Panasonic S3 vs Pentax K-30

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic S3 versus Pentax K-30, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Pentax. The resolution of the S3 (14MP) and the K-30 (16MP) is pretty similar but the S3 (1/2.3") and K-30 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizes.

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The S3 was unveiled 22 months prior to the K-30 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple summation of how the S3 scores vs the K-30 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 & Pentax K-30. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic S3 Gallery & Pentax K-30 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S3 offers outside measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) and the Pentax K-30 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

See the Panasonic S3 versus Pentax K-30 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the S3 vs the K-30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the S3 and K-30 is 96 and 63 respectively.

Often, its tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizing merely by reading a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the S3 and K-30.

Clearly, both of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The S3 having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-30 will offer greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots way more aggressively. The older S3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.