Panasonic ZS15 vs Pentax 645Z

The following is a extensive analysis of the Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax 645Z, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Pro DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS15 (12MP) and 645Z (51MP) and the ZS15 (1/2.3") and 645Z (Medium format) come with different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The ZS15 was manufactured 21 months before the 645Z making the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summation of how the ZS15 matches up vs the 645Z when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 & Pentax 645Z. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS15 Gallery & Pentax 645Z Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera often, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS15 offers physical dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) while the Pentax 645Z has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") having a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS15 and Pentax 645Z in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the ZS15 and the 645Z.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS15 and 645Z is 92 and 49 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by seeing technical specs. The image below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS15 and 645Z.

As you can tell, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS15 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax 645Z will produce extra detail due to its extra 39 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged ZS15 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.