Panasonic FP3 vs Pentax 645D

The following is a thorough overview of the Panasonic FP3 and Pentax 645D, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Pro DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the FP3 (14MP) and 645D (40MP) and the FP3 (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The FP3 was announced 2 months before the 645D and they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief summation of how the FP3 grades vs the 645D in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 and Pentax 645D. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FP3 Gallery and Pentax 645D Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FP3 has got physical measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Pentax 645D has dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") with a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FP3 and Pentax 645D in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have during that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the FP3 and the 645D.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the FP3 and 645D is 95 and 50 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions just by going over specs. The pic below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the FP3 and 645D.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FP3 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax 645D will deliver greater detail with its extra 26 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a bit more aggressively.