Olympus 550WP vs Pentax 645Z

The following is a complete overview of the Olympus 550WP and Pentax 645Z, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Pro DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the 550WP (10MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the 550WP (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) use different sensor sizing.

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The 550WP was released 6 years earlier than the 645Z which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 550WP being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summation of how the 550WP grades versus the 645Z in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus 550WP & Pentax 645Z. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 550WP Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus 550WP enjoys exterior dimensions of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) whilst the Pentax 645Z has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") along with a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Look at the Olympus 550WP and Pentax 645Z in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the 550WP and the 645Z.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the 550WP and 645Z is 94 and 49 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions merely by researching specs. The pic below will provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 550WP and 645Z.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The 550WP due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF harder and the Pentax 645Z will provide you with extra detail as a result of its extra 41 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged 550WP will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.