Pentax 645 Medium Format
Pentax 645 Medium Format
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[Sep 14, 2001]
spain62
Intermediate
Strength:
Ease of use. Great value for price compared to other medium format systems.
Weakness:
Slow sync speed of 1/60 My 2nd medium format camera. Love the 35mm ease of handling. Small enough for me to hand hold. Auto-rewind and auto film advance included in the base price. Aperature priority, shutter priority, manual and auto included. TTL balanced fill flash with Pentax dedicated flash attachments. The big, sharp negatives blows away the nest 35mm system every time. 16x20 enlargements have people in awe of the sharpness. Customer Service Not needed. Similar Products Used: Yashica Mat |
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[Jul 27, 2000]
Bruce Hedge
Professional
Strength:
Auto shutter preference for aerial photog, 220 capability, fabulous lenses.Reliable.Non auto focus.
Weakness:
Flash synch 1/60, (I use a Mamiya C330 for weddings) Rugged, pin-sharp lenses, will not buy the auto focus 645n,since aerial work is done at infinity Customer Service Never needed service in 2000+ rolls Similar Products Used: Blad, Mamiya 645-both too expensive. |
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[Jul 15, 2000]
Jim Morris
Expert
Model Reviewed:
645
Strength:
A compact, relatively lightweight, medium format system with a full array of high quality lenses available. The metering system is on a par with, or better, than any of my 35mm cameras. The ability to choose from a variety of shooting modes is a real plus.
Weakness:
The film inserts can't be changed mid-roll, making it almost impossible to change from color to black/white. The metering system has never failed to render perfect exposures under a variety of lighting conditions, even the night "street shooting" I do. The optics of the various lenses are superb, and the camera with 2 or 3 lenses can be easily toted around in a compact bag. Adding a second body does make shooting color and black/white more convenient. If you have a Pentax 6x7, the available adapter allows use of these lenses on the 645 as well. Similar Products Used: Pentax 6x7 |
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[Jul 06, 2000]
John G
Expert
Model Reviewed:
645
Strength:
solid construction good weather resistance good metering very reliable
Weakness:
no auto timer I've shot snowboarding in some of the worst weather with this and it's gotten wet, etc but always dries out and is ready to go. Rugged build excellent camera. Have had mine for 8 years and only had to have it serviced once for a problem I created. Customer Service good Similar Products Used: none |
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[Jun 26, 2000]
J C Taylor
Professional
Model Reviewed:
645
Strength:
Very Reliable System. Modes that make different types of photography faster and easier. Accurate light meteringthat can be checked through the viewfinder. TTL flash metering. Superb lens optics with a broad range of focal lengths, some with leaf shutter plus 2 zoom lens that cover 45-160mm.
Weakness:
Film insert instead of film back, which makes mid roll film change back to black baging. (Or in my case I have at least two bodies with me on assignments.) I first used this camera in 1987 primarily for weddings. It is now my primary system for all out of studio work. I still use the first body I purchased in 1987 with only a couple of minor problems. In my opinion when looking for a medium format field camera from the rookie to the pickiest pro the Pentax 645 system is the best system for most. Similar Products Used: Hasselblad, Mamiya |
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[May 17, 2000]
Raymond Wong
Professional
Model Reviewed:
645
Strength:
Speed of operation, durability, optics.
Weakness:
Lack of mid-roll interchangeable film backs and (initially) lack of Polaroid back. Relatively slow top flash synch speed. Though introduced in 1984, this system still holds up well today with no trade up needed to the newer auto focus bodies. It is one of the best systems for aerial photography from a helicopter and for general scenic use when you need a bigger piece of film than a 35mm can deliver. The 120 Macro and 35mm wide are two of the sharpest lenses I've ever used. Customer Service Very good. The toll free 800 number to Pentax in Colorado has always gotten me answers. Similar Products Used: Hasselblads, Mamiya RZ's, Rollei SL 66 |
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[Dec 16, 1999]
Kai Conragan
Intermediate
Model Reviewed:
645
Strength:
Extremely easy to use and ergonomic. Light meter is very accurate.
Weakness:
This isn't a weakness, but I had to watch my horizon level coming from 35mm. This is a great camera as far as I can tell. This is my first medium format camera so I can't really compare it to anything else. But the pictures I've taken have been extremely sharp (thanks to the great 75mm lens) and contrasty, and exposure has been right on every time. I'm a student so I shoot mostly black and white since I have to develop and enlarge for my classes, so I can't say anything about color shots yet, but I don't see any reason why is should be different. I tested the light meter of the camera versus my handheld light meter and they showed the same exposure almost every time. One of the reasons I bought this camera is because of the affordable cost of Pentax lenses. Overall I think this was a good choice for my step up into medium format photography. Customer Service I contacted Pentax for a manual since I bought it used, and received it within two weeks. Similar Products Used: This is my first medium format camera |
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[Oct 11, 2000]
Bryan Baughman
Expert
Strength:
This is my workhorse medium format camera. I initially bought it for its reputed quality and low price. I was not disappointed! The camera has provided me with 9 years of flawless operation. Due to its non modularity the camera is relatively lightweight compared to other medium format SLRs. The mirror brake substancially reduces vibration and allows for hand holding in most outdoor situations. I rarely use a tripod with this camera with lenses of 150mm or under. The mtering is also extremely accurate. The inserts hold the film very flat and combined with Pentax's great lenses my shots are sharp corner to corner even wide open.
Weakness:
No midroll film interchangeability. EV compensation in Auto mode is in full stops only. No spot metering or meter lock button. The performance of this camera has been exemplary. For me, the inability to change film midroll has never been a problem. I have also never had difficulty getting accurate exposures. Customer Service Never needed, Similar Products Used: Pentax 67, Hasselblad, Fuji645 |
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[Oct 20, 2000]
OG OG
Expert
Strength:
Well-made, auto film advance, multi exposure modes, compact (for a MF camera), superb lenses, ease of use handling
Weakness:
No self timer Excellent 645 camera! I had it for three years and I've taken many beautiful photos with it. The metering is very accurate and focusing is a breeze. Now, if only film processing was as convenient as 35mm, that would be icing on the cake. Highly recommended. Customer Service Not needed Similar Products Used: Mamiya 645 |
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[Apr 24, 2001]
N Moody
Intermediate
Strength:
Durability, reasonable price, availability of used lenses, metering,built-in diopter adjustment.
Weakness:
No interchangeable backs I own a complete Canon EOS 3 system. I use the EOS for everything except situations that high quality photographs. This is a simple, easy to use camera with excellent lenses. My prized orchid and family shots were made with the 645N. Mirror lock up would be a great feature. Maybe in the next revision of this great camera. Customer Service never used it Similar Products Used: Mamiya 7 |