Panasonic LX5 vs Pentax P70

Below is a in depth review of the Panasonic LX5 and Pentax P70, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Ultracompact by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the LX5 (10MP) and the P70 (12MP) is pretty well matched but the LX5 (1/1.63") and P70 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The LX5 was unveiled 2 years later than the P70 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera and the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the LX5 matches up vs the P70 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 and Pentax Optio P70. The full galleries are available at Panasonic LX5 Gallery and Pentax P70 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic LX5 features outer dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Pentax P70 has measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic LX5 and Pentax P70 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the LX5 vs the P70.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the LX5 and P70 is 88 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through specs. The graphic below will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the LX5 and P70.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The LX5 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax P70 will give you greater detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern LX5 will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.