Panasonic LX5 vs Pentax K-3 II

Here, we will be contrasting the Panasonic LX5 and Pentax K-3 II, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the LX5 (10MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the LX5 (1/1.63") and K-3 II (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The LX5 was brought out 4 years prior to the K-3 II which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short overview of how the LX5 scores versus the K-3 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 & Pentax K-3 II. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic LX5 Gallery & Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera often, you will want to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic LX5 comes with physical measurements of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has proportions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic LX5 and Pentax K-3 II in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the LX5 against the K-3 II.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the LX5 and K-3 II is 88 and 59 respectively.

Usually, it's tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes only by going through a spec sheet. The pic below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the LX5 and K-3 II.

As you can see, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The LX5 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-3 II will provide greater detail having its extra 14MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged LX5 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.