Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax K-x

Its time to look more in depth at the Panasonic GH3 and Pentax K-x, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the GH3 (16MP) and K-x (12MP) and the GH3 (Four Thirds) and K-x (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

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The GH3 was manufactured 2 years after the K-x which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-x being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a short summary of how the GH3 scores against the K-x in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Pentax K-x. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH3 Gallery and Pentax K-x Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GH3 has external dimensions of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-x has dimensions of 123mm x 92mm x 68mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic GH3 and Pentax K-x in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the GH3 compared to the K-x.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the GH3 and K-x is 66 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to picture the gap in sensor dimensions merely by viewing specs. The image below might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH3 and K-x.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GH3 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic GH3 will provide you with more detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The more modern GH3 should have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.