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Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D

Portability
81
Imaging
50
Features
57
Overall
52
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 front
 
Pentax K20D front
Portability
59
Imaging
54
Features
52
Overall
53

Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D Key Specs

Panasonic GH1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600 (Bump to 3200)
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 385g - 124 x 90 x 45mm
  • Revealed July 2009
  • Renewed by Panasonic GH2
Pentax K20D
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200 (Expand to 6400)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 800g - 142 x 101 x 70mm
  • Revealed June 2008
  • Older Model is Pentax K10D
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Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D Overview

Let's look more in depth at the Panasonic GH1 and Pentax K20D, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the GH1 (12MP) and the K20D (15MP) is pretty close but the GH1 (Four Thirds) and K20D (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizing.

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The GH1 was manufactured 13 months later than the K20D which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick summation of how the GH1 scores vs the K20D in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic GH1 over the Pentax K20D

 GH1 K20D 
RevealedJuly 2009June 2008Fresher by 13 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution460k230kClearer screen (+230k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Reasons to pick Pentax K20D over the Panasonic GH1

 K20D GH1 

Common features in the Panasonic GH1 and Pentax K20D

 GH1 K20D 
Manually focus Dial precise focusing
Touch friendly screen Neither comes with Touch friendly screen

Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D Physical Comparison

If you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic GH1 comes with physical measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) whilst the Pentax K20D has specifications of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic GH1 and Pentax K20D in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the GH1 against the K20D.

Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the GH1 and K20D is 81 and 59 respectively.

Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D top view buttons comparison

Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D Sensor Comparison

Often, it's hard to see the difference in sensor sizing purely by researching a spec sheet. The graphic here may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the GH1 and K20D.

As you can see, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The GH1 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K20D will result in extra detail due to its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots more aggressively. The newer GH1 will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.

Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D sensor size comparison

Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic GH1 Portrait photography details
Pentax K20D Portrait photography details
60
manual focus
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
72
has manual focus
megapixel count good (15MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Panasonic GH1
Street photography with Pentax K20D
72
screen can move to multiple angles
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
65
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
weather proof
fixed screen
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic GH1 Sports photography features
Pentax K20D Sports photography features
33
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames per second)
lack of image stabilization
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
low battery pack (320 CIPA)
no phase detect autofocus
68
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (15MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
weather proof
has phase detect auto focus
slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames per second)
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic GH1 Travel photography advice
Pentax K20D Travel photography advice
58
has built in flash
selfie friendly display
missing Time Lapse mode
low battery pack (320 CIPA)
low resolution sensor (12MP)
64
weather proof
megapixel count good (15 megapixels)
flash built-in
display isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic GH1 Landscape photography information
Pentax K20D Landscape photography information
55
manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
low battery pack (320 CIPA)
missing Time Lapse mode
71
has manual focus
switch lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (15MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
weather proof
screen is small (2.7 inch)
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Panasonic GH1
Vlogging with Pentax K20D
72
selfie friendly display
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
includes external mic jack
lack of image stabilization
9
no video recording
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Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax K20D Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic GH1 and Pentax K20D
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1Pentax K20D
General Information
Brand Panasonic Pentax
Model Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Pentax K20D
Type Advanced Mirrorless Advanced DSLR
Revealed 2009-07-10 2008-06-25
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Venus Engine HD -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 18.89 x 14.48mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 273.5mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 15 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 4672 x 3104
Highest native ISO 1600 3200
Highest enhanced ISO 3200 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points - 11
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF2
Available lenses 107 151
Crop factor 1.9 1.5
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display size 3" 2.7"
Resolution of display 460 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.64x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter rate 3.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 10.50 m 13.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain, wireless
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/160 secs 1/180 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) -
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video file format AVCHD -
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 385 gr (0.85 lbs) 800 gr (1.76 lbs)
Physical dimensions 124 x 90 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") 142 x 101 x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 64 65
DXO Color Depth score 21.6 22.9
DXO Dynamic range score 11.6 11.1
DXO Low light score 772 639
Other
Battery life 320 shots -
Battery style Battery Pack -
Battery model - D-LI50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC SD/MMC/SDHC card
Card slots 1 1
Retail price $949 $700