Pentax 645D vs Pentax ist DS2

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Pentax 645D and Pentax ist DS2, one is a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Advanced DSLR and they are both offered by Pentax. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the 645D (40MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the 645D (Medium format) and ist DS2 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The 645D was launched 4 years after the ist DS2 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving through a in-depth comparison, below is a short overview of how the 645D scores against the ist DS2 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax 645D and Pentax ist DS2. The complete galleries are provided at Pentax 645D Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Pentax 645D features physical dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") along with a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Look at the Pentax 645D and Pentax ist DS2 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the 645D and the ist DS2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 645D and ist DS2 is 50 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions merely by seeing a spec sheet. The picture here might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the 645D and ist DS2.

As you can see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The 645D because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Pentax 645D will provide greater detail utilizing its extra 34 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures far more aggressively. The newer 645D should have an edge in sensor tech.