Pentax 645D vs Sony A850
50 Imaging
75 Features
52 Overall
65


54 Imaging
67 Features
60 Overall
64
Pentax 645D vs Sony A850 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 40MP - Medium format Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 1600
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- No Video
- Pentax 645AF2 Mount
- 1480g - 156 x 117 x 119mm
- Announced March 2010
- Renewed by Pentax 645Z
(Full Review)
- 25MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 3200 (Expand to 6400)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 895g - 156 x 117 x 82mm
- Revealed April 2010

Pentax 645D vs Sony A850 Overview
Its time to examine more closely at the Pentax 645D versus Sony A850, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the 645D (40MP) and A850 (25MP) and the 645D (Medium format) and A850 (Full frame) feature totally different sensor measurements.

The 645D was unveiled very close to the A850 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a quick view of how the 645D grades vs the A850 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Pentax 645D vs Sony A850 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax 645D and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The full galleries are available at Pentax 645D Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax 645D over the Sony A850
645D | A850 |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A850 over the Pentax 645D
A850 | 645D | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display resolution | 922k | ![]() | 921k | Crisper display (+1k dot) |
Common features in the Pentax 645D and Sony A850
645D | A850 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | March 2010 | ![]() | April 2010 | Similar generation |
Manual focus | ![]() | Very exact focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent display measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither features Touch friendly display |
Pentax 645D vs Sony A850 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to carry your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Pentax 645D enjoys outer dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") and a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs) whilst the Sony A850 has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).
Look at the Pentax 645D versus Sony A850 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the 645D vs the A850.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 645D and A850 is 50 and 54 respectively.

Pentax 645D vs Sony A850 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it's difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizing merely by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the 645D and A850.
As you can see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The 645D with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax 645D will give more detail having an extra 15 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively.

Pentax 645D vs Sony A850 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax 645D vs Sony A850 Specifications
Pentax 645D | Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Pentax | Sony |
Model type | Pentax 645D | Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 |
Class | Pro DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
Announced | 2010-03-10 | 2010-04-15 |
Body design | Large SLR | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Prime II | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | Medium format | Full frame |
Sensor measurements | 44 x 33mm | 35.9 x 24mm |
Sensor surface area | 1,452.0mm² | 861.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 40 megapixels | 25 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 7264 x 5440 | 6048 x 4032 |
Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 200 |
RAW pictures | ||
Minimum enhanced ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Pentax 645AF2 | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Amount of lenses | 6 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 0.8 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Display resolution | 921 thousand dot | 922 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display tech | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle and with AR coating | TFT Xtra Fine color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | 98% | 98% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.85x | 0.74x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/8000s |
Continuous shutter speed | 1.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/125s | 1/250s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Maximum video resolution | None | None |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 1480 gr (3.26 lbs) | 895 gr (1.97 lbs) |
Dimensions | 156 x 117 x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") | 156 x 117 x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 82 | 79 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 24.6 | 23.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.6 | 12.2 |
DXO Low light rating | 1262 | 1415 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 800 shots | 880 shots |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | D-LI90 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC | Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo |
Storage slots | Two | Two |
Cost at release | $4,000 | $0 |