Olympus 550WP vs Pentax 645D

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus 550WP and Pentax 645D, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the 550WP (10MP) and 645D (40MP) and the 550WP (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) come with different sensor dimensions.

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The 550WP was brought out 14 months before the 645D making the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 550WP being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summary of how the 550WP grades against the 645D in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 550WP and Pentax 645D. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus 550WP Gallery and Pentax 645D Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus 550WP comes with external measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) whilst the Pentax 645D has specifications of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") and a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus 550WP and Pentax 645D in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the 550WP against the 645D.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 550WP and 645D is 94 and 50 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to picture the gap between sensor sizes merely by going over technical specs. The picture underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the 550WP and 645D.

As you can tell, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The 550WP featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh harder and the Pentax 645D will offer you extra detail having its extra 30MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged 550WP is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.