Pentax 645Z vs Pentax K-30

Its time to look a little more closely at the Pentax 645Z and Pentax K-30, former being a Pro DSLR while the other is a Advanced DSLR and both are manufactured by Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the 645Z (51MP) and K-30 (16MP) and the 645Z (Medium format) and K-30 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The 645Z was manufactured 18 months later than the K-30 making them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick summation of how the 645Z matches up against the K-30 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax 645Z & Pentax K-30. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax 645Z Gallery & Pentax K-30 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Pentax 645Z offers physical dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") accompanied by a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs) while the Pentax K-30 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

See the Pentax 645Z and Pentax K-30 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the 645Z versus the K-30.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the 645Z and K-30 is 49 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to envision the difference between sensor sizing purely by reviewing specs. The graphic here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the 645Z and K-30.

All in all, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The 645Z because of its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Pentax 645Z will offer you more detail due to its extra 35 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The fresher 645Z will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.