Panasonic ZS40 vs Pentax 645D

Its time to take a closer look at the Panasonic ZS40 vs Pentax 645D, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Pro DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the ZS40 (18MP) and 645D (40MP) and the ZS40 (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) boast different sensor measurements.

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The ZS40 was manufactured 3 years after the 645D which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple view of how the ZS40 matches up versus the 645D for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 and Pentax 645D. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery and Pentax 645D Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS40 features outer dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) and the Pentax 645D has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") and a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS40 vs Pentax 645D in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the ZS40 versus the 645D.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the ZS40 and 645D is 90 and 50 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to picture the difference in sensor sizes purely by viewing specs. The image below should give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS40 and 645D.

All in all, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ZS40 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax 645D will render greater detail due to its extra 22 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The newer ZS40 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.