The Pentax 645 medium format system was introduced in 1984, a bit late in the game compared to their competitors, despite Pentax already having had success in the medium format market with their 6x7 series. The all-new system incorporated advances in electronic technology compared to the older 6x7 system. The new 645 system featured a built-in motor drive as well as a built-in TTL-metering system.

In addition to these features in the camera body, the outside was rather up to date, featuring an LCD screen on top of the body to display critical information such as exposure mode and frame count, as well as an ergonomic shape that made shooting landscape or portrait orientation comfortable.

The Pentax 645 system is still very popular today and offers good value for money. It is a great option if you require the larger film size, but want similar handling to a 35mm camera.