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Pentax 645Z

 
Pentax 645Z front
 
  • 51MP - Medium format Sensor
  • 3.2" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 204800
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax 645AF2 Mount
  • 1550g - 156 x 117 x 123mm
  • Introduced April 2014
  • Old Model is Pentax 645D
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
49
Imaging
81
Features
74
Overall
78

Pentax 645Z overview

Pentax 645Z is Pentax's Pro DSLR digital camera first revealed on April of 2014. It has a 51 MegaPixel, CMOS Medium format sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 8256 x 6192.

Pentax launched this model in order to upgrade the earlier Pentax 645D (Read Full Comparison)

The 645Z is ranked #3 out of 35 in Pro DSLR cameras and all around #67 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can check our Smart camera filter to see camera listings based on your personalized factors.

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Below is a graph of different criteria used in the scoring system.

Pentax 645Z history

The Pentax 645Z comes with a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can discover all earlier and new models alongside important specs.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Pentax-645Z front thumbnailPentax 645Z51MPMedium format3.0 fps2014
Pentax-645D front thumbnailPentax 645D
645Z vs 645D
40MPMedium format1.0 fps2010
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Pentax 645Z Pros and Cons

Below is a list of advantages and disadvantages of the Pentax 645Z based on things which are oftentimes seen as useful in a digital camera.

2 card slots
big sensor size (Medium format)
does not have anti-alias filter
exports RAW files
great high ISO (204,800)
great min ISO (100)
great sensor resolution (51 megapixels)
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
has face detect focus
has Top LCD screen
has tracking focus
includes HDMI out
includes microphone support
manual focus
screen size is decent (3.2")
screen tilts
sensor has phase detect auto focus
swap lenses (Pentax 645AF2 mount)
very good screen resolution (1,037 thousand dots)
weather proof
bad battery power (650 shots)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
missing headphone support
more heavy than competition in class (1,550g)
no image stabilization
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
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Pentax 645Z Sensor details

The Pentax 645Z is powered by the PRIME III processor. The sensor spec in the Pentax 645Z is 44mm x 33mm (Medium format). The 1,452 mm² sensor is able to resolve 8256 x 6192 pixels at aspect ratios of 4:3.

Photography Glossary

The CMOS sensor boasts 51 megapixels and has a standard ISO range of 100 - 204800. RAW format is saved therefore you have wider room to maneuver in post.

Pentax chose to skip the anti-alias filter for the Pentax 645Z. This may result in more sharp pictures but may create moire in certain situations.

The image underneath illustrates the 645Z's sensor dimensions compared to other popular sizes. The 645Z sensor comes with a crop factor of 0.8 and is shown in green.

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To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Pentax 645Z dimensions

Pentax 645Z weighs in at 3.42 pounds (1,550 grams / 54.67 ounces) and the over all size of the camera is 156mm x 117mm x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8"). The weight of general Pro DSLR camera is 1,280 grams so the Pentax 645Z is heavier compared with various rivals.

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Underneath is a image of the Pentax 645Z next to a soft drink so you can have a feel for its scale.

Pentax 645Z dimensions scale

The top view underneath will illustrate the button layout on the 645Z.

Pentax 645Z topview buttons dials

Pentax 645Z Lens specs

The 645Z works with the Pentax 645AF2 mount and has 6 lenses that you can purchase. Below is a few of the lenses we have in our database which will fit the 645Z.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Pentax-smc-D-FA-645-25mm-F4-AL-IF-SDM-AW lensPentax smc D FA 645 25mm F4 AL IF SDM AW25mmf/4.0 1070g
HD-Pentax-DA645-28-45mm-F4.5ED-AW-SR lensHD Pentax-DA645 28-45mm F4.5ED AW SR28-45mmf/4.5 1470g
Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing
HD-Pentax-D-FA645-35mm-F3.5-AL-IF lensHD Pentax-D FA645 35mm F3.5 AL IF35mmf/3.5-32.0 570g
Pentax-smc-DA-16-45mm-F4-ED-AL lensPentax smc DA 16-45mm F4 ED AL16-45mmf/4.0 356g
Pentax-smc-D-FA-645-55mm-F2.8-AL-IF-SDM-AW lensPentax smc D FA 645 55mm F2.8 AL IF SDM AW55mmf/2.8 416g
Pentax-HD-DFA645-Macro-90mm-F2.8-ED-AW-SR-Pentax-KAF2 lensPentax HD DFA645 Macro 90mm F2.8 ED AW SR90mmf/2.8 1040g
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Pentax 645Z Connectivity

The 645Z has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes
  • GPS Yes

Cameras that incorporate NFC and / or Bluetooth support can easily be used wirelessly by smartphones. You will be able to transfer files and oftentimes adjust camera settings without connecting straight to the camera.

A few applications even allow a Liveview and press the shutter whenever you aren't close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI out, it could be connected to an external screen. Nearly all cameras enable you to charge the battery using the USB port.

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Pentax 645Z Video specs

The highest video resolution in the Pentax 645Z is 1920 x 1080 and it can capture in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 1080p resolution gives a great balance between video quality versus file sizes but FULL HD won't leave you with much room to downsample. Even though the camera includes a microphone socket, it is sadly lacking a headphone socket which means you won't have the ability to monitor your audio levels.

Photography Glossary

Pentax 645Z Weather Sealing

Pentax 645Z has weather sealing making it a fantastic pick to use during rough conditions. This is particularly valuable in case you are not sure about the elements you might face during outdoor photography.

Pentax 645Z Screen and Viewfinder

The Pentax 645Z has a 3.2 inch tilting display boasting a resolution of 1,037 thousand dots.

