Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K-7

On this page, we are evaluating the Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K-7, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the GH1 (12MP) and the K-7 (15MP) is very close but the GH1 (Four Thirds) and K-7 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The GH1 was brought out 2 months prior to the K-7 which means that they are of a similar generation. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-7 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a quick summation of how the GH1 scores versus the K-7 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Pentax K-7. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH1 Gallery and Pentax K-7 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GH1 comes with exterior dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") having a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) while the Pentax K-7 has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K-7 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the GH1 and the K-7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the GH1 and K-7 is 81 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizes purely by viewing technical specs. The pic here will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH1 and K-7.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The GH1 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Pentax K-7 will render more detail having its extra 3MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively.