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Pentax 645D ? Can get one but worried.

proenca

Member
Well, I was after a Hasselblad H4D50 but the deal went bust - my wife started to get all sentimental about my Leica M9 - she loves the thing, she likes taking pictures with it and since both of us got married just the two of us in Bora Bora, that was pretty much the camera for the weeding - and she doesnt let me sell it. So not enough funds for a great deal of a H4D50 plus few lenses and extras.

Oh well, life moves on.

Now, theres a twist -I can get hand on a Pentax 645D plus lens, in mint shape if I trade in my old equipment ( DSLR's ) I dont use plus my noctilux and a relativily small amount of money OR the same deal for a H4D40 sans lens - all this keeping my M9.

Hasselblad lures me - always did. The lenses are gorgeous. But I have to shell out a bit more money and spend at least two months in tantonizing agony waiting for money to buy my first lens. Also I like the True Focus nitfy thing and the ability to use V lens and also the expandability of the system. Its modular, its perfect.

Pentax on the other hand involves bit less money and already comes with a lens BUT - and here is my but - the sensor is fine but its the future that worries me.

First of all the user base - Pentax entered the MFD arena with this camera - and I dont doubt its abilities - but I dont see a big user base. Alas, I know more people who had 645D and quit than people that still have them. By a factor of 3 or 4. Then the future - its their first MFD camera and they hoped to sell like hotcakes - it did in Japan, got mild enthusiasm in Europe and USA and then D800E poped up. While not comparable, you are hard to make comparisions.

With Hasselblad I can have expansion, lens that I lust for decades ( 100mm 2,2 mnham nham ) and future upgrades if I win the lottery by any means. I know I will have support and dealers to go.

Pentax is a big "WHAT IF". Its still lots of money for a camera and I'm quite afraid - dont doubt the camera abilities, its the manufacturer and expansion options - which are nill at the moment, which worries me. Camera announced almost three years ago and you have a couple of AF lenses - makes S2 lens shortage look like a boom.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
A used HC 80mm for the Hasselblad is about $800. (or less). It is all you need to get started. (Then sell it for the same price when you get the funds for a 100/2.2 (which is indeed a killer optic).

If you like focusing off-center wide open, True Focus APL is worth the difference IMHO.

Hgh speed sync is also worth the difference ... I used it yesterday sometimes as high as 1/800th to kill the ambient.

-Marc
 
D

devildog

Guest
Yup, it's a huge "what's the future" question. But it always was. I sold my 645D system in favour of the D800E. Not happy to see the 645D go because it was such a nice camera to use (miles ahead of any other MF in handling, imho), but the quality is so close and overall usability on the 800 is the best ever in any camera - ie: it shoots anything, anywhere, anytime in any light.

Plus, I started to get worried about the investment. I bought the 645 lenses when there was no 645D, and it was time to cash-out. MF prices have dropped significantly, and they are a much less liquid commodity than previously.

You, however, have Bladlust. So buy a blad. The used market is soft like Tahiitian sand right now. The going rate for an HD3-39 is well under $10K, a 50 sold for 8500 Euros, and there's even a basically new HD4-60 out there wouldn't sell at $25K and has been reduced to $22K. I predict it will sell closer to $20K.

Put simply, wait until after PhotoK, and see what you can get in a used Blad. That's what you want, and this is obviously a personal purchase, so do it.

Good luck.

- N.
 

proenca

Member
Sorry guys to have bothered you.

I'm not going to cure my MFD lust - too much going on at the moment, Photokina around, D800 hype, etc etc, prices are quite volatile in the near future.

The money I was saving for the H4D, I put it in good use : invested in more Leica glass.

Noctilux 0.95 and Elmarit 24mm 2.8.

The end of the day, I carry my Leica everywhere and got a good deal on these two ( Nocti by upgrading my 1.0 plus a bit of cash ) .

Few more months down the road, I will have the MF itch to scratch again, but we deal with that later.

Now 0.95 in transit :)
 
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