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Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S

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Pentax K-1

36 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax K-1
$1,696.95
6%
off
Change

Panasonic GH5S

10 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic GH5S
$2,397.99
4%
off
Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Pentax K-1 is a Semi-Pro DSLR camera with a 36.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Panasonic GH5S is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 10.0MP Four Thirds sensor.
Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious altenatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Pentax K-1 and Panasonic GH5S before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Pentax K-1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-02-17
  • 36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 204800
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2″ Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 4.4 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 1010g. 137 x 110 x 86 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Panasonic GH5S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-01-08
  • 10MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 160 - 51200
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 3680k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 12.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4096 x 2060 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 660g. 139 x 98 x 87 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Pentax K-1 was replaced by Pentax K-1 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax K-1 Mark II vs Pentax K-1
Pentax K-1 Mark II vs Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S

Reasons to choose Pentax K-1 over Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None All the lenses are stabilized
Max Sensor Resolution 36 MP vs 10 MP 260% more pixels
Max ISO 204.800 vs 51.200 300% higher Max ISO
Battery Life 760 shots vs 440 shots 320 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording Yes vs No creative shooting
Price $1,697 vs $2,398 $701 cheaper
Top LCD Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Anti Alias Filter Simulator Yes vs No Turn on Anti Alias filter effect to minimise Moire
Astrotracer Mode Yes vs No Great for Astrophotography
Operation Assist Lights Yes vs No LED lights on the body to illuminate in dark conditions
Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S over Pentax K-1
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Number of Focus Points 225 vs 33 192 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution 1.620k dots vs 1.037k dots 56% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting 12.0fps vs 4.4fps 7.6 fps faster
Weight 660 g vs 1010 g 350 g lighter
Max Video Resolution 4096 x 2060 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Bluetooth Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Min Focus Sensitivity EV -5 vs EV -3 Autofocus in lower light
Common Strengths of Pentax K-1 and Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3.2" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution 1.037k dots vs 1.620k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
Dual-axis Electronic Level Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs UHS-II Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Pentax K-1 and Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Pentax K-1 and Panasonic GH5S. Pentax K-1 is 2mm narrower and 1mm thinner than Panasonic GH5S but it is also 12mm taller.

Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Pentax K-1 and Panasonic GH5S.
Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GH5S is significantly lighter (350g ) than the Pentax K-1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Pentax K-1 has a Full frame sensor and Panasonic GH5S has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic GH5S's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Pentax K-1 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

K-1
GH5S
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

K-1
GH5S
Min
Average
Max
Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S: Sensor Comparison

Pentax K-1 has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic GH5S has a 10.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine 10 processor.

Pentax K-1's sensor provides 26MP more than Panasonic GH5S's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Panasonic GH5S and Pentax K-1 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the K-1 and GH5S sensor size comparison.

Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Pentax K-1 has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GH5S. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Pentax K-1 and Panasonic GH5S Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Pentax K-1 and Panasonic GH5S for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Pentax K-1 for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GH5S for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Pentax K-1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GH5S for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Pentax K-1 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GH5S for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Cross Type Focus sensors
33 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 760 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.4fps
Read the details
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Pentax K-1 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GH5S for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1010g
Body Thickness 86mm
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
660g
Body Thickness 87mm
Read the details

Pentax K-1 for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GH5S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details


Panasonic GH5S vs Pentax K-1 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Pentax K-1 has an advantage over Panasonic GH5S. There are 144 lenses for Pentax K-1's Pentax KAF2 mount, on the other hand there are only 92 lenses for Panasonic GH5S's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Pentax K-1 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Panasonic GH5S doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 22 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Pentax K-1 Lenses # of Panasonic GH5S Lenses
Standard Zoom 22 (6 Full Frame) 14
Standard Prime 19 (11 Full Frame) 11
Wideangle Zoom 11 (2 Full Frame) 4
Wideangle Prime 24 (18 Full Frame) 23
Telephoto Zoom 20 (11 Full Frame) 16
Telephoto Prime 11 (8 Full Frame) 8
SuperZoom 15 (3 Full Frame) 6
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 3 (1 Full Frame) 5
Macro Prime 12 (10 Full Frame) 4
Perspective Control Prime 7 (7 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1
TOTAL 144 (77 Full Frame) 92
Pentax K-1 vs Panasonic GH5S: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Pentax K-1 and Panasonic GH5S, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Pentax K-1 and Panasonic GH5S scores compare:

Pentax K-1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #4 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #7 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Panasonic GH5S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #28 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #99 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Pentax K-1 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic GH5S in all criterias except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Pentax K-1.

Pentax K-1
Pentax K-1
$1,696.95
6%
off

Panasonic GH5S
Panasonic GH5S
$2,397.99
4%
off

Panasonic GH5S vs Pentax K-1 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Pentax K-1 Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S
Brand Pentax Panasonic
Announced 2016-02-17 2018-01-08
Body Type Mid-size SLR SLR-style mirrorless
Price $1,696.95 $2,397.99
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Four Thirds
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 861.60mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 36 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 7360 x 4912 3680 x 2760
Max Native Light sensitivity 204,800 ISO 51,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 204800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 160 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 80 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 33 225
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Pentax KAF2 Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 144 92
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fully Articulated
Size 3.2″ 3.2"
Resolution 1,037k dots 1,620k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 3,680k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.7 0.76
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/200s no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 4.4 fps 12.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 4096 x 2060
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264, H.265
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 1010g 660g
Dimensions 137 x 110 x 86mm 139 x 98 x 87mm
Battery Life 760 shots 440 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 96 not tested
DxO Color Depth 25.4 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 14.6 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3280 not tested
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