• Medium format 1,452.0mm2
  • 40.0 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 1000
  • 35mm 861.6mm2
  • 36.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Pentax 645D advantages over Sony A7R

  • Larger sensor
    Medium format vs 35mm
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 6.06 vs 4.88 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Fast startup
    ~0.70 vs 2.0 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 800 vs 340 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Less shutter lag
    0.16 vs 0.36 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.78x vs 0.71x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • Dual card slots
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more storage flexibility

Sony A7R advantages over Pentax 645D

  • Lens selection
    Good vs Limited
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Higher effective ISO
    2,746 vs 1,262 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    14.1 vs 12.6 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Thinner
    48 mm vs 119 mm
    Thinner
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • Lighter weight
    465g vs 1480g
    Lighter weight
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • Shoots 60p video
    Yes vs No
    A faster framerate can give you more editing options
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    4.0 fps vs 1.1 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    4.0 fps vs 1.1 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
  • Faster shutter
    1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 1600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Neither provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Internal flash
    Neither provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Very high-resolution 40-megapixel sensor; Plentiful controls with great placement; Excellent optical viewfinder; Dual SDHC card slots; Infrared remote sensors front and back.

  • High price tag; Aliasing artifacts; Produces ~70MB RAW files.

  • Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Resolution that rivals a medium-format camera; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Decent performance bearing in mind its extremely high resolution; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.

  • Extreme resolution makes focus and lens quality critical; Modest performance; Loud shutter; Lacks hybrid autofocus of the A7; Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Slow X-sync; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7

Pentax 645D
Sony A7
  • $3599
  • Medium format
  • Larger sensor
  • Fast startup
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
Sony A7R
Sony A7
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Higher effective ISO
  • More pixels
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Leica S2

Pentax 645D
Leica S2
  • $3599
  • Medium format
  • Less expensive
  • More cross-type AF points
  • $22995
  • Medium format
  • Thinner
  • More viewfinder magnification
Sony A7R
Leica S2
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $22995
  • Medium format
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Leica S (Typ 006)

Pentax 645D
Leica S (Typ 006)
  • $3599
  • Medium format
  • Less expensive
  • Higher effective ISO
  • $10535
  • Medium format
  • Thinner
  • More viewfinder magnification
Sony A7R
Leica S (Typ 006)
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $10535
  • Medium format
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Pentax 645Z

Pentax 645D
Pentax 645Z
  • $3599
  • Medium format
  • Fast startup
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $4845
  • Medium format
  • Focus peaking
  • Tiltable Screen
Sony A7R
Pentax 645Z
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $4845
  • Medium format
  • Larger sensor
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A7R II

Pentax 645D
Sony A7R II
  • $3599
  • Medium format
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
Sony A7R
Sony A7R II
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Lighter weight
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video
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