DS2. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic GF1 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GF1 has outer dimensions of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GF1 and Pentax ist DS2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the GF1 against the ist DS2.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GF1 and ist DS2 is 85 and 68 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes simply by looking at specs. The pic here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF1 and ist DS2.

All in all, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The GF1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic GF1 will resolve greater detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The more recent GF1 provides an advantage in sensor tech.