Panasonic LX3 vs Pentax P80

Its time to examine more in depth at the Panasonic LX3 versus Pentax P80, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by brands Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the LX3 (10MP) and the P80 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the LX3 (1/1.63") and P80 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

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The LX3 was unveiled 9 months before the P80 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief view of how the LX3 scores versus the P80 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 & Pentax Optio P80. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic LX3 Gallery & Pentax P80 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera often, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic LX3 has got outside measurements of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Pentax P80 has dimensions of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

See the Panasonic LX3 versus Pentax P80 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the LX3 vs the P80.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the LX3 and P80 is 91 and 95 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes purely by seeing a spec sheet. The image here will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the LX3 and P80.

As you can see, both the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The LX3 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Pentax P80 will provide greater detail having an extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The more aged LX3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.