Pentax 645Z vs Sony A850

Let's look much closer at the Pentax 645Z and Sony A850, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the 645Z (51MP) and A850 (25MP) and the 645Z (Medium format) and A850 (Full frame) have different sensor size.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

The 645Z was announced 4 years later than the A850 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax 645Z being a Large SLR camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the 645Z matches up vs the A850 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax 645Z & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The whole galleries are provided at Pentax 645Z Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Pentax 645Z offers physical dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8") having a weight of 1550 grams (3.42 lbs) whilst the Sony A850 has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax 645Z and Sony A850 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the 645Z compared to the A850.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the 645Z and A850 is 49 and 54 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizing merely by checking technical specs. The photograph below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the 645Z and A850.

As you have seen, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The 645Z having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Pentax 645Z will resolve more detail with its extra 26MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The more recent 645Z should have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.