Thought on Pentax 645d

[shuttershane]

Hey Guys,

I have been thinking of getting a MF system for about 2 years now. Currently I shoot Weddings, Portraits and sell Landscape prints when I get time to travel around.

I own 2 5D MKII and a very large amount of L glass. I am thinking of selling some of my equipment off to help fund a Pentax 645D (sell one of my bodies, 16-35 f2.8 and 100-400). My main focus here is to use the Pentax for Portraits and Landscapes. I am hoping the system will give me more detail where I find it lacking. I would keep the 5D MKII for weddings (along with a 7d I own).

What do you guys think. Does the Pentax 645D have the resolution difference I want? My max print size has been 30x40 and (using fractals)....I would rate that one print as a 6 of 10. I find the 5D MKII great for all things with the exception of large landscapes. Example: I was in Colorado a few weeks back and came back with shots that just didn't have the detail I wanted in the trees and shadows. I also took the same shot with my 7D and it was just horrible. Focus was dead on, but it just lacked detail.

FYI: I am looking into the Pentax 645D with 2-3 lenses.

 

[David Schneider]

I don't know if Pentax 645d will have resolution you want, but should in theory. But not too Pentax 645d on planet earth right now so not a lot of Pentax side by side tests.

You can look at my last post on http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?p=252904#post252904 if you'd like an extremely unscientific comparison between 5dmk2 and Hasselblad H3Dii/39.

I was very interested in Pentax 645d, but it seems to me if you're going to come out with a new mf camera, you should have more than one new lens ready to sell as well. Old lenses for film Pentax 645 may work and may work really well. Don't know. It seems to me companies like Nikon, Canon, Hasselblad, etc. all keep coming out with new or upgraded models of lenses for digital cameras so I'd expect Pentax to have new lenses ready to go for new camera. They've been working on the 645d for years so they've had plenty of time.

 

[etrigan63]

In their defense David, this is Pentax we are talking about, not Nikon or Canon. Pentax hasn't been an entity unto itself for many years now and have to answer to the bean counting gods of their parent company (Hoya for the moment). Pentax really has a hit with the 645D. It is so popular in Japan that they can't make them fast enough and now they are expanding to Europe and the US.

Resolution-wise, it produces a 40Mpx image and should be enough to print at Shuttershane's desired size (especially if you use a RIP). I have played with some DNG's graciously provided by 645D owners over at pentaxforums.com and they plug very nicely into my existing workflow.

 

[David Schneider]

I'm on Pentax side. I hope they do really well. I love some things about the camera! Has some of the features a dslr user would expect mf to have but is absent at high price levels. But Pentax made their announcement about a mf digital camera years ago so they have plenty of time to work on lenses as they delayed and delayed the final camera body. That's how I see it. Hoya owns Pentax and Tokina and I believe Tamron makes some Pentax lenses so they have plenty of help bringing out a couple of lenses.

 

[Bill_Green]

I both want a Pentax and I want to want a Pentax. I have been waiting for a medium format camera that fits my needs as an adventure lifestyle and travel photographer. While I believe that Pentax will deliver in the rugged/durable/weather sealed/reliable department, the images I have seen from this camera don't really deliver on the image quality I was expecting. I have high hopes, but I think if I had to run out and buy a camera right now it would be a Hasselblad or Phase.

I thought the Pentax 645 Nii really delivered as a camera and I'm sure this one is on par mechanically, but the images I have seen don't have the color depth of other MFDB systems.

 

[claudefiddler]

Dear Bill

I'm with you on the feature set of the 645D looking impressive. And also with you that unfortunately the sample images so far don't deliver on the image quality.

For me here's the rub with the sample images. I've been harping on getting test shots from the 645D that prove some basic quality elements as in corner to corner sharpness, color fidelity, focus accuracy, etc. I don't care what one photographs for the test, but please for Jimmy Christmas apply some science to the experiment. Set up on a tripod, no filters, shoot DNG, native ISO, no post process, manual focus on a point that can be pointed out, then see where AF picks.....then test ONE! variable Post small 100% crops with an overall 100% image.

And myself I'd prefer the tests from someone who knows how the image quality compares with large format. 4x5 is still the benchmark in my mind. Joe Holmes, John Wawrzonek come to mind. Both stellar artists and good at science.

I too hope for this system. We may or may not see.

Claude Fiddler
wildernesslight.com

 

[Geoff]

It would seem advisable to get into a system that you can hold, test, and that has been around. Thus the Phase or the Hassy make some good sense here. Hard to see the advantage of getting into the "new kid on the block".... and they aren't yet on the block here.

 

[Bill_Green]

I've been harping on getting test shots from the 645D that prove some basic quality elements as in corner to corner sharpness, color fidelity, focus accuracy, etc.

Claude, I would like to see that too, but initially I am more interested in what the sensor captures. I'm looking for image qualities that are similar to my old DMR, just with larger files and in a more reliable, lighter weight package. As you point out, some of the images I have seen clearly show focus errors, insofar as the 100% crop area selected was not the area used for focusing. Someone posted a couple DNGs, but Lightroom didn't really know what to do with them, and as we have seen software is just as important as hardware.

I guess my point is that I haven't really seen enough to make a decision either way. The pictures I have seen kind of look like a 40MP version of my Sony, when really what I want is a 40 MP version of my DMR with traditional Pentax reliability and build quality.

 

[dfarkas]

I guess my point is that I haven't really seen enough to make a decision either way. The pictures I have seen kind of look like a 40MP version of my Sony, when really what I want is a 40 MP version of my DMR with traditional Pentax reliability and build quality.

Bill,

If you want a 40MP version of your DMR in a more robust, weather-sealed, and smaller package there is the Leica S2.

Just sayin'

David

 

[Bill_Green]

If you want a 40MP version of your DMR in a more robust, weather-sealed, and smaller package there is the Leica S2.

Caviar tastes, tunafish budget.

I'm waiting to see what the Pentax actually is. If it doesn't do what I need I may try to go with a tech camera to supplement a DSLR rather than a medium format SLR to replace it.