Panasonic GX8 vs Pentax K-500

The following is a in depth overview of the Panasonic GX8 and Pentax K-500, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the GX8 (20MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the GX8 (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The GX8 was announced 20 months after the K-500 which makes them a generation away from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GX8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief overview of how the GX8 matches up against the K-500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 & Pentax K-500. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic GX8 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GX8 comes with exterior dimensions of 133mm x 78mm x 63mm (5.2" x 3.1" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 487 grams (1.07 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-500 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GX8 and Pentax K-500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is a front view size comparison of the GX8 versus the K-500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the GX8 and K-500 is 74 and 64 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to envision the gap between sensor dimensions just by reading through a spec sheet. The pic here will provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GX8 and K-500.

Clearly, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GX8 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic GX8 will resolve greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The fresher GX8 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.