Panasonic FH7 vs Pentax 645D

Here, we will be evaluating the Panasonic FH7 vs Pentax 645D, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the FH7 (16MP) and 645D (40MP) and the FH7 (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) posses totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FH7 was unveiled 19 months later than the 645D which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief summation of how the FH7 matches up vs the 645D in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 & Pentax 645D. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FH7 Gallery & Pentax 645D Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FH7 has got external dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Pentax 645D has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") along with a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FH7 vs Pentax 645D in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the FH7 against the 645D.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FH7 and 645D is 96 and 50 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizing purely by checking out technical specs. The photograph below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the FH7 and 645D.

As you can tell, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FH7 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax 645D will produce greater detail having an extra 24MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The younger FH7 will have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.