Panasonic LX3 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Let's take a closer look at the Panasonic LX3 versus Pentax K-5 IIs, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the LX3 (10MP) and K-5 IIs (16MP) and the LX3 (1/1.63") and K-5 IIs (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

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The LX3 was launched 5 years prior to the K-5 IIs and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 IIs being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the LX3 matches up versus the K-5 IIs with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 & Pentax K-5 IIs. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic LX3 Gallery & Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic LX3 offers external dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 IIs has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic LX3 versus Pentax K-5 IIs in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the LX3 vs the K-5 IIs.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the LX3 and K-5 IIs is 91 and 60 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements merely by checking specs. The graphic here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the LX3 and K-5 IIs.

All in all, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The LX3 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K-5 IIs will give more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older LX3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.