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Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D Comparison

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Panasonic S5

24 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic S5
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Pentax 645D

40 MP | Medium format (44 x 33 mm) CCD Sensor

Pentax 645D
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Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic S5, which was introduced in August 2020 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Pentax 645D, which was introduced in March 2010 is a Pro DSLR camera with a 40.0MP Medium format sensor. As you can see, 645D is 10 years older than S5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic S5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2020-08-14
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50 - 204800)
  • Leica L Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 7.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 714g. 133 x 97 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Pentax 645D Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2010-03-10
  • 40MP - Medium format CCD Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 200 - 1600 ( expands to 100)
  • Pentax 645AF2 Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 1480g. 156 x 117 x 119 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Panasonic S5 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II vs Panasonic S5
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II vs Pentax 645D

Pentax 645D was replaced by Pentax 645Z. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax 645Z vs Pentax 645D
Pentax 645Z vs Panasonic S5

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 over Pentax 645D
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max ISO
51.200 vs 1.600 3100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
225 vs 11 214 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.840k dots vs 921k dots 99% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 98% More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
7.0fps vs 1.0fps 6 fps faster
Weight
714 g vs 1480 g 766 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Color Depth
25.1 vs 24.6 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.5 vs 12.6 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
2697 vs 1262 better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±3 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (96 MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
6K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 18MP photos from Video footage
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Digital video stabilization
Yes vs No Stabilizes your videos in-camera
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
USB Version
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK S5 PRICE


Reasons to choose Pentax 645D over Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.85x vs 0.74x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
40 MP vs 24 MP 66% more pixels
Battery Life
800 shots vs 440 shots 360 more frames with a single charge
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
CHECK 645D PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Pentax 645D
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Max Resolution
24 MP vs 40 MP Bigger prints and more details
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Storage Slot
2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Pentax 645D
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
New5
New2
Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic S5 has external dimensions of 133 x 97 x 82 mm (5.24 x 3.82 x 3.23″) and weighs 714 g (1.57 lb) (including batteries). Pentax 645D has external dimensions of 156 x 117 x 119 mm (6.14 x 4.61 x 4.69″) and weighs 1480 g (3.26 lb / 52.21 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D. Panasonic S5 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 23mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 37mm thinner than Pentax 645D.

Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D.
Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic S5 is significantly lighter (766g ) than the Pentax 645D which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Pentax 645D has a Medium format sensor and Panasonic S5 has a smaller Full frame sensor, Panasonic S5's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Pentax 645D lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

S5
645D
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

S5
645D
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both S5 and 645D have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Panasonic S5 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Pentax 645D's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to S5.
Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic S5 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Pentax 645D has a 40.0MP Medium format (44 x 33 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Prime II processor.

Pentax 645D's sensor provides 16MP more than Panasonic S5's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Pentax 645D and Panasonic S5 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S5 and 645D sensor size comparison.

Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D Cameras


As seen above, Pentax 645D has a 1.7x Larger sensor area than Panasonic S5. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, S5 has scored 94, 12 points higher than 645D.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Panasonic S5 94 25.1 bits 14.5 Evs 2697 ISO
Pentax 645D 82 24.6 bits 12.6 Evs 1262 ISO
Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Panasonic S5 has an advantage over Pentax 645D. There are 58 lenses for Panasonic S5's Leica L mount, on the other hand there are only 6 lenses for Pentax 645D's Pentax 645AF2 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic S5 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. S5's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Pentax 645D doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 2 lenses for Pentax 645AF2 mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Panasonic S5 Lenses # of Pentax 645D Lenses
Standard Zoom 8 (7 Full Frame) 1
Standard Prime 11 (10 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Zoom 5 (5 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Prime 18 (17 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Zoom 7 (7 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Prime 7 (7 Full Frame) n/a
SuperZoom n/a n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a n/a
Macro Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 1
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 58 (55 Full Frame) 6

What types of Photography are Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic S5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax 645D for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Medium format (44 x 33 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 40.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax 645D for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Medium format (44 x 33 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax 645D for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 800 shots
Good Low Light ISO
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax 645D for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
714g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details
Large Medium format (44 x 33 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1480g
Body Thickness 119mm
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax 645D for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Medium format (44 x 33 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 40.0MP
Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic S5 vs Pentax 645D: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic S5 and Pentax 645D scores compare:

Panasonic S5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #30 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #32 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Pentax 645D
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #14 out of 36 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #364 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Panasonic S5 has a higher Overall Score than the Pentax 645D. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that S5 trails behind the 645D: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Pentax 645D. If not, we recommend the Panasonic S5.

Panasonic S5
Panasonic S5
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Pentax 645D
Pentax 645D
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Pentax 645D vs Panasonic S5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Pentax 645D
Brand Panasonic Pentax
Announced 2020-08-14 2010-03-10
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Large SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CCD
Size Full frame Medium format
Dimensions 35.6 x 23.8 mm 44 x 33 mm
Area 847.28mm2 1452.00mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 40 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 7264 x 5440
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 204800 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 225 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Leica L Pentax 645AF2
Number of Available Lenses 58 6
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,840k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 98%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74x 0.85x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/8000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/125s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 1.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 714g 1480g
Dimensions 133 x 97 x 82mm 156 x 117 x 119mm
Battery Life 440 shots 800 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 94 82
DxO Color Depth 25.1 24.6
DxO Dynamic Range 14.5 12.6
DxO Low Light ISO 2697 1262
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