Olympus 8000 vs Pentax 645Z

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus 8000 versus Pentax 645Z, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the 8000 (12MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the 8000 (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) come with different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 8000 was released 5 years before the 645Z which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before we go through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summation of how the 8000 scores versus the 645Z for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Pentax 645Z. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus 8000 Gallery and Pentax 645Z Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 8000 offers physical dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") along with a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) and the Pentax 645Z has dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") along with a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 8000 versus Pentax 645Z in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the 8000 against the 645Z.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 8000 and 645Z is 94 and 49 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to picture the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading technical specs. The pic underneath might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the 8000 and 645Z.

As you have seen, both the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The 8000 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Pentax 645Z will offer you more detail as a result of its extra 39MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more aged 8000 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.