Panasonic LX10 vs Pentax 645Z

Its time to examine more in depth at the Panasonic LX10 and Pentax 645Z, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the LX10 (20MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the LX10 (1") and 645Z (Medium format) come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The LX10 was launched 2 years later than the 645Z and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic LX10 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the LX10 grades against the 645Z in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 & Pentax 645Z. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic LX10 Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic LX10 comes with physical dimensions of 106mm x 60mm x 42mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 310 grams (0.68 lbs) and the Pentax 645Z has dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") and a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic LX10 and Pentax 645Z in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the LX10 vs the 645Z.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the LX10 and 645Z is 88 and 49 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to see the gap in sensor sizing purely by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the LX10 and 645Z.

As you can see, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The LX10 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax 645Z will show extra detail utilizing its extra 31MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The newer LX10 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.