Panasonic ZS45 vs Pentax 645D

In this write-up, we will be contrasting the Panasonic ZS45 vs Pentax 645D, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the ZS45 (16MP) and 645D (40MP) and the ZS45 (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The ZS45 was launched 4 years after the 645D which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a short summation of how the ZS45 scores versus the 645D with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 & Pentax 645D. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS45 Gallery & Pentax 645D Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS45 comes with outside dimensions of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Pentax 645D has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") with a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS45 vs Pentax 645D in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the ZS45 and the 645D.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS45 and 645D is 91 and 50 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reading specs. The picture here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS45 and 645D.

All in all, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS45 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Pentax 645D will offer you extra detail utilizing its extra 24 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The younger ZS45 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.