Panasonic S1 vs Pentax K-3

Let's look a little more closely at the Panasonic S1 and Pentax K-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the S1 (12MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the S1 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizes.

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The S1 was launched 4 years prior to the K-3 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the S1 scores versus the K-3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1 and Pentax K-3. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic S1 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera, you will want to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic S1 provides physical dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 has sizing of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic S1 and Pentax K-3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the S1 versus the K-3.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S1 and K-3 is 96 and 59 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading a spec sheet. The photograph here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the S1 and K-3.

Clearly, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The S1 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-3 will offer extra detail utilizing its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The older S1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.