Panasonic LX7 vs Pentax K-3

Lets take a deeper look at the Panasonic LX7 and Pentax K-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the LX7 (10MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the LX7 (1/1.7") and K-3 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizing.

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The LX7 was unveiled 18 months before the K-3 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic LX7 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a simple summary of how the LX7 scores versus the K-3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 and Pentax K-3. The full galleries are available at Panasonic LX7 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera, you have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic LX7 offers external dimensions of 111mm x 68mm x 46mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic LX7 and Pentax K-3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the LX7 versus the K-3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the LX7 and K-3 is 86 and 59 respectively.

Typically, it is very hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements purely by checking specifications. The photograph below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the LX7 and K-3.

To sum up, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The LX7 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-3 will give greater detail having an extra 14MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older LX7 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.