Panasonic GF5 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic GF5 versus Pentax K-5 IIs, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the GF5 (12MP) and K-5 IIs (16MP) and the GF5 (Four Thirds) and K-5 IIs (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The GF5 was manufactured 14 months prior to the K-5 IIs making them a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 IIs being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the GF5 scores versus the K-5 IIs in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 & Pentax K-5 IIs. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GF5 Gallery & Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GF5 provides outer dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 IIs has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic GF5 versus Pentax K-5 IIs in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the GF5 compared to the K-5 IIs.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GF5 and K-5 IIs is 89 and 60 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizing simply by going through technical specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the GF5 and K-5 IIs.

As you can tell, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The GF5 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax K-5 IIs will show extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older GF5 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.