Panasonic S3 vs Pentax K-7

Lets look closer at the Panasonic S3 versus Pentax K-7, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the S3 (14MP) and the K-7 (15MP) is pretty similar but the S3 (1/2.3") and K-7 (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

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The S3 was unveiled 16 months after the K-7 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-7 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the S3 scores vs the K-7 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 & Pentax K-7. The full galleries are available at Panasonic S3 Gallery & Pentax K-7 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic S3 comes with physical measurements 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-7 has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic S3 versus Pentax K-7 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the S3 compared to the K-7.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the S3 and K-7 is 96 and 60 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to imagine the gap between sensor sizes only by reading a spec sheet. The pic below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the S3 and K-7.

Clearly, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The S3 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-7 will offer you more detail having an extra 1MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The fresher S3 provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.