Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Below is a detailed review of the Panasonic GH3 and Pentax K-5 IIs, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the GH3 (16MP) and the K-5 IIs (16MP) is very close but the GH3 (Four Thirds) and K-5 IIs (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

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The GH3 was released 8 months prior to the K-5 IIs so they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 IIs being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the GH3 scores against the K-5 IIs with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Pentax K-5 IIs. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH3 Gallery and Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GH3 has got external measurements of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") along with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 IIs has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic GH3 and Pentax K-5 IIs in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use during that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the GH3 against the K-5 IIs.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GH3 and K-5 IIs is 66 and 60 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to picture the difference in sensor measurements only by viewing specifications. The visual below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the GH3 and K-5 IIs.

To sum up, the 2 cameras posses the exact same megapixel count but different sensor measurements. The GH3 has got the smaller sensor which will make obtaining bokeh harder. The older GH3 will be behind in sensor technology.