Pentax 645d - experience and/or advice?

[DutchMarc]

Hello everyone, Dutch Marc here.

I have been following this Med Format forum for a while now, and love the input and feedback you members give. Great source for support & tech Know-how

I was lucky enough to get my 1st hands on experience with the PhaseOne DB during the CI weekend in Carmel.

I would love to get started with a DB from Phase or Leaf but have been hold back by the price point and the "vortex" I might get sucked into

I have seen many post about PhaseOne, Leaf etc but did not find information about the pentax 645d unless I missed it.

Are there any member that have any experience with this camera or would like to share there insights/opinion about the pentax 645d.

PentaxWebstore.com:645D 645D

Looks like this might be a good "get-started MF" camera.

Reading stories about used eBay items etc, made me look at this model..

Any input is much appreciated !

Grtx Marc

 

[gurtch]

Hi Marc:
Look further down on this page, there is a long thread about the 645D. I own one, and it is the most straight forward digital camera I have ever used. Mirror Lock Up is an external switch. Turn it to activate and disengage lock up.HDR bracketing is accessed via an external button. Legacy lenses are dirt cheap.
I highly recommend you read the thread.
Dave in NJ

 

[Ed Hurst]

Marc - Dave has pointed out a great thread to read. If you have any further questions, you'll find the 645D owners on this group very willing to assist (myself included).

All the best,
Ed

 

[Shashin]

I first start with a Phase P25+ back, which I still use. When I was looking to buy another Phase system, I found the 645D. There was no question which I wanted. If you do not need to put a back on a technical or view camera and you want an SLR, then the 645D is great. (The Pentax is by far a better camera than the Phase body and the images are at least equal and better if you shoot at ISO1600 and want unlimited bulb exposures--the many Phase/Leaf backs are limited to exposure time.)

As folks have said, there is quite a 645D community here. Most of the images I have in my gallery are from this camera. I also have a few from the RX-1.

 

[kdphotography]

Hello everyone, Dutch Marc here.

....
I would love to get started with a DB from Phase or Leaf but have been hold back by the price point and the "vortex" I might get sucked into

....
Grtx Marc

Sorry, Marc. You'll note that there is no separate 645D forum, so opting for the Pentax doesn't grant you a pass from Dante's Inferno.

ken

 

[Ken_R]

Hi, I had the 645D for a few weeks with a few lenses.

Bottom line: For landscape and wide angle use the D800E is the best value by far and the file is superior in most aspects. For people and general photography including landscape the 645D is great if you are looking into medium format. Its a great camera to use. Its easy to use and reliable.

But, To really handily beat the D800E in landscape / wide angle use you need to get into a tech camera and lenses and at least a P65+ or IQ160. Although a P40+ or IQ140 might do because the tech wide angle lenses are really good and the phase backs produce a really nice file to work with.

 

[Shashin]

Being a D800 and 645D owner, I have the opposite reaction--I much prefer the 645D.

 

[Ed Hurst]

I am with Shashin. As an owner of a D800E and a 645D, the 645D files (when used in conditions that favour it - i.e. when low to medium ISOs can be used) are much nicer than the D800E files. The D800E gets used by me only when I need to shoot high ISO or if I need continuous shooting of files without a dark frame (e.g. star trails). The D800E files are very good, and they do represent better "value" in that they are nearly as good for much less money, but putting that aside, the 645D files are better for me personally when conditions favour it.

 

[D&A]

As Shashin and Ed have expressed, I too am in complete agreement. I've used the D800e for a considerable amount of wide work along side the 645D which I currently own. Although each camera has their strengths and purposes, especially for certain applications, when files from both cameras are compared in the senario you described, there was no question in my mind which files I preferred and that was those from the 645D.

Dave (D&A)

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Considering lenses, Nikon has a much better selection specifically designed for digital photography. the D800's dynamic range is unmatched even beating Phase One's IQ. A cameras dynamic range, Imo, is probably the most important technical aspect to consider after lens choice. It can save the day in many unuseable images. The high ISO capability of the D800 is actually remarkable and quite useful too. Lastly, the entry price point to depreciation in MFD is astounding. I'd consider a Leica S over the 645D because of Leica's amazing glass!

 

[Ed Hurst]

Agree with all of those points. There are certainly situations in which the D800E has advantages - which is why I own one, and I am very happy with its performance overall. However, with the right lens, at the right ISO and ensure that DR is managed, I do prefer the 645D files. They certainly contain more detail; but, more importantly, the sense of depth and the tonal rendition are just more pleasing to my eye.

 

[Shashin]

While there are a few dogs in the Pentax 645 film lenses, there are some lenses that have no problem working with the sensor. As far as lenses not working well on a D800, just check the threads. There certainly lots of folks not happy with Nikon optics. As far as DR, both cameras do really well. I find the D800 great with shadows, but the 645D better in the highlights. Neither is lacking.

