Clicky

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1

Portability
90
Imaging
55
Features
70
Overall
61
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 front
 
Pentax Optio S1 front
Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 Key Specs

Panasonic GX850
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 269g - 107 x 65 x 33mm
  • Revealed January 2017
  • Other Name is Lumix DMC-GX800 / Lumix DMC-GF9
Pentax S1
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
  • Released March 2011
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 Overview

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the GX850 (16MP) and the S1 (14MP) is relatively similar but the GX850 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") boast different sensor dimensions.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

The GX850 was released 5 years later than the S1 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GX850 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the GX850 grades against the S1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month
	
	

Reasons to pick Panasonic GX850 over the Pentax S1

 GX850 S1 
ReleasedJanuary 2017March 2011Fresher by 72 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1040k230kCrisper screen (+810k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax S1 over the Panasonic GX850

 S1 GX850 

Common features in the Panasonic GX850 and Pentax S1

 GX850 S1 
Manual focus Dial accurate focusing

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to carry your camera, you will need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GX850 has got external measurements of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Pentax S1 has dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

See the Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the GX850 vs the S1.

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GX850 and S1 is 90 and 93 respectively.

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it's difficult to picture the difference between sensor sizing only by reading specs. The visual underneath should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the GX850 and S1.

All in all, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The GX850 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic GX850 will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The younger GX850 should have an edge with regard to sensor tech.

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 sensor size comparison

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Panasonic GX850
Portrait photography with Pentax S1
66
focusing manually
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has face detect focus
supports RAW files
cannot use external flash
35
you can focus manually
good resolution (14MP)
no manual control
can't use external flash
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW format
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Panasonic GX850 Street photography advice
Pentax S1 Street photography advice
80
screen tilts
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
comes with focus via touch
great high ISO (25,600)
lack of image stabilization
56
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
screen is fixed
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW format
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Panasonic GX850
Sports photography with Pentax S1
52
silent mode (1/16,000 seconds)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
max shutter speed is low (1/500 seconds)
lack of image stabilization
bad battery pack (210 per charge)
has no phase detect auto focus
39
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
features tracking autofocus
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no phase detect AF
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Travel Comparison

Panasonic GX850 as a Travel photography camera
Pentax S1 as a Travel photography camera
79
comes with focus via touch
decent megapixels (16MP)
built-in flash
selfie friendly screen
bad battery pack (210 per charge)
64
good resolution (14MP)
has built in flash
fairly wide (28mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
display isn't selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Panasonic GX850
Landscape photography with Pentax S1
71
focusing manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
decent megapixels (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
does not have anti aliasing filter
great high ISO (25,600)
supports RAW files
lack of image stabilization
bad battery pack (210 CIPA)
42
you can focus manually
fairly wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (14MP)
cannot change lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
no manual control
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GX850 Vlogging highlights
Pentax S1 Vlogging highlights
73
selfie friendly screen
has touchscreen
has face detect focus
high res video (3840 x 2160 pxls)
lack of image stabilization
missing mic support
28
fairly wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
display isn't selfie friendly
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have external mic jack
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Panasonic GX850 vs Pentax S1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic GX850 and Pentax S1
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850Pentax Optio S1
General Information
Company Panasonic Pentax
Model Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 Pentax Optio S1
Other name Lumix DMC-GX800 / Lumix DMC-GF9 -
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2017-01-04 2011-03-02
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip Venus Engine -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4592 x 3448 4288 x 3216
Maximum native ISO 25600 6400
Min native ISO 200 80
RAW files
Min enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points 49 9
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focus range - 1cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of display 1,040 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display technology - TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 60 secs 4 secs
Max shutter speed 1/500 secs 1/1500 secs
Max quiet shutter speed 1/16000 secs -
Continuous shutter speed 10.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 4.00 m (at ISO 100) 3.90 m
Flash options Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, on, on w/redeye reduction, slow sync, slow sync w/redeye reduction Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 17 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 20 Mbps, MP4, H.264 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Maximum video resolution 3840x2160 1280x720
Video file format MPEG-4, AVCHD Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 269 grams (0.59 pounds) 157 grams (0.35 pounds)
Physical dimensions 107 x 65 x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 23.2 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 13.3 not tested
DXO Low light score 586 not tested
Other
Battery life 210 photos 260 photos
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model - D-LI92
Self timer Yes (2, 10 sec, 3 images/10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media microSD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots 1 1
Retail cost $548 $174