Panasonic S3 vs Pentax K100D S

The following is a complete analysis of the Panasonic S3 and Pentax K100D S, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the S3 (14MP) and K100D S (6MP) and the S3 (1/2.3") and K100D S (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

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The S3 was announced 3 years after the K100D S which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D S being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a short introduction of how the S3 matches up against the K100D S with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 and Pentax K100D Super. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic S3 Gallery and Pentax K100D S Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic S3 comes with physical dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Pentax K100D S has proportions of 129mm x 91mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.8") and a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic S3 and Pentax K100D S in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the S3 vs the K100D S.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S3 and K100D S is 96 and 65 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by going through specifications. The image here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the S3 and K100D S.

Plainly, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The S3 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic S3 will show greater detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The younger S3 should have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.