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Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D

Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
37
Overall
36
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 front
 
Pentax 645D front
Portability
50
Imaging
75
Features
52
Overall
65

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D Key Specs

Panasonic ZS15
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 208g - 105 x 58 x 33mm
  • Introduced June 2012
  • Alternative Name is Lumix DMC-TZ25
  • Later Model is Panasonic ZS20
Pentax 645D
(Full Review)
  • 40MP - Medium format Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 200 - 1600
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • No Video
  • Pentax 645AF2 Mount
  • 1480g - 156 x 117 x 119mm
  • Introduced March 2010
  • Renewed by Pentax 645Z
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Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D Overview

Below, we are matching up the Panasonic ZS15 versus Pentax 645D, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Pro DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the ZS15 (12MP) and 645D (40MP) and the ZS15 (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) possess different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The ZS15 was launched 2 years after the 645D which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the ZS15 grades versus the 645D when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS15 over the Pentax 645D

 ZS15 645D 
IntroducedJune 2012March 2010More modern by 29 months

Reasons to pick Pentax 645D over the Panasonic ZS15

 645D ZS15 
Focus manually More accurate focusing
Display resolution921k460kClearer display (+461k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax 645D

 ZS15 645D 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display dimension3"3"Identical display measurements
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch friendly display Lacking Touch friendly display

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D Physical Comparison

If you're intending to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS15 has outer measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) whilst the Pentax 645D has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") along with a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS15 versus Pentax 645D in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the ZS15 versus the 645D.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS15 and 645D is 92 and 50 respectively.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D top view buttons comparison

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it can be difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes only by checking specs. The pic here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS15 and 645D.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZS15 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax 645D will give you extra detail utilizing its extra 28MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The newer ZS15 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D sensor size comparison

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic ZS15 Portrait photography features
Pentax 645D Portrait photography features
21
manual focus not available
no external flash support
megapixel count low (12MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
77
manual focus
amazing MP (40 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Medium format)
saves RAW formats
no liveview
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Panasonic ZS15
Street photography with Pentax 645D
61
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than average in class (208 grams)
no moving screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
58
sensor size is big (Medium format)
saves RAW formats
weather proofing
screen does not articulate
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic ZS15 Sports photography features
Pentax 645D Sports photography features
36
great zoom range (24-384mm 16.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
features tracking focus
painfully slow continuous shooting (2.0 fps)
megapixel count low (12MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
terrible battery (260 shots)
lacks phase detect AF
62
amazing MP (40 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Medium format)
weather proofing
comes with phase detect AF
no liveview
max fps low (1.0 fps)
no image stabilization
bad battery (800 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic ZS15 Travel photography details
Pentax 645D Travel photography details
61
lighter than average in class (208g)
has built in flash
decently wide (24mm)
long zoom (384mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
terrible battery (260 CIPA)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
55
weather proofing
amazing MP (40MP)
bad battery (800 CIPA)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic ZS15 as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax 645D as a Landscape photography camera
37
decently wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
megapixel count low (12MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
terrible battery (260 CIPA)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
72
manual focus
swap lenses (Pentax 645AF2 mount)
decent sized screen (3")
amazing MP (40MP)
sensor size is big (Medium format)
doesnt have low pass filter
saves RAW formats
weather proofing
2 card slots
no liveview
no image stabilization
bad battery (800 CIPA)
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS15 Vlogging advice
Pentax 645D Vlogging advice
33
decently wide (24mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than average in class (208g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
doesn't have mic support
9
can't shoot video
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Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645D Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax 645D
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15Pentax 645D
General Information
Company Panasonic Pentax
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 Pentax 645D
Also referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ25 -
Category Small Sensor Superzoom Pro DSLR
Introduced 2012-06-29 2010-03-10
Physical type Compact Large SLR
Sensor Information
Processor - Prime II
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" Medium format
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 44 x 33mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 1,452.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 40 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3
Highest resolution 4000 x 3000 7264 x 5440
Highest native ISO 6400 1600
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW pictures
Lowest boosted ISO - 100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 23 11
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Pentax 645AF2
Lens zoom range 24-384mm (16.0x) -
Largest aperture f/3.3-5.9 -
Macro focusing distance 3cm -
Available lenses - 6
Crop factor 5.8 0.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 460k dots 921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen tech - TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle and with AR coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 98 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.85x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 15 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 2.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 6.40 m no built-in flash
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/125 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) -
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video format MPEG-4, AVCHD -
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 208 grams (0.46 lb) 1480 grams (3.26 lb)
Dimensions 105 x 58 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") 156 x 117 x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 82
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 24.6
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.6
DXO Low light rating not tested 1262
Other
Battery life 260 photographs 800 photographs
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - D-LI90
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC
Card slots 1 2
Price at launch $279 $4,000