Panasonic ZS20 vs Pentax 645D

Its time to take a deeper look at the Panasonic ZS20 and Pentax 645D, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Pro DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZS20 (14MP) and 645D (40MP) and the ZS20 (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) feature different sensor size.

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The ZS20 was revealed 2 years after the 645D which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before we go in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief overview of how the ZS20 scores vs the 645D when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 and Pentax 645D. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery and Pentax 645D Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS20 has outside measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Pentax 645D has specifications of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") with a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS20 and Pentax 645D in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the ZS20 and the 645D.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS20 and 645D is 92 and 50 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading technical specs. The picture here should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS20 and 645D.

As you can tell, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZS20 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Pentax 645D will offer extra detail because of its extra 26MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The younger ZS20 provides a benefit in sensor technology.