Olympus XZ-1 vs Pentax 645D

Following is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus XZ-1 versus Pentax 645D, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Pro DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and 645D (40MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and 645D (Medium format) use totally different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-1 was introduced 11 months after the 645D so they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the XZ-1 matches up vs the 645D in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-1 and Pentax 645D. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Pentax 645D Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-1 comes with external dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Pentax 645D has specifications of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") accompanied by a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Pentax 645D in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the 645D.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and 645D is 88 and 50 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading specs. The pic below may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and 645D.

All in all, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 with its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh tougher and the Pentax 645D will offer you more detail using its extra 30 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs much more aggressively. The more modern XZ-1 is going to have an edge in sensor tech.