Panasonic LF1 vs Pentax ist DS2

Here is a in-depth review of the Panasonic LF1 and Pentax ist DS2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the LF1 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the LF1 (1/1.7") and ist DS2 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizes.

Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

The LF1 was revealed 8 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic LF1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief summation of how the LF1 scores vs the ist DS2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 and Pentax ist DS2. The full galleries are available at Panasonic LF1 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic LF1 comes with outer measurements of 103mm x 62mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic LF1 and Pentax ist DS2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the LF1 compared to the ist DS2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the LF1 and ist DS2 is 92 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to envision the gap between sensor sizing purely by looking at specs. The graphic underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the LF1 and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The LF1 with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic LF1 will give greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics far more aggressively. The newer LF1 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.