Panasonic LX3 vs Pentax K-S2

On this page, we are contrasting the Panasonic LX3 and Pentax K-S2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the LX3 (10MP) and K-S2 (20MP) and the LX3 (1/1.63") and K-S2 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The LX3 was manufactured 7 years before the K-S2 and that is quite a large gap 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-S2 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the LX3 scores vs the K-S2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 and Pentax K-S2. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic LX3 Gallery and Pentax K-S2 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic LX3 offers physical dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Pentax K-S2 has measurements of 123mm x 91mm x 73mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.9") and a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic LX3 and Pentax K-S2 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the LX3 versus the K-S2.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the LX3 and K-S2 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements purely by going over specs. The photograph below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the LX3 and K-S2.

All in all, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The LX3 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting bokeh more difficult and the Pentax K-S2 will offer you more detail due to its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older LX3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.