Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax K-30

Below, we will be evaluating the Panasonic GX850 versus Pentax K-30, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the GX850 (16MP) and the K-30 (16MP) is pretty similar but the GX850 (Four Thirds) and K-30 (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The GX850 was revealed 4 years later than the K-30 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GX850 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a quick overview of how the GX850 scores vs the K-30 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 & Pentax K-30. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic GX850 Gallery & Pentax K-30 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic GX850 provides outer dimensions of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Pentax K-30 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

See the Panasonic GX850 versus Pentax K-30 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the GX850 compared to the K-30.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GX850 and K-30 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements merely by going over technical specs. The photograph underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the GX850 and K-30.

As you have seen, both cameras posses the exact same megapixel count albeit different sensor measurements. The GX850 contains the tinier sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow DOF tougher. The fresher GX850 should have a benefit in sensor technology.