Panasonic GM1 vs Pentax P80

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic GM1 vs Pentax P80, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the GM1 (16MP) and P80 (12MP) and the GM1 (Four Thirds) and P80 (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The GM1 was manufactured 4 years later than the P80 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a complete comparison, below is a brief overview of how the GM1 scores vs the P80 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 & Pentax Optio P80. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GM1 Gallery & Pentax P80 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic GM1 provides physical measurements of 99mm x 55mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 204 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Pentax P80 has specifications of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic GM1 vs Pentax P80 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the GM1 vs the P80.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the GM1 and P80 is 93 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing technical specs. The visual below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the GM1 and P80.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The GM1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic GM1 will provide more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The more recent GM1 provides a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.