Please note that the display screen offers no touch support. The 645Z also has a builtin Top LCD screen in order to quickly see the camera's settings.

Pentax 645Z screen and viewfinder Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

The View Finder specs regarding Pentax 645Z are below:

  • ViewFinder Optical (pentaprism)
  • ViewFinder Coverage 98%
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.85x

Viewfinders can be quite helpful during sunny outdoor situations which can make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to view.

Pentax 645Z Shutter specs

Pentax 645Z continuous shooting rate is 3.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

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Pentax 645Z Flash and Hot shoe specs

Pentax 645Z includes external flash ability but is without inbuilt flash. The maximum flash sync is 1/125 seconds.

Pentax 645Z Autofocus specs

Pentax 645Z includes both Phase Detect Autofocus and Contrast Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more quicker & exact compared with Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera has Face detection which can be helpful for portraits.

The Sensor has 27 focus points to select from. It also has Tracking Autofocus for objects that move. Pentax 645Z has got manual focus if needed during low light conditions or you require more accurate control on focus.

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Pentax 645Z Battery life

The battery power (D-LI90) for the Pentax 645Z is fashioned to last for 650 shots as per the CIPA measurements which is less as compared with its rivals. The typical Pro DSLR camera battery life is 2438. Nikon D3X has the highest (4400) battery life within this kind of cameras.

Here is a number of Pro DSLR cameras that have the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
Nikon-D3 front thumbnailNikon D3
645Z vs D3
4300 yesnono
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Nikon-D5 front thumbnailNikon D5
645Z vs D5
3780 yesnono
Nikon-D6 front thumbnailNikon D6
645Z vs D6
3580 yesnoyes

Pentax 645Z for different categories of photography

The following graph gives a summation of the Pentax 645Z for different categories of photography. To read more, browse to the specific section underneath.

Pentax 645Z Portrait photography highlights

The Pentax 645Z has a score of 88 which is great, and means the camera is a outstanding choice to use for portrait photography. Taking portraits favors greatly towards sensor specs, RAW support in addition to the capability to utilize off-camera flash.

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focusing manually
megapixel count fantastic (51 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Medium format)
provides face detect autofocus
supports RAW files

Pentax 645Z Street photography info

Coming in at a above average points tally of 63, the Pentax 645Z is a good fit to buy for street photography. A good street photography camera gives a good balance of picture quality plus portability.

Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing
screen tilts up and down
sensor size is large (Medium format)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
good high ISO (204,800)
lack of image stabilization
heavier than competitors (1,550g)

Pentax 645Z Sports photography information

A nice sports photography score of 71 indicates the Pentax 645Z is a respectable choice for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs very good autofocus plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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high sensor resolution (51MP)
sensor size is large (Medium format)
features tracking focus
environment proofing
has phase detect autofocus
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery power (650 CIPA)

Pentax 645Z Travel photography factors

Size is very crucial when selecting a camera for travel. All round, the Pentax 645Z gets a modest 51 as a travel camera which is fairly acceptable to take with you on your holidays.

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weather proof
fantastic MP (51 megapixels)
bad battery life (650 CIPA)
heavier than competitors in class (1,550g)
screen is not selfie friendly

Pentax 645Z as a Landscape photography camera

For those who are planning to choose a camera for landscape photography, the biggest aspect will be image quality. The Pentax 645Z and it's very high rating of 78 for a landscape camera is a tremendous option amongst it's competitors.

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has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Pentax 645AF2 mount)
screen size is good (3.2 inch)
MP count high (51MP)
big sensor size (Medium format)
does not have anti-alias filter
very good ISO range (204,800)
exports RAW files
environment proof
has double storage slots
does not have image stabilization
not so great battery power (650 per charge)

Pentax 645Z as a Vlogging camera

A camera for vlogging should offer a moving display screen, microphone input and if possible image stabilization. Considering all things, the Pentax 645Z is not acceptable as a vlog camera as it gets a really bad rating of 27.

Photography Glossary
includes face detect autofocus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
has mic socket
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
heavier than competitors in class (1,550 grams)

Pentax 645Z Alternatives

If you are searching for replacements to the 645Z, below is a list of the highest placed cameras that fall in to the class of Pro DSLR.

The line graph here shows you an overview of the 645Z compared to it's top ranked competitors mentioned earlier.

These are various other cameras you may take a look at as alternative options. To look at a thorough comparison, visit the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Pentax
Model
Pentax 645Z
Category
Pro DSLR
Introduced
2014-04-15
Physical type
Large SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Processor
PRIME III
Sensor size
Medium format
Sensor measurements
44 x 33mm
Sensor area
1,452.0mm²
Sensor resolution
51 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
4:3
Highest resolution
8256 x 6192
RAW pictures
Highest native ISO
204800
Lowest native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points
27
Lens
Lens mounting type
Pentax 645AF2
Available lenses
6
Crop factor
0.8
Screen
Type of screen
Tilting
Screen diagonal
3.2"
Resolution of screen
1,037 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage
98%
Viewfinder magnification
0.85x
DXO scores
DXO All around score
101
DXO Color Depth score
26.0
DXO Dynamic range score
14.7
DXO Low light score
4505
Features
Lowest shutter speed
30s
Highest shutter speed
1/4000s
Continuous shooting rate
3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range
no built-in flash
Flash options
Flash On, Flash On+Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync+Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, contrast-control-sync, high-speed sync, wireless sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize
1/125s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p,24p)
Highest video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS
Optional
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
1550 gr (3.42 lbs)
Physical dimensions
156 x 117 x 123mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.8")
Other
Battery life
650 pictures
Style of battery
Battery Pack
Battery model
D-LI90
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 secs)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots
Card slots
Two
Launch price
$5,024