Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax 645Z

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax 645Z, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Pro DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the SH-3 (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The SH-3 was launched 23 months later than the 645Z making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-3 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-3 matches up against the 645Z with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Pentax 645Z. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-3 comes with external measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Pentax 645Z has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") and a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax 645Z in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the SH-3 and the 645Z.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-3 and 645Z is 88 and 49 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to visualize the difference in sensor measurements just by researching a spec sheet. The graphic underneath might offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and 645Z.

As you can see, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SH-3 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh harder and the Pentax 645Z will render extra detail utilizing its extra 35MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer SH-3 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.