Pentax 645Z vs Pentax RZ18

Here, we are evaluating the Pentax 645Z versus Pentax RZ18, one is a Pro DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both sold by Pentax. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the 645Z (51MP) and RZ18 (16MP) and the 645Z (Medium format) and RZ18 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The 645Z was introduced 2 years after the RZ18 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief view of how the 645Z scores against the RZ18 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax 645Z and Pentax Optio RZ18. The whole galleries are provided at Pentax 645Z Gallery and Pentax RZ18 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Pentax 645Z offers physical dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") and a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs) whilst the Pentax RZ18 has specifications of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

See the Pentax 645Z versus Pentax RZ18 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the 645Z versus the RZ18.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the 645Z and RZ18 is 49 and 92 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes only by looking at specifications. The image here may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 645Z and RZ18.

Plainly, both cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The 645Z having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Pentax 645Z will resolve greater detail using its extra 35MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent 645Z should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.