Shooting with a Pentax 645D and a HD PENTAX-D FA645 MACRO 90mm F2.8ED AW SR

[Nicolas Claris]

I had the opportunity to test (thank you Pentax!) the brand new HD PENTAX-D FA645 MACRO 90mm F2.8ED AW SR… Wow! Pricey but worth using it : D
First opportunity was a shoot a 60 feet CNB 60 from helicopter in Porquerolles last week-end… Vibrations? certainly but it is the first time I have so few shot to reject (compare to other stabilized lens)…
Below is an example with a crop at 100%

PENTAX 645D
HD PENTAX-D FA645 MACRO 90mm F2.8ED AW SR - 1/250 s; f/11; ISO 200

Crop at 100%

Then earlier this week, I shot for Couach in Gujan Mestras on the Bassin d'Arcachon, the launching of their new motor yacht of 26 meters and it first trials.
This time the shoot was done from a Zodiac dinghy with a powerful engine ... shaked at more than 25 knots, you must hang on, stay on board and frame correctly ... the 90 mm stabilized works wonders as it was late evening (beautiful light!) to keep some speed, I raised the ISO to 400… Bravo Mr. 645D!

HD PENTAX-D FA645 MACRO 90mm F2.8ED AW SR - 1/800 s; f/8; ISO 400


Crop at 100%

TECHNICAL DETAILS
http://www.pentax.co.uk/en/645-mount/specifications/HD-DFA645-90mm-macro.html

[BernardLanguillier]

Impressive!

Cheers,
Bernard

[tsjanik]

Very impressive.  Thanks for posting.

[Nicolas Claris]

Thanks tsjanik and Bernard.
I agree it is a really impressive lens and a pretty good combo with the 645D!

[larkis]

I'm very interested in getting this lens for an upcoming trip where I would be shooting quite a bit from a ship. Do you happen to have any samples where you had less light and had the stabilizer in the lens help compensate for small body movements (like berating), like when shooting at at 1/30th of a second or less ?

[Nicolas Claris]

I'm very interested in getting this lens for an upcoming trip where I would be shooting quite a bit from a ship. Do you happen to have any samples where you had less light and had the stabilizer in the lens help compensate for small body movements (like berating), like when shooting at at 1/30th of a second or less ?

Sorry, I don't have such example.
It happens to me to shoot and held at very low speed (when I'm on ground!) and I can go down on a medium focal length down to 1/30th and have few blurred images provided that the subject is not moving too… This stabilized lens may help and improve (I think you gain at least 2 stops, maybe 3)… but it still depends of you, the subject and the moving "context".
However if you shoot from a ship/boat a subject being on the same ship/boat, I would suggest using a tripod… Camera and boat being connected, this would avoid 50% of blurring reasons…

[Rob C]

Very nice pictures, and very good detail as well. Good luck with your work!

Rob C

[Lacunapratum]

Curious to see how others feel it compares to other Pentax lenses, e.g. the 120mm or the 100macro (67).  I know it's faster and has IS.