Panasonic GF5 vs Pentax K-S1

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic GF5 vs Pentax K-S1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the GF5 (12MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the GF5 (Four Thirds) and K-S1 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

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The GF5 was introduced 3 years before the K-S1 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the GF5 grades against the K-S1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 and Pentax K-S1. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic GF5 Gallery and Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GF5 provides physical measurements 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-S1 has proportions of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic GF5 vs Pentax K-S1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the GF5 against the K-S1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GF5 and K-S1 is 89 and 69 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to imagine the gap between sensor measurements just by looking at specs. The visual below might provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the GF5 and K-S1.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The GF5 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-S1 will give you more detail using its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The older GF5 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.