Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax ist DL2

Let's take a deeper look at the Panasonic GH1 versus Pentax ist DL2, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the GH1 (12MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the GH1 (Four Thirds) and ist DL2 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

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The GH1 was brought out 3 years later than the ist DL2 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple view of how the GH1 matches up against the ist DL2 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 & Pentax ist DL2. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH1 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GH1 features physical measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") having a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) and the Pentax ist DL2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic GH1 versus Pentax ist DL2 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the GH1 vs the ist DL2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the GH1 and ist DL2 is 81 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements purely by viewing specifications. The visual below might provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the GH1 and ist DL2.

To sum up, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The GH1 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Panasonic GH1 will render greater detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics more aggressively. The newer GH1 should have an advantage in sensor technology.