smc Pentax 645 LS 4,0 / 135 mm

[pier64]

Hi,

Has anyone used this lens on the 645z? This is not a very common lens but it could be a nice portrait lens although perhaps a bit slow with the added bonus of the LS.

[tsjanik]

I have one and have used it with the D.  I rarely use flash (almost never), but here's a test shot I did at 1/500 s .  It's a very sharp, compact and beautifully made lens.

Tom

[ndevlin]

Like Tom said, it's super sharp. As good as anything else out there.  But sometimes it costs upwards of $300US for a nice copy, so many medium format users might find it prohibitive if they're used to more economical offerings from Phase or Hassy.


- N.

[pier64]

Ooh I see, thanks. I have just bought one on ebay allegedly in mint condition, for the money it's worth a punt.

Pier

[Ken R]

On a 645D/645Z the purpose of using the Pentax LS lenses is to get sync with flash at the 1/250 and 1/500 shutter speeds. The Leaf Shutter on the LS lenses have only 4 shutter speed settings, 1/60 1/125 1/250 and 1/500. Since the 645z syncs with flash up to and including 1/125s using the focal plane shutter there is basically no need to use the leaf shutter in the lens at other than 1/250 and 1/500 s shutter. Of course you can use the LS lens as a normal lens by setting the shutter to "o" and it behaves just like any other Pentax 645 lens. (same thing applies to the Pentax 67 LS lenses). It is a manual focus only lens and the 645D/645z are not the best cameras for handheld manual focusing (like most DSLRs are not also) lenses wide open so for portraits it is not that great specially since the main purpose of being able to sync flash at fast shutter speeds is to be able to shoot wide open outdoors in full sunlight without the need to use ND filters. Like the shot I posted below (using a H1 w/80mm at f2..

All that aside,Optically, like most Pentax 645 A lenses, it should be really nice and of course a bargain.

[Gel]

Like Tom said, it's super sharp. As good as anything else out there.  But sometimes it costs upwards of $300US for a nice copy, so many medium format users might find it prohibitive if they're used to more economical offerings from Phase or Hassy.


- N.

 

[tsjanik]

...............  But sometimes it costs upwards of $300US for a nice copy, so many medium format users might find it prohibitive if they're used to more economical offerings from Phase or Hassy.


- N.

Yes, it has gotten pricey; I paid around $150 for my mint copy a few years ago.   

[ndevlin]

Not sure what the concern on manual focus is. I actually find the 645z pretty good for MF, certain compared to anything in modern DSLRs.  Personally, I find MF'ing an EVF just awful, so I'm not sure what's better, other than, say a Contax 645 or RTSIII (a moment of reverent silence, please).

Plus, on the 645z you can liveview focus with peaking, and 100% zoom-in, so if you don't mind looking like a Asian teenage girl holding your camera out infront of you and chimping while you focus, it's A-ok

- N.

[Ken R]

Not sure what the concern on manual focus is. I actually find the 645z pretty good for MF, certain compared to anything in modern DSLRs.  Personally, I find MF'ing an EVF just awful, so I'm not sure what's better, other than, say a Contax 645 or RTSIII (a moment of reverent silence, please).

Plus, on the 645z you can liveview focus with peaking, and 100% zoom-in, so if you don't mind looking like a Asian teenage girl holding your camera out infront of you and chimping while you focus, it's A-ok

- N.

The best Digital camera for manual Focusing (that I have used) is the Leica S/S2 with the micro prism focusing screen. Otherwise all others are a crapshoot, wide open. At f8-f11 and beyond, MF is certainly acceptable on most if not all bodies. The 645D was pretty good in those situations (with the 120mm Macro A lens I have) but wide open and shooting people, no.  


http://robdose.com.au/microprism-focusing-screen-for-leica-s-system/

[dag.bb]

Focusing on a plain screen, with no other aids, might be difficult using only the viewfinder. Using the Pentax AB-82 splitscreen focusing screen (available brand new from amazon.co.jp, using tenso or similar), I had no problem focusing the 120mm A wide open on my 645N, at least (see photo below). I don't have any close-up photos available, but in pratice I haven't found it any more difficult than other MF-systems. I think the AB-82 screen is also usable on the 645Z (it worked on the 645D AFAIK), but check first.
03 by dagr, on Flickr