Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: TonyW on February 12, 2016, 06:09:39 am
-
Like many here I guess, I cut my photography teeth on various MF and LF marques in the days of no auto focus or auto exposure (trusty Weston Master in hand :D) and wonderful(?) days in the darkroom both colour and b&w.
I was really sad a good few years ago to let my Bronica ETRSi go (needed the money at the time!) and purchasing a reasonable 35mm Minolta. Since then I have been through a few Digital cameras including a Nikon D90 and my current D800.
I do miss the handling of MF and the potential for improved IQ. Having seen the IQ available with each generation of digital backs I have been more than a little impressed :) - I appreciate of course that in the main it is the photographer not the equipment ;D
Until recently I felt the price of digital MF was something I could not justify, but with the Pentax 645z the pricing makes the jump to MF more palatable for me and I am seriously contemplating purchase.
Currently I am reading reviews and reports including Michael's very interesting article on this forum. The more I see and read and the downloads of raw images I have looked at and compared suggests the Pentax to be a very capable MF camera.
Unfortunately there are very few dealers around and none of them local to me so I am basing my thoughts on what I have read.
Obviously I do not want to commit to buying without first hand experience so have ordered a rental camera for next weekend to see if this is for me. Currently there seems to be a winter offer where if you purchase the body you will also get the 55mm thrown in for 'free'.
Sorry for the preamble but thought it may help with showing where I am currently. I am sure I am going to have many questions in the future but a few that I hope could be answered now:
My interest is really landscape, portrait, studio. I am not a sports or bird photographer. Current raw editing ACR and LR and playing with others.
1. PEF v DNG: Is there any reason not to use PEF over DNG? I ask this as although I like the idea of an open raw standard I am a little hesitant due to the writing of the whole file in DNG rather than the relatively small sidecar file.
2. Any preference for raw editors. I am happy with LR and ACR but perhaps there are others I should consider for the Pentax? Tried Capture One but the DNG's would not load as apparently MF limited to Phase One products. Editing the EXIF did allow for viewing but I do not think this would be a sensible route to pursue at this time.
3. Lens choices: Seems there are a few Pentax 645 lenses going back to the film days at seemingly reasonable prices, are there any that you consider outstanding or definitely give it a miss?
4. Flash Sync: Not sure that 1/125 sec will really be a great problem (Nikon 1/250 sec) but it would be nice to be able to use a leaf shutter to sync at higher speeds. I know that there is a 75mm LS and samples come up from time to time, is this a decent performer?
5. Flucard: Being able to operate the camera via wifi iPad, iPod, Android is very appealing. Any thoughts advice.
I hope that I have not got too carried away with questions and look forward to your comments and suggestions
Cheers
Tony
-
While you can work with 645Z files in CaptureOne, from what I've heard it's a bit of a hassle, so LR may be the more comfortable way - even though I personally prefer CaptureOne.
4. & 5. - I think it depends on what you're planning to shoot most of the time. If you're planning to take mostly portraits or you want to mix flash light with natural light - well then the flash snyc may be a bit of a problem. Personally I managed to shoot with 1/100 most of the time but sometimes I wish I had more than just one LS lens and I really envy the hasselbladians. But I never thought about or wanted or needed to control my camera via a mobile device (except for a tethered laptop).
-
While you can work with 645Z files in CaptureOne, from what I've heard it's a bit of a hassle, so LR may be the more comfortable way - even though I personally prefer CaptureOne.
Capture One does not and will not support 645Z files.
Phase One (who makes Capture One) has, for more than a decade, supported a variety of third-party small-format cameras and supports its own Team Phase One medium format solutions for which Capture One is the primary reason for existence.
There is a "fix" app circulating that allows you to modify your 645Z raw files in a way that tricks C1 into loading them. This "fix" is actually a metadata hack and could cause unforeseen issues downstream or stop working in future versions of Capture One. It also only provides hacked compatibility, not support (meaning the files will open but the processing pipeline, color profiles, lens correction algorithms etc, are not fine tuned to get the most out of the files).
If buying a 645Z you should use LightRoom which provides official support, or Pentax's Silkypix.
-
There's no need for Capture One. Lightroom works very well with the 645z. Pentax offers a free plugin that allows you to tether into LR, and it works very reliably. Some have complained about colors, but that hasn't been the case for me. Colors have been spot on. The older lenses appear to be my favorite. I was unimpressed with the newer 55mm lens. Just seemed a little too ordinary, so I sold it. The 45-85 is a lovely lens and is every bit as good as a prime lens in terms of sharpness. I also have the 75mm which is lightweight, tack sharp and inexpensive.
I'll admit that when I bought into this system, I was deeply concerned about my investment because tethering was not an option and the Image Transmitter software left a lot to be desired. But that's been cleared up. I was hoping that a firmware fix could fix the sync speed, but Pentax informed me that's not an option. Hopefully, a few more lighting systems will come out that offer HSS to the Pentax system, or possibly there might be some third-party leaf lenses that become available to the 645z.
-
Hi,
I am not a P645Z user, but some reflections…
- The Pentax 645Z uses a Sony CMOS sensor, like the D800, so basically colour, DR, ETC would be in the same ilk.
- The P645Z sensor is quite a bit larger than the D800 and has a moderate advantage in resolution, that would give an advantage in perceived sharpness.
- The P645Z lacks OLP filtering, that would give you more sharpness out of the box with a lot of aliasing, but probability is you would not observe that aliasing.
- Lenses may be an issue with the P645Z, some lenses are great put probably not all of them.
