How many Megapixels does the Pentax 645D have?

The Pentax 645D is equipped with a a medium format sensor that offers an image resolution of 39.5 megapixels (MP), or 39.5 million pixels. With its native aspect ratio of 4:3, the sensor has 7 264 horizontal pixels and 5 440 vertical pixels.

A 35mm film slide or negative contains 5-15 MP of useful detail, so that the Pentax 645D can be considered to be a high-resolution camera that outresolves any 35mm film camera.

A high megapixel count makes it possible to crop any captured image substantially or to make very large prints from the image file. On the downside, large megapixel files are slower to transfer and take up more storage space on the computer harddisk. Also, high-resolution imaging requires sharper, more expensive lenses than low-res picture taking.

How large can I print with 39.5 MP?

The maximum print size of the Pentax 645D for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 36.3 x 27.2 inches or 92.3 x 69.1 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 29.1 x 21.8 inches or 73.8 x 55.3 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 24.2 x 18.1 inches or 61.5 x 46.1 cm. Few people actually print their images that large on a regular basis, but it is nice to have the option to make very large prints of exceptional shots. Also, as mentioned earlier, a key advantage of high-MP cameras is that it is possible to crop an image ex-post and thereby, for example, change the composition of the capture or zoom in on some detail.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Pentax 645D to those of several similar cameras. In addition to sensor class and megapixel count, DXO values are reported as indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better). Three aspects are covered: color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Pentax 645D	Medium Format	39.5	7264	5440	none	24.6	12.6	1262	82
2.		Canon 1D X Mark II	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4K/60p	24.1	13.5	3207	88
3.		Canon 1D X	Full Frame	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	23.8	11.8	2786	82
4.		Canon 1D Mark IV	APS-H	16.0	4896	3264	1080/30p	22.8	12.0	1320	74
5.		Leica S Typ 006	Medium Format	37.5	7500	5000	none	23.9	12.2	824	76
6.		Nikon D850	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/30p	26.4	14.8	2660	100
7.		Nikon D5	Full Frame	20.7	5588	3712	4K/30p	25.1	12.3	2343	88
8.		Nikon D810	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.7	14.8	2853	97
9.		Nikon D3S	Full Frame	12.1	4256	2832	720/24p	23.5	12.0	3253	82
10.		Pentax 645Z	Medium Format	51.1	8256	6192	1080/60i	26.0	14.7	4505	101
11.		Sony A7R	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.6	14.1	2746	95

In the United States, the 645D was initially launched in March 2010 at a price of $9,995.

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Camera to camera comparisons

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