Nikon D800E vs. Pentax 645D
Specifications
Before we dive into our evaluation of each camera, let's take a look at the specifications of the Pentax 645D and Nikon D800E side-by-side.
Pentax 645D | Nikon D800E | |
Sensor Resolution | 40 MP CCD | 36.3 MP CMOS 7360 x 4912 pixels no low-pass filter |
Sensor Dimensions | 44x33mm | 35.9x24mm 35mm full-frame ("FX") |
RAW Color Depth | 14 bit | 14 or 12 bit (configurable) |
Exposure Modes | HyP, Sv, Av, Tv, TAv, HyM, X, B | P, Av ("A"), Tv ("S"), M, X ,B |
Mount Type | Pentax 645 AF2 mount | Nikon F mount (APS-C "DX" lenses supported) |
ISO Range (Expanded) | 200-1000 (100-1600) | 100-6400 (50-25600) |
Shutter Speed Range | 30s - 1/4000s | 30s - 1/8000s |
Shutter Life | 50,000 exposures | 200,000 exposures |
Max. Continuous FPS | 1.1 | 4 in full-frame mode 6 in APS-C mode (w/grip) |
Continuous Shooting Buffer | 13 RAW, 15 JPEG | 17* RAW, 100 JPEG |
Autofocus (phase detect) | 11-point -1 to 18 EV operating range | 51-point -2 to 19 EV operating range |
Viewfinder | Trapeziod prism 0.62x, 98% coverage | Pentaprism 0.7x, 100% coverage |
Rear LCD | 3.0" VGA (921,000 dots) | 3.2" VGA (921,000 dots) |
Top LCD | Yes (a huge one!) | Yes |
Live View | N/A | Yes |
Video Mode | N/A | 1080p @30,25,24 FPS 720p @60,50,30,25,24 FPS VGA @ 24FPS H.264 .MOV HDMI-out RAW video out |
Flash | External only | Built-in, GN12 |
Flash Sync Speed | 1/125s | 1/250s |
Weight w/Battery | 1480g | 900g |
GPS | Via O-GPS1 accessory | Via GP-1 accessory |
Dimensions (W x H x D) | 156 x 117 x 119mm | 146 x 123 x 82 mm |
Connectivity | USB 2.0 | 5-gigabit USB 3.0 |
Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
Media | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots | 1 CompactFlash slot 1 SD/SDHC/SDXC slot |
Remote Control | Optional, infrared or wired | Optional, radio or wired |
Year Launched | 2010 | 2012 |
US Retail Price (Nov. 2012) | $8799 | $3299 |
In many areas, the specifications speak for themselves. One main feature which the 645D lacks, by modern standards, is live view. We do like the Pentax shooting modes, though, and really wish that Nikon would offer the flexibility of Hyper Program (lets you change shutter speed or aperture on the fly in P mode) and Hyper Manual (the green button reverts to the main program line). In addition, the 645D's top LCD is almost as wide as its back LCD, which makes it very easy to read (though its viewing angle could use some improvement).
The D800E has Nikon's latest 51-point autofocus system, which features a variety of continuous tracking modes and is sensitive down to -2EV. This same system is found in the Nikon D4, their current flagship DSLR.
In other areas, both cameras have what would be expected of any professional body these days: weather sealing, dual card slots, 14-bit RAW, and GPS support.
*this number may be higher or lower depending on the speed of your CF card. See the performance page for more details.