Olympus XZ-1 vs Pentax 645Z

The following is a in depth overview of the Olympus XZ-1 and Pentax 645Z, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and 645Z (Medium format) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-1 was unveiled 4 years prior to the 645Z which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before getting through a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the XZ-1 grades versus the 645Z in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-1 & Pentax 645Z. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 has got outside measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) whilst the Pentax 645Z has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") with a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-1 and Pentax 645Z in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the XZ-1 versus the 645Z.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and 645Z is 88 and 49 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to envision the difference in sensor dimensions only by researching technical specs. The pic underneath will offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and 645Z.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax 645Z will render more detail having an extra 41MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 will be behind in sensor technology.