Pentax 645Z Second Best Sensor Ever Tested after Hasselblad X1D… Fujifilm GFX 50S Test Coming Soon?
Pentax 645Z DxO Sensor Test
Back in October we reported that DxOmark said they will now test medium format cameras… and they kept their word.
The first camera they tested was the Hasselblad X1D, which immediatly jumped to the very top of the DxO Ranking, making it the best sensor they have ever tested (score 102). You can read their X1D report here.
Price and Specs: Pentax 645Z / Fujifilm GFX 50S / Hasselblad X1D
Now the full test of Pentax 645Z is also online and it confirms their preliminary results shared a few years ago. It gets a total score of 101. Check out the Pentax 645Z DxO sensor test here.
“It’s clear from our testing that the Pentax 645Z’s sensor is extremely capable, coming within a whisper of matching the performance of the Hasselblad X1D sensor (our highest-scoring sensor to date). The 645Z’s high dynamic range and color sensitivity make it ideally suited for capturing the types of scenes that are traditionally favored by medium-format photographers — landscapes, weddings, portraits, and still lifes (commercial). Medium-format shooters are interesting capturing images with lots of detail, low noise, and smooth tonal gradations.
In addition, the Pentax 645Z controls noise well, making it suitable for use in relatively low light, and perhaps expanding the range of conditions in which medium-format cameras are traditionally used.
It’s interesting to compare the Pentax 645Z sensor against the Nikon D850’s because although the former is about 1.7x larger, it’s also around three years older. While the 645Z beats the Nikon sensor in our tests, the Nikon comes closer than you might expect, given the size difference. If Sony made a medium-format sensor with the same design as the D850, it would beat the sensors in both the Pentax 645Z and the Hassleblad X1D-50c.”
Now only the Fujifilm GFX 50S is missing, and let’s hope the test follows soon.
Fuji’s Secret Test
As I reported here, before making the final decision to go Medium Format, Fujifilm made a secret test, using a Pentax 645Z file. The results of this test convinced them to go Medium Format. What exactly happened and what did they test? A trusted source told us everything here :)
