Panasonic LX5 vs Pentax K-01

Here, we will be evaluating the Panasonic LX5 and Pentax K-01, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the LX5 (10MP) and K-01 (16MP) and the LX5 (1/1.63") and K-01 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The LX5 was announced 5 months earlier than the K-01 and they are both of a similar age. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summary of how the LX5 matches up against the K-01 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 & Pentax K-01. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic LX5 Gallery & Pentax K-01 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic LX5 comes with external dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Pentax K-01 has dimensions of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") having a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic LX5 and Pentax K-01 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the LX5 versus the K-01.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the LX5 and K-01 is 88 and 76 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to see the contrast between sensor measurements only by looking at specs. The visual below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the LX5 and K-01.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The LX5 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax K-01 will resolve extra detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively.