Pentax K-1 has a
36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Pentax 645Z has a
51.0MP Medium format (44 x 33 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features PRIME III processor.
Pentax 645Z's sensor provides 15MP more than Pentax K-1'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 645Z and Pentax K-1 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 moiré occurring in certain scenes.
Below you can see the K-1 and 645Z sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Pentax K-1 and Pentax 645Z Cameras
As seen above, Pentax 645Z has a 1.7x Larger sensor area than Pentax K-1. 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
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It 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. Pentax K-1 and Pentax 645Z sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 645Z has a better overall score of 101, 5 points higher compared to K-1's score of 96.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Pentax K-1
96
25.4 bits
14.6 Evs
3280 ISO
Pentax 645Z
101
26.0 bits
14.7 Evs
4505 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Pentax K-1
or the
Pentax 645Z ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(Full frame versus Medium format),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
