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opinions on pentax 645 33-55mm fa lens

tsjanik

Well-known member
HeinricH

I haven't used the 33-55, but based on what I've seen posted, you would be better advised to get the 35mm (A version) and the 45-85 FA instead. I've used both and they are very good. Dave (D&A) has tested many 645 lenses and has a review posted here somewhere; perhaps he'll add something and direct you to this review.

Tom.
 

rummenigge2

New member
thank you all for your comments so far. I just try to evaluate the quality of the Pentax system beyond the obvious (the camera) and get my head around buying into this system.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
It is a really nice system and a number of us shoot with it.

For what I understand the33-55 is not really good on the corners and has pronounced field curvature at 33mm. I use the A 35mm.

Pentax has plans to release a new zoom around that range. However, we are still waiting for the release of the 90mm that was announced. And so far, the tethering software is only available in Japan.
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
I can confirm that the 35mm A is a super lens - very good indeed. The 45-85 is also first rate up to about 65, then somewhat less exciting beyond that. I have never used the 33-55, but all reviews I have read of it support the idea that it is a weak link in the system (relatively speaking). But since the 35A, the 45-85, the 55 (not to mention the 55 f4 from the 6x7 system), the 75 (and the 75's from the 6x7 system) are all so good, I wouldn't worry about the 33-55. It's a really nice system.
 

D&A

Well-known member
HeinricH

I haven't used the 33-55, but based on what I've seen posted, you would be better advised to get the 35mm (A version) and the 45-85 FA instead. I've used both and they are very good. Dave (D&A) has tested many 645 lenses and has a review posted here somewhere; perhaps he'll add something and direct you to this review.

Tom.
Hi Heinrich,

In the comprehenisve report on testing multiple samples of most of Pentax's 645 lenses on the 465D (which I posted here on Getdpi) one of the few lenses I didn't report on was the 33-55 zoom. I was only able to find and borrow a single copy for less than 2 hours, which wasn't nearly enough time to do any sort of comprehenive testing that I would have felt comfortable standing behind. That day's weather was also lousy from what I recall, so my observations were extremely limited. I just went back to my writen notes and as Shashin had mentioned, the corners of the image at focal lengths between 33 and approx 45 were weak and I wasn't too impressed with the acuity of the central part of the frame either. For whatever reason, things actually imporved when zoomed out to 55mm, but from what I saw, I wasn't overly impressed. I didn't get far enough to test for distortion of field curvature, something that Shashin also mentioned, but it wouldn't surprise me since a number of the wider 645 lenses also exhibit this curvature.

I couldn't agree more than what almost everyone here has noted, that the A* or FA 35mm 645 lenses along with the 45-85 zoom are excellent and a great way to enter the 645D system. There are though things to be aware of with these lenses, such as the weakening of performance of the zoom (also mentioned in a post here) at focal length beyond approx 65mm, but good samples of this lens still hold up well. The FA 35mm also has some characteristics a user should eb aware of, and I wrote about this in detail in my report here on Getdpi.

I'm sure you'll appreciate the performance of the 645D, and many of it's lenses defintely do justice to this camera, often at a relatively reasonable price.

Dave (D&A)
 
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