Panasonic L1 vs Pentax W80

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic L1 and Pentax W80, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the L1 (7MP) and W80 (12MP) and the L1 (Four Thirds) and W80 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The L1 was launched 3 years prior to the W80 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a in depth comparison, here is a simple summary of how the L1 grades vs the W80 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and Pentax Optio W80. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic L1 Gallery and Pentax W80 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic L1 provides external measurements of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") along with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs) while the Pentax W80 has specifications of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check the Panasonic L1 and Pentax W80 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the L1 against the W80.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the L1 and W80 is 65 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing simply by checking a spec sheet. The photograph here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the L1 and W80.

As you can see, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The L1 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Pentax W80 will resolve extra detail utilizing its extra 5MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics more aggressively. The older L1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.