Panasonic LX3 vs Pentax MX-1

Lets look a bit more closely at the Panasonic LX3 versus Pentax MX-1, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the LX3 (10MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is pretty similar but the LX3 (1/1.63") and MX-1 (1/1.7") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The LX3 was announced 5 years earlier than the MX-1 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the LX3 matches up vs the MX-1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 & Pentax MX-1. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic LX3 Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic LX3 comes with exterior dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Pentax MX-1 has measurements of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") along with a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic LX3 versus Pentax MX-1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the LX3 versus the MX-1.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the LX3 and MX-1 is 91 and 84 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over technical specs. The visual here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the LX3 and MX-1.

As you can tell, both the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The LX3 with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax MX-1 will deliver more detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older LX3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.