Panasonic ZS8 vs Pentax 645D

Following is a detailed review of the Panasonic ZS8 versus Pentax 645D, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS8 (14MP) and 645D (40MP) and the ZS8 (1/2.3") and 645D (Medium format) come with different sensor sizing.

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The ZS8 was released 17 months after the 645D which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before we go through a in depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the ZS8 scores vs the 645D with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 & Pentax 645D. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS8 Gallery & Pentax 645D Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS8 has exterior measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs) whilst the Pentax 645D has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") with a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS8 versus Pentax 645D in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the ZS8 against the 645D.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS8 and 645D is 92 and 50 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizes purely by seeing a spec sheet. The pic here will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS8 and 645D.

Clearly, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZS8 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax 645D will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 26MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs far more aggressively. The more modern ZS8 provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.