Panasonic GF2 vs Pentax K-3 II
88 Imaging
47 Features
50 Overall
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59 Imaging
65 Features
84 Overall
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Panasonic GF2 vs Pentax K-3 II Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 310g - 113 x 68 x 33mm
- Launched February 2011
- Earlier Model is Panasonic GF1
- Refreshed by Panasonic GF3
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.2" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 51200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 800g - 131 x 100 x 77mm
- Announced April 2015
- Previous Model is Pentax K-3
Photography Glossary Panasonic GF2 vs Pentax K-3 II Overview
On this page, we are evaluating the Panasonic GF2 and Pentax K-3 II, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the GF2 (12MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the GF2 (Four Thirds) and K-3 II (APS-C) offer different sensor size.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe GF2 was revealed 5 years prior to the K-3 II which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the GF2 matches up vs the K-3 II when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month Panasonic GF2 vs Pentax K-3 II Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 & Pentax K-3 II. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF2 Gallery & Pentax K-3 II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic GF2 over the Pentax K-3 II
| GF2 | K-3 II | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 II over the Panasonic GF2
| K-3 II | GF2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | April 2015 | February 2011 | Newer by 50 months | |
| Display dimensions | 3.2" | 3" | Larger display (+0.2") | |
| Display resolution | 1037k | 460k | Crisper display (+577k dot) |
Common features in the Panasonic GF2 and Pentax K-3 II
| GF2 | K-3 II | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Dial accurate focus | |||
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Selfie screen | Neither comes with selfie screen |
Panasonic GF2 vs Pentax K-3 II Physical Comparison
For those who are intending to travel with your camera, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GF2 comes with outside dimensions of 113mm x 68mm x 33mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 310 grams (0.68 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has dimensions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).
Analyze the Panasonic GF2 and Pentax K-3 II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the GF2 versus the K-3 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GF2 and K-3 II is 88 and 59 respectively.
Panasonic GF2 vs Pentax K-3 II Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it can be tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reading through technical specs. The picture here might provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF2 and K-3 II.
As you can tell, both of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The GF2 having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh tougher and the Pentax K-3 II will give extra detail because of its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged GF2 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.
Panasonic GF2 vs Pentax K-3 II Screen and ViewFinder
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Panasonic GF2 vs Pentax K-3 II Specifications
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 | Pentax K-3 II | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Panasonic | Pentax |
| Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 | Pentax K-3 II |
| Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
| Launched | 2011-02-24 | 2015-04-23 |
| Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | Venus Engine FHD | Prime III |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 24 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 6016 x 4000 |
| Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 51200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW format | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Total focus points | 23 | 27 |
| Cross type focus points | - | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | 151 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display size | 3 inch | 3.2 inch |
| Resolution of display | 460k dot | 1,037k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Display technology | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.64x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/8000s |
| Continuous shutter speed | 3.0fps | 8.3fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 6.00 m | no built-in flash |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync (available with dedicated external flash) |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/160s | 1/180s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720p (60, 30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Optional |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) |
| GPS | None | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 310 grams (0.68 lbs) | 800 grams (1.76 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 113 x 68 x 33mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.3") | 131 x 100 x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 54 | 80 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.2 | 23.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.3 | 13.6 |
| DXO Low light rating | 506 | 1106 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 300 photos | 720 photos |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | D-LI90 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | One | Dual |
| Retail cost | $330 | $829 |