Panasonic GF3 vs Pentax K-500

Lets look more in depth at the Panasonic GF3 versus Pentax K-500, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the GF3 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the GF3 (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The GF3 was revealed 3 years prior to the K-500 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a full comparison, here is a concise overview of how the GF3 scores against the K-500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 & Pentax K-500. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic GF3 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GF3 features outside measurements of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") and a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

See the Panasonic GF3 versus Pentax K-500 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the GF3 vs the K-500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GF3 and K-500 is 90 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions purely by seeing technical specs. The picture here will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the GF3 and K-500.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GF3 with its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh harder and the Pentax K-500 will provide greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The more aged GF3 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.