Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax 645Z

Here is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax 645Z, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Pro DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and 645Z (Medium format) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was brought out 19 months prior to the 645Z making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-PL5 grades vs the 645Z when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Pentax 645Z. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Pentax 645Z Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera often, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 has got outside measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Pentax 645Z has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") with a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax 645Z in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL5 versus the 645Z.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and 645Z is 88 and 49 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to envision the gap in sensor sizing merely by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph below will offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and 645Z.

As you can see, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax 645Z will show extra detail having its extra 35 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos much more aggressively. The older E-PL5 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.