Panasonic FZ100 vs Pentax 645Z

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic FZ100 vs Pentax 645Z, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the FZ100 (14MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the FZ100 (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The FZ100 was brought out 4 years before the 645Z and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FZ100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the FZ100 grades vs the 645Z with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100 & Pentax 645Z. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic FZ100 Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic FZ100 provides exterior measurements of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 540 grams (1.19 lbs) and the Pentax 645Z has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") accompanied by a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FZ100 vs Pentax 645Z in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the FZ100 and the 645Z.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FZ100 and 645Z is 67 and 49 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The graphic underneath might give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the FZ100 and 645Z.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FZ100 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Pentax 645Z will offer you more detail having its extra 37MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older FZ100 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.