Panasonic GH2 vs Pentax ist DL2

The following is a detailed assessment of the Panasonic GH2 vs Pentax ist DL2, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the GH2 (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the GH2 (Four Thirds) and ist DL2 (APS-C) possess different sensor measurements.

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The GH2 was manufactured 5 years after the ist DL2 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a short summary of how the GH2 scores vs the ist DL2 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 & Pentax ist DL2. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GH2 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic GH2 enjoys outside dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") with a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs) while the Pentax ist DL2 has specifications of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Check the Panasonic GH2 vs Pentax ist DL2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using during that time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the GH2 against the ist DL2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the GH2 and ist DL2 is 70 and 69 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching specifications. The image here might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH2 and ist DL2.

To sum up, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The GH2 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic GH2 will provide you with more detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more recent GH2 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.