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Author Topic: Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed  (Read 2725 times)

ondebanks

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« on: May 14, 2010, 08:08:56 am »

Calling Kodak DCS Pro Back 645 users! (DCS 645M/645C/645H)

I got one of these great old backs recently, and it's transformed the way I do photography & astrophotography  

I want to shoot it tethered sometimes. The firewire port works fine and Camera Manager control software is impressive.
However, the long exposures run down the battery pretty fast, and even though I have 4 Li-ion batteries, changing them every half hour or so is not ideal.
So running ac-powered would be the way to go.

I didn't get an ac/dc adapter with the back. I just want to confirm which one to get - the user manual says it's 8V, nothing more. Kodak's support FAQ calls it their Part Number 2E2973, but ebay/web searches turn up nothing for that code, and I suspect it might be a 3rd party adapter (Elpac?) with a different model code anyway.  

So if someone has one, could you please send me a pic of the specs on the rear of the ac/dc adapter? Or alternatively, please type them out here: Brand, model code number, input voltage & current, output voltage and current, polarity (e.g. centre positive), anything else that might be significant.

Thanks!
Ray
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ddk

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2010, 10:43:54 am »

 

I want to shoot it tethered sometimes. The firewire port works fine and Camera Manager control software is impressive.
However, the long exposures run down the battery pretty fast, and even though I have 4 Li-ion batteries, changing them every half hour or so is not ideal.
So running ac-powered would be the way to go.

I didn't get an ac/dc adapter with the back. I just want to confirm which one to get - the user manual says it's 8V, nothing more. Kodak's support FAQ calls it their Part Number 2E2973, but ebay/web searches turn up nothing for that code, and I suspect it might be a 3rd party adapter (Elpac?) with a different model code anyway.  

So if someone has one, could you please send me a pic of the specs on the rear of the ac/dc adapter? Or alternatively, please type them out here: Brand, model code number, input voltage & current, output voltage and current, polarity (e.g. centre positive), anything else that might be significant.

Thanks!
Ray[/quote]
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david
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ondebanks

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2010, 05:01:08 am »

Thanks, David! That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks to you, I was able to find a couple of these on ebay, and bought one just now.
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ddk

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2010, 06:14:23 am »

Quote from: ondebanks
Thanks, David! That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks to you, I was able to find a couple of these on ebay, and bought one just now.

I'm happy to have helped, enjoy your Kodak, still loving mine!
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Ed Jack

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2010, 10:59:59 am »

Quote from: ddk
I'm happy to have helped, enjoy your Kodak, still loving mine!

 I just swapped my Pro back for a Leaf Valeo 17wi. The 20GB portable solution is a bit more bulky than the Kodak with its built in CF card reader, but I am liking the lower noise 16bit/channel files and prefer the 3:4 chip ratio, but then that's just me - you can learn to love the square for sure!

I am now testing to see if the Valeo does long exposure better than the Kodak, but suspect that at iso 25 that it will be good for up to 16 seconds, as opposed to 4 seconds on the Kodak!

 There are some good used digital back bargains out there.

 Ed
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ixpressraf

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2010, 11:19:10 am »

Quote from: Ed Jack
I just swapped my Pro back for a Leaf Valeo 17wi. The 20GB portable solution is a bit more bulky than the Kodak with its built in CF card reader, but I am liking the lower noise 16bit/channel files and prefer the 3:4 chip ratio, but then that's just me - you can learn to love the square for sure!

I am now testing to see if the Valeo does long exposure better than the Kodak, but suspect that at iso 25 that it will be good for up to 16 seconds, as opposed to 4 seconds on the Kodak!

 There are some good used digital back bargains out there.

 Ed

I was thinking about buing a pro-back but maybe i also better go for a Leaf or Phase one back.....
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Ken Doo

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2010, 11:55:59 am »

There is also an available power cord accessory from Quantum, that will allow you to power the Kodak Proback with a Quantum Turbo Battery (or newer Turbo iteration like the SC).  

ken

ddk

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2010, 10:03:38 pm »

Quote from: Ed Jack
I just swapped my Pro back for a Leaf Valeo 17wi. The 20GB portable solution is a bit more bulky than the Kodak with its built in CF card reader, but I am liking the lower noise 16bit/channel files and prefer the 3:4 chip ratio, but then that's just me - you can learn to love the square for sure!

