Panasonic SZ10 vs Pentax 645D

Following is a extensive assessment of the Panasonic SZ10 and Pentax 645D, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Pro DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the SZ10 (16MP) and 645D (40MP) and the SZ10 (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) provide different sensor sizes.

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The SZ10 was manufactured 4 years after the 645D which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic SZ10 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the SZ10 matches up against the 645D with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ10 and Pentax 645D. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic SZ10 Gallery and Pentax 645D Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic SZ10 has got outer measurements of 99mm x 60mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.2") and a weight of 177 grams (0.39 lbs) whilst the Pentax 645D has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") with a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

See the Panasonic SZ10 and Pentax 645D in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ10 vs the 645D.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ10 and 645D is 93 and 50 respectively.

Quite often, it can be tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes purely by researching technical specs. The picture below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ10 and 645D.

As you have seen, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SZ10 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax 645D will render extra detail due to its extra 24 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more modern SZ10 should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.