Panasonic GF3 vs Pentax K-50

Following is a complete analysis of the Panasonic GF3 versus Pentax K-50, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the GF3 (12MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the GF3 (Four Thirds) and K-50 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The GF3 was launched 3 years prior to the K-50 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise overview of how the GF3 scores vs the K-50 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 and Pentax K-50. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF3 Gallery and Pentax K-50 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GF3 offers outside dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Pentax K-50 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GF3 versus Pentax K-50 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select during that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the GF3 versus the K-50.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the GF3 and K-50 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes only by seeing a spec sheet. The image below will offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF3 and K-50.

As you can see, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The GF3 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-50 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged GF3 will be behind in sensor technology.