As far as ergonomics go, the 645D wins hands down over the D800. The viewfinder is larger, brighter, and clearer. The layout is better and the operations more intuitive. The two tripod sockets are great.

I have not found the depreciation with the 645D that great. They seem to hold their value from what I have seen. Certainly no worse than a D800. And I am sure a Leica S would be a wonderful camera with Leica glass, but at a price that would be out of the OPs price range--actually out of a lot of people's price range, but that is what you get when you spend $40k+.

 

[tsjanik]

As Shashin has pointed out, a number of legacy Pentax film lenses work well with the camera, whose larger sensor places less demand on the lenses. It's not unusual for film lenses to hold up on the larger MF sensors, e.g., note the recent excitement over the Leica S/Contax adapter. Many used Pentax MF lenses are incredible bargains compared to Nikon or Canon counterparts. Two recent examples in telephotos:

Pentax M 67 800mm F 6 7 Ed If Lens w 1 4X Rear Converter 6x7 67II EX 027075028890 | eBay

Pentax A 645 600mm F 5 6 Ed If Lens Mint 0027075002159 | eBay

 

[fotografz]

The standing GetDpi advice regarding any camera is to get your hands on one if at all possible.

I won't speak to any 35mm choice because you didn't ask about that ... you asked about MFD. Personally I agree that MF Digital is a different world of imaging with a look and feel you just can't get with smaller sensor cameras ... and the experience of using MFD can be a delight as long as you grasp the areas where it excels and those that are the domaine of other formats.

IMO, 33 to 40 meg is a sweet spot, with a very nice balance between over-all versatility, performance and resolution. I've had all sorts of MFD cameras and backs and feel the best of the lot were the 33 meg and 40 meg versions for what I tend to shoot. Not to fussy for more casual shooting, and quite capable of stunning results when locked down and fussed over.

My current camera is a Leica S2 with the CS lenses ... a system I could not have possibly afforded when starting out in MFD years ago. If I were just getting into it on a budget, absolutely no doubt about it the Pentax 645D would be at the top of the shopping list. It is one of the more well thought out cameras with features and ergonomics that cameras costing twice as much don't have.

Get your hands on one, and if it fits, get it ... you will not regret it.

- Marc

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Some earlier models had issues with the rear dial, but overall this camera has probably not received the accolades it might deserve. Inclement weather is another reason to go with the 645D, as the weather sealing is quite good. I also read that the 645D can sync up to 1/500th with certain lenses. Good to know! The 645D also takes (2) SD cards, and personally I love SD cards, there cheaper, easier to carry around and basically foolproof.

If MFD is your preferred format than the 645D is a good choice. If you just want the resolution of MFD then the D800 is good too. DXO has a great site for comparing camera sensors.

 

[gurtch]

I, too, use a 645D and Nikon D800E. If I want to work in a studied, deliberate manner, with utmost quality, I use the 645D. I make 24"x32" prints routinely. There is a delay between snapping the shutter, and the picture/histogram displaying, but for landscape work, no problem.
Dave

 

[Steve Hendrix]

Capture Integration just received our demo 645D last week (with the 55mm). Initial observations on our part are mostly positive:


Pros:
- Image quality is good, specular highlights handled well
- High ISO capability beyond most digital backs
- Lovely viewfinder (though I'm not a fan of the tiny entry)
- Nice detailed LCD
- Love the handling of the camera - especially the grip, it is now my favorite MF grip
- The 55m seems sharp across the frame
- The AutoFocus is silent and works well.

Cons:
- Not many so far (but we haven't had it very long, we'll find something)
- The small entry path to the viewfinder mentioned above
- The long review time is a killer for me. I would have to shoot it like film and just forget about reviewing in most cases.
- No tethering (or at least no robust tethering solution I'm aware of as yet)


For $7K, if you can live with the cons, it is worth considering.

https://captureintegration.com/pentax-645d/


Steve Hendrix
Capture Integration

 

[Shashin]

Steve, since you are a Pentax dealer, why don't you think the Pentax tethering solution is robust?

 

[Steve Hendrix]

Steve, since you are a Pentax dealer, why don't you think the Pentax tethering solution is robust?

Hi Shashin -

It's real early, so I do not yet know - this only from some anecdotal feedback. I have not even had time to investigate tethering, which is why I wrote no tethering or no robust tethering that I'm yet aware of. I should emphasize the "I'm yet aware of" and also that I haven't devoted energy into this yet. And by robust tethering, I mean on the level of say, a Phase One digital back with Capture One. That to me would be robust tethering. If the 645D gets anywhere near that, that's a great thing.


Steve Hendrix
Capture Integration

 

[Shashin]

I understand Pentax came out with tethering software for the 645D, but the distribution was very limited. Pentax USA does not seem very keen on the 645D. I was hoping you had some experience with it.

So far, the most common solution seems to be things like an Eye-Fi card.