Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax 645D

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus E-P1 versus Pentax 645D, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Pro DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and 645D (40MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and 645D (Medium format) use different sensor sizing.

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The E-P1 was introduced 7 months before the 645D and they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the E-P1 grades against the 645D in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Pentax 645D. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Pentax 645D Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P1 features outer measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Pentax 645D has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") having a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 versus Pentax 645D in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-P1 vs the 645D.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and 645D is 86 and 50 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizing only by reading a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and 645D.

Clearly, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax 645D will offer extra detail using its extra 28 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.