Pentax 645D vs Sony DSLR-A290

Pentax 645D advantages over Sony DSLR-A290

• Larger sensor
  Medium format vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 6.06 vs 5.16 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  645D test data on DxO Mark DSLR-A290 test data on DxO Mark
  1,262 vs 615 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  800 vs 500 shots
  Capture more photos
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• More cross-type AF points
  11 vs 1
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• More dots on screen
  921k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.78x vs 0.55x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  40.0 vs 14.2 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• Lacks anti-aliasing filter
  No Filter vs Filter
  Enjoy sharper photos