Pentax 645Z vs Sony A290

Below is a complete assessment of the Pentax 645Z vs Sony A290, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Pentax and Sony. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the 645Z (51MP) and A290 (14MP) and the 645Z (Medium format) and A290 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

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The 645Z was manufactured 3 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the 645Z scores vs the A290 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax 645Z and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are available at Pentax 645Z Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Pentax 645Z enjoys external dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") with a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs) and the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax 645Z vs Sony A290 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the 645Z compared to the A290.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 645Z and A290 is 49 and 66 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements merely by looking through technical specs. The graphic underneath might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the 645Z and A290.

As you can tell, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The 645Z due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Pentax 645Z will provide you with more detail due to its extra 37MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The fresher 645Z should have an edge in sensor tech.