Panasonic LF1 vs Pentax K-50

In this article, we are looking at the Panasonic LF1 and Pentax K-50, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the LF1 (12MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the LF1 (1/1.7") and K-50 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The LF1 was introduced within a month of the K-50 and they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic LF1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the LF1 scores vs the K-50 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 & Pentax K-50. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic LF1 Gallery & Pentax K-50 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic LF1 provides physical dimensions of 103mm x 62mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-50 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Check the Panasonic LF1 and Pentax K-50 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the LF1 vs the K-50.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the LF1 and K-50 is 92 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to picture the difference in sensor sizes simply by going through a spec sheet. The pic below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the LF1 and K-50.

As you can see, the 2 cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The LF1 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Pentax K-50 will produce extra detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics a little more aggressively.