FT: Pentax 645Z + 55mm 2.8 For Your CCD MFDB (CAN)

[chrisbodnarphoto]

Hello folks!

Just curious to see what fine LuLa folk might be interested in trading my 645Z (9/10) + 55mm DFA (9.5/10) for their CCD-based MFDB kit.  

I'm willing to pay a little more to get something a little higher end (FF would be ideal), but my budget can't go too much higher than the initial trade.  You can thank the newest addition to our family (my son Lachlan) + a recent investment in Broncolor gear for that.  

A little background before people ask why I'm crazy:

I'm primarily a hybrid wedding photographer by trade, shooting both film (70%) and digital (30%) for my wedding work.  I also happen to own a film photography lab - Caribou Film Lab - here in Toronto, which allows me to keep film in my budget.  My film setup for my wedding work revolves are a Pentax 645n, and when I decided to add a new digital body for my wedding work, the 645Z was a natural addition.

I've found it doesn't quite cut it for me on wedding days, however.  The IQ is fantastic, to say the least, but the way one must absolutely nail focus is so much more apparent with digital than it is with film.  While I manually focus all of my film-based work (important when things are hectic!), I find that I can't come close to doing the same with the 645Z, and my keeper rate is far lower than I anticipated.  Hence I've decided that it might be time to shoot more 35mm digital at weddings (modern AF and all that), and ditch the 645Z.

At the same time, I have slowly started to make the transition to more studio-based food work.  Mostly natural light, with a lot of experimentation with strobe.  I just spent 13 days photographing a cookbook for Random House, and while the Pentax 645Z files are quite beautiful, the process of shooting it tethered + the flash sync speed has me thinking of making the jump to a Phase One/Hasselblad setup instead.  I've always fallen in love with the tonality of CCD-based sensors, and since the vast majority of my food work has been shot with ISO 100 on the Pentax, I figured a back with a bit of age to it isn't going to be a bad idea.

Hence - my interest in trading, and for this post!

What's Important For Me::
- tethering!
- FF 645 or something close (I'm thinking P45+ and up, but always open to hearing ideas)
- a body + 'kit' lens would be lovely, or if it can be adapted to take V-mount glass, all the better!
- if I can shoot beautiful files at 400 ISO, I can still use it occasionally for out-of-studio portraits etc.  
- I would be quite interested in a Credo 40 or IQ140!

What's Included w/ The 645Z::

The 645Z includes everything it originally came with in all original boxes, including the black Z card that allows for free cleanings etc from Pentax within 2 years of purchase.  The 55mm 2.8 DFA also comes with the soft case, hood, caps, and box.  I also have 4 batteries.

Please note I am located in Toronto, Canada, but I'm not opposed to working out a deal for out-of-country interest.

Pictures can be made available - I just haven't quite had the time to shoot any of it yet, with the busy schedule of running 3 businesses and chasing a crawling 9 month old.  

Thanks, and I'm curious to see the response!

Chris

[chrisbodnarphoto]

I should note the 645Z has around 10,000 shots on it!  Sorry for leaving that detail out!

[tc95]

Sent you a PM - about a possible trade...

[BernardLanguillier]

I have nothing to trade, but I am a bit surprised by your statements. .

I understand that it is hard to reliably focus a 50mp sensor to perfection, but the fact that the image appears unsharp at 100% on screen shouldn't change anything when you print to a given size compared to your film set up.

You may not be tapping into the resolution potential, but that's just it.

Cheers,
Bernard

[chrisbodnarphoto]

Hi Bernard!

Thanks for your comment!

I'm sure what you're saying is true.  That being said, if I'm not making the most out of the sensor, than I might as well be shooting wedding work with something I CAN make the most out of.

Truth be told, I also found myself stopping down far more than I'd like on the Z - f4 or 5.6 was a norm - which is something I'm not a huge fan of, especially for the style in which I shoot reception work (where I was mostly using the Z when at a wedding).  While the 12,800 ISO is beautiful for what it is, it's just a little outside my comfort zone.  Match that with the fact I was missing moments, and I figured it's just not the right fit for that type of work in the way I shoot.

I'd much rather the camera be used to its full potential by someone who can do so.

[Mr_Bunburry]

I have an IQ180 I'm thinking of parting with.  Its a tough choice though 645z might be an good way to ween myself off medium format.