Pentax 645Z vs Pentax W90

In this article, we will be evaluating the Pentax 645Z vs Pentax W90, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Waterproof and both are manufactured by Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the 645Z (51MP) and W90 (12MP) and the 645Z (Medium format) and W90 (1/2.3") come with different sensor dimensions.

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The 645Z was revealed 4 years later than the W90 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a brief view of how the 645Z scores against the W90 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax 645Z & Pentax Optio W90. The full galleries are provided at Pentax 645Z Gallery & Pentax W90 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Pentax 645Z has external dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") along with a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs) whilst the Pentax W90 has measurements of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs).

Check the Pentax 645Z vs Pentax W90 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the 645Z vs the W90.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the 645Z and W90 is 49 and 94 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements merely by going through specs. The graphic below will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the 645Z and W90.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 645Z using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax 645Z will produce greater detail because of its extra 39MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The younger 645Z should have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.