Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax 645Z

Lets examine more closely at the Olympus SZ-11 and Pentax 645Z, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Pro DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the SZ-11 (14MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the SZ-11 (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) come with different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-11 was revealed 3 years before the 645Z and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summation of how the SZ-11 matches up versus the 645Z in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-11 and Pentax 645Z. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery and Pentax 645Z Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-11 has physical measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 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).

See the Olympus SZ-11 and Pentax 645Z in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you use at that moment. Below is the front view size comparison of the SZ-11 compared to the 645Z.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-11 and 645Z is 89 and 49 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing merely by checking a spec sheet. The photograph below will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-11 and 645Z.

As you can see, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ-11 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Pentax 645Z will resolve greater detail because of its extra 37 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older SZ-11 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.