Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax 645Z

Following is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-PL1s and Pentax 645Z, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Pro DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and 645Z (Medium format) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1s was introduced 4 years before the 645Z which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short summary of how the E-PL1s scores against the 645Z with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Pentax 645Z. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1s has physical measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Pentax 645Z has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") with a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1s and Pentax 645Z in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1s versus the 645Z.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1s and 645Z is 86 and 49 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizes merely by researching specifications. The pic underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and 645Z.

Plainly, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1s having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Pentax 645Z will provide you with more detail using its extra 39MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1s will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.