Panasonic GH4 vs Pentax ist DS2

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Panasonic GH4 vs Pentax ist DS2, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the GH4 (16MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the GH4 (Four Thirds) and ist DS2 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The GH4 was manufactured 8 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GH4 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple summation of how the GH4 matches up against the ist DS2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 and Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH4 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic GH4 comes with outside dimensions of 133mm x 93mm x 84mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.3") having a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GH4 vs Pentax ist DS2 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the GH4 and the ist DS2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GH4 and ist DS2 is 66 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reading a spec sheet. The visual underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH4 and ist DS2.

Clearly, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The GH4 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic GH4 will deliver extra detail due to its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more modern GH4 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.