Panasonic GF5 vs Pentax K-30

The following is a extended review of the Panasonic GF5 vs Pentax K-30, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the GF5 (12MP) and K-30 (16MP) and the GF5 (Four Thirds) and K-30 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The GF5 was released 6 months before the K-30 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the GF5 matches up against the K-30 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 and Pentax K-30. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic GF5 Gallery and Pentax K-30 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera, you have to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic GF5 enjoys external dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Pentax K-30 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic GF5 vs Pentax K-30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the GF5 vs the K-30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the GF5 and K-30 is 89 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to see the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by going through technical specs. The picture underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF5 and K-30.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GF5 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-30 will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs much more aggressively.