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Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1

Portability
66
Imaging
52
Features
80
Overall
63
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 front
 
Pentax K-S1 front
Portability
69
Imaging
63
Features
70
Overall
65

Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 Key Specs

Panasonic GH3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 550g - 133 x 93 x 82mm
  • Introduced September 2012
  • Succeeded the Panasonic GH2
  • Renewed by Panasonic GH4
Pentax K-S1
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/6000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 558g - 121 x 93 x 70mm
  • Revealed August 2014
  • Successor is Pentax K-S2
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Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 Overview

Here, we will be reviewing the Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the GH3 (16MP) and the K-S1 (20MP) is relatively comparable but the GH3 (Four Thirds) and K-S1 (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

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The GH3 was unveiled 23 months prior to the K-S1 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the GH3 scores against the K-S1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic GH3 over the Pentax K-S1

 GH3 K-S1 
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K-S1 over the Panasonic GH3

 K-S1 GH3 
RevealedAugust 2014September 2012Fresher by 23 months
Screen resolution921k614kSharper screen (+307k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic GH3 and Pentax K-S1

 GH3 K-S1 
Manual focus More precise focus
Screen size3"3"Same screen measurements

Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 Physical Comparison

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic GH3 enjoys exterior measurements of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Pentax K-S1 has sizing of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using during that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the GH3 vs the K-S1.

Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH3 and K-S1 is 66 and 69 respectively.

Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it can be hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing merely by going through a spec sheet. The graphic here should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the GH3 and K-S1.

As you can see, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The GH3 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-S1 will provide extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older GH3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.

Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 sensor size comparison

Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic GH3 Portrait photography information
Pentax K-S1 Portrait photography information
71
manual focus
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
comes with face detect autofocus
saves RAW formats
77
has manual focus
good MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports face detect autofocus
supports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Panasonic GH3 Street photography factors
Pentax K-S1 Street photography factors
65
screen articulates fully
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
boasts focus via touch
environment proofing
lack of image stabilization
more heavy than average in class (550 grams)
73
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
lighter than average in class (558 grams)
great ISO range (51,200)
screen does not articulate
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic GH3 Sports photography factors
Pentax K-S1 Sports photography factors
63
fast shooting (20.0 frames/s)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking focus
environment proofing
great battery (540 CIPA)
lack of image stabilization
does not have phase detect autofocus
69
high shutter speed (1/6,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports tracking focus
supports phase detect autofocus
slow frames per second (5.4 frames/s)
not so great battery pack (410 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic GH3 Travel photography features
Pentax K-S1 Travel photography features
71
great battery (540 per charge)
environment proofing
boasts focus via touch
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
selfie friendly display
more heavy than average in class (550g)
60
lighter than average in class (558 grams)
good MP (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
doesn't have Timelapse recording
not so great battery pack (410 shots)
does not have a selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Panasonic GH3
Landscape photography with Pentax K-S1
71
manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
great battery (540 CIPA)
lack of image stabilization
73
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
good sized screen (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
doesnt have low pass filter
great ISO range (51,200)
supports RAW formats
not so great battery pack (410 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GH3 Vlogging features
Pentax K-S1 Vlogging features
65
selfie friendly display
screen is touchscreen
comes with face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
includes microphone jack
lack of image stabilization
more heavy than average in class (550g)
33
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than average in class (558 grams)
does not have a selfie friendly display
doesn't have microphone support
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Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-S1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic GH3 and Pentax K-S1
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3Pentax K-S1
General Information
Company Panasonic Pentax
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 Pentax K-S1
Class Advanced Mirrorless Advanced DSLR
Introduced 2012-09-17 2014-08-27
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Venus Engine VII FHD Prime MII
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 20 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Max resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Max native ISO 12800 51200
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 23 11
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF2
Available lenses 107 151
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1.5
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display sizing 3" 3"
Display resolution 614k dots 921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech OLED Monitor with static touch control -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder resolution 1,744k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.67x 0.64x
Features
Min shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Max shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/6000 secs
Continuous shutter rate 20.0 frames/s 5.4 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 12.00 m 10.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync Auto, auto + redeye, on, on + redeye reduction, slow sync, trailing curtain sync, manual
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize 1/160 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25 24 fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25fps 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 550 gr (1.21 lbs) 558 gr (1.23 lbs)
Physical dimensions 133 x 93 x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") 121 x 93 x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 71 78
DXO Color Depth rating 22.7 23.5
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.4 13.0
DXO Low light rating 812 1061
Other
Battery life 540 images 410 images
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - D-LI109
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Single Single
Retail pricing $799 $339