I am now testing to see if the Valeo does long exposure better than the Kodak, but suspect that at iso 25 that it will be good for up to 16 seconds, as opposed to 4 seconds on the Kodak!

 There are some good used digital back bargains out there.

 Ed

Hi Ed,

I have a couple of modern Leaf backs too and while they might be superior in absolute terms, I find certain qualities of the Kodak ProBacks very enticing. Given that every manufacturer today has very similar perfection orientated products, I find the aesthetics of the Kodak files even more unique these days. But then its all horses for courses...
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ondebanks

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2010, 03:20:01 pm »

Quote from: kdphotography
There is also an available power cord accessory from Quantum, that will allow you to power the Kodak Proback with a Quantum Turbo Battery (or newer Turbo iteration like the SC).  

ken

Thanks for the tip, Ken. Might be useful for my occasional nocturnal field trips out into the middle of nowhere, with nary an ac socket to be had.

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ondebanks

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Kodak DCS 645 back users: ac/dc adapter info needed
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2010, 05:24:05 pm »

Quote from: Ed Jack
I just swapped my Pro back for a Leaf Valeo 17wi. The 20GB portable solution is a bit more bulky than the Kodak with its built in CF card reader, but I am liking the lower noise 16bit/channel files and prefer the 3:4 chip ratio, but then that's just me - you can learn to love the square for sure!

I am now testing to see if the Valeo does long exposure better than the Kodak, but suspect that at iso 25 that it will be good for up to 16 seconds, as opposed to 4 seconds on the Kodak!

 There are some good used digital back bargains out there.

 Ed

Ed,

As you know of course, the Kodak "starts" at ISO 100...I'm sure the Leaf has wondrous low noise at ISO 25 and 50, but how does it compare at ISO 100 and up?

You're right, there sure are some good bargains. One also needs to know what to look for, feature-wise and specs-wise - what matters to you for your photography.

Before selecting the Kodak, I looked hard at all the specs of the various new and used backs out there and their component CCDs, and drew up a big spreadsheet. I also trawled photo sites for as many high res, high ISO examples of MFDB images as I could find. It was soon apparent that the Kodak and Mamiya ZD backs were the leading contenders on cost grounds. And that any of the backs would be plenty good enough for my casual daytime photography of people and places. But one thing I really weighted highly - unique to the Kodak and Mamiya but absent on the Leaf, Phase One and Sinar backs - was the removable IR filter. With the filter off, I gain a massive 3 stops of light sensitivity for astrophotography! Long exposure dark noise is a serious issue on the Kodak back alright (compared to a CMOS DSLR). But it can expose about 2 stops (4x) longer than the Mamiya ZD back before it reaches the same level of noise - I gleaned this important info by both questioning users and by studying the actual Kodak and Dalsa CCD data sheets. The Kodak CCD also has higher R/G/B quantum efficiency response curves than the Dalsa, which partially explains why the backs are natively ISO 100 and ISO 25 respectively. The Phase One P+ backs are the long exposure and max-ISO kings, which clearly set them ahead of the Leaf and Sinar posse; but all three brands fell down on the fixed IR filter, the non-controllable time-wasting dark frame subtraction (you can turn it off on the Kodak and ZD), and cost. These were just the main issues I ranked; there was a whole matrix of them. For example, megapixels and aspect ratio were there, but were not highly weighted. In the end my choice of the Kodak was made pretty clear. It was particularly satisfying that the back which best met my technical requirements was also one of the cheapest.

So the Kodak gets me up and running, but of course nothing's perfect, and one always looks to the next improved iteration down the line. If future Phase One P+ backs [will they be called P++ backs?] have user-removable IR filters (why not? it's a simple mechanical change), and make the dark frame subtraction an optional setting (why not? it's a trivial software/firmware change), I shall be a customer!

Ray
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