Panasonic FX48 vs Pentax 645Z

Following is a extensive assessment of the Panasonic FX48 and Pentax 645Z, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the FX48 (12MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the FX48 (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) provide different sensor sizing.

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The FX48 was introduced 6 years before the 645Z which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FX48 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a quick summary of how the FX48 grades vs the 645Z with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 & Pentax 645Z. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic FX48 Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FX48 enjoys outside measurements of 95mm x 53mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.9") and a weight of 150 grams (0.33 lbs) whilst the Pentax 645Z has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") and a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FX48 and Pentax 645Z in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the FX48 against the 645Z.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the FX48 and 645Z is 95 and 49 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizes just by going through specifications. The pic here should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the FX48 and 645Z.

Plainly, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FX48 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax 645Z will produce greater detail using its extra 39 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged FX48 will be behind in sensor tech.