Olympus SH-50 vs Pentax 645Z

Following is a thorough review of the Olympus SH-50 versus Pentax 645Z, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The SH-50 was unveiled 15 months before the 645Z which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before diving in to a complete comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the SH-50 scores versus the 645Z with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SH-50 & Pentax 645Z. The full galleries are available at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SH-50 has got exterior dimensions of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Pentax 645Z has specifications of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") and a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SH-50 versus Pentax 645Z in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the SH-50 vs the 645Z.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-50 and 645Z is 88 and 49 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes simply by seeing specifications. The picture below might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-50 and 645Z.

To sum up, each of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SH-50 using its smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Pentax 645Z will show extra detail having an extra 35MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged SH-50 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.