Regarding LR 6 vs. C1, I feel that C1 actually has quite a bit better demosaic than Lightroom, but C1 will not support other MFD than "team Phase One".
I have been using a Hasselblad 555/ELD with a P45+ back for a couple of years, but now I find that I more like shooting with my Sony A7RII instead and I don't feel that MFD delivers better images by some magic.
Going the P645Z path will give you a small advantage over the Nikon D800. Foremost you will see a better sharpness at actual pixels, but I don't think you would see a lot of benefits in reasonably sized prints, like 16"x23". All that assumes that get good lenses for the Pentax 645Z.
With LR you have a great choice of DCP profiles. Many folks complain about the Adobe Standard profile, but the P645Z also DNGs also offer an "embedded" profile that may be better. You can also create your own profiles with DCamProf, Adobe DNG Profile Editor or X-rites ColorChecker Passport software.
Best regards
Erik
Like many here I guess, I cut my photography teeth on various MF and LF marques in the days of no auto focus or auto exposure (trusty Weston Master in hand :D) and wonderful(?) days in the darkroom both colour and b&w.
I was really sad a good few years ago to let my Bronica ETRSi go (needed the money at the time!) and purchasing a reasonable 35mm Minolta. Since then I have been through a few Digital cameras including a Nikon D90 and my current D800.
I do miss the handling of MF and the potential for improved IQ. Having seen the IQ available with each generation of digital backs I have been more than a little impressed :) - I appreciate of course that in the main it is the photographer not the equipment ;D
Until recently I felt the price of digital MF was something I could not justify, but with the Pentax 645z the pricing makes the jump to MF more palatable for me and I am seriously contemplating purchase.
Currently I am reading reviews and reports including Michael's very interesting article on this forum. The more I see and read and the downloads of raw images I have looked at and compared suggests the Pentax to be a very capable MF camera.
Unfortunately there are very few dealers around and none of them local to me so I am basing my thoughts on what I have read.
Obviously I do not want to commit to buying without first hand experience so have ordered a rental camera for next weekend to see if this is for me. Currently there seems to be a winter offer where if you purchase the body you will also get the 55mm thrown in for 'free'.
Sorry for the preamble but thought it may help with showing where I am currently. I am sure I am going to have many questions in the future but a few that I hope could be answered now:
My interest is really landscape, portrait, studio. I am not a sports or bird photographer. Current raw editing ACR and LR and playing with others.
1. PEF v DNG: Is there any reason not to use PEF over DNG? I ask this as although I like the idea of an open raw standard I am a little hesitant due to the writing of the whole file in DNG rather than the relatively small sidecar file.
2. Any preference for raw editors. I am happy with LR and ACR but perhaps there are others I should consider for the Pentax? Tried Capture One but the DNG's would not load as apparently MF limited to Phase One products. Editing the EXIF did allow for viewing but I do not think this would be a sensible route to pursue at this time.
3. Lens choices: Seems there are a few Pentax 645 lenses going back to the film days at seemingly reasonable prices, are there any that you consider outstanding or definitely give it a miss?
4. Flash Sync: Not sure that 1/125 sec will really be a great problem (Nikon 1/250 sec) but it would be nice to be able to use a leaf shutter to sync at higher speeds. I know that there is a 75mm LS and samples come up from time to time, is this a decent performer?
5. Flucard: Being able to operate the camera via wifi iPad, iPod, Android is very appealing. Any thoughts advice.
I hope that I have not got too carried away with questions and look forward to your comments and suggestions
Cheers
Tony
-
I have a good dealer here and he let me try the 645z in his studio with my model for a few hours. This really helps. I highly recommend using a camera before buying. The 645z is the best camera I ever had, still there are a few problems.
As for your questions:
1. PEF v DNG: Is there any reason not to use PEF over DNG? I ask this as although I like the idea of an open raw standard I am a little hesitant due to the writing of the whole file in DNG rather than the relatively small sidecar file.
>>DNG will include and embeded Profile, which I find to be much better then the adobe standard in the pef. If you have yours own profiles, it probably doesn't matter.
2. Any preference for raw editors. I am happy with LR and ACR but perhaps there are others I should consider for the Pentax? Tried Capture One but the DNG's would not load as apparently MF limited to Phase One products. Editing the EXIF did allow for viewing but I do not think this would be a sensible route to pursue at this time.
>>Lightroom. and DXO for some files. Forget about C1, no proper colors, no lens corrections. Usualy LR does a good job, sometimes the DXO files are better. Forget about Silkypix, it's a pain to use.
3. Lens choices: Seems there are a few Pentax 645 lenses going back to the film days at seemingly reasonable prices, are there any that you consider outstanding or definitely give it a miss?
>>The new 35mm DFA ist the best lense I ever had. Any aperture goes.55 is good up close. 150 , 75 are great after f8. The 90mm ads more contrast, but is expensive and heavy. I have a 45-85 but might have a bad copy, it does have nice color though.
4. Flash Sync: Not sure that 1/125 sec will really be a great problem (Nikon 1/250 sec) but it would be nice to be able to use a leaf shutter to sync at higher speeds. I know that there is a 75mm LS and samples come up from time to time, is this a decent performer?
>>Pain in the ass. Pentax speedlights work(they have some drawbacks). I would not use the 75mm LS for professional shootings.
There is probably no proper solution coming, unless they will introduce leaf shutter.
5. Flucard: Being able to operate the camera via wifi iPad, iPod, Android is very appealing. Any thoughts advice.
Sometimes I use the Eye-fi card to get files on my ipad and review during shooting. However it slows the camera down, those cards write quite slow. So I stop using it. Flucard will be the same, exept adding