Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax 645Z

Following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax 645Z, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Pro DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and 645Z (Medium format) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was announced 4 years before the 645Z which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-PL1 grades versus the 645Z in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Pentax 645Z. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Pentax 645Z Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 has physical dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Pentax 645Z has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") and a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax 645Z in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL1 compared to the 645Z.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and 645Z is 86 and 49 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizes only by reading through technical specs. The pic below will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and 645Z.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax 645Z will give you more detail with its extra 39MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.