Panasonic S3 vs Pentax K-5 II

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic S3 and Pentax K-5 II, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the S3 (14MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is very comparable but the S3 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

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The S3 was introduced 3 years before the K-5 II and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a brief summary of how the S3 grades vs the K-5 II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 & Pentax K-5 II. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic S3 Gallery & Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S3 enjoys exterior measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 II has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic S3 and Pentax K-5 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the S3 versus the K-5 II.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S3 and K-5 II is 96 and 60 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements only by going through technical specs. The visual underneath will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the S3 and K-5 II.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The S3 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh tougher and the Pentax K-5 II will show extra detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older S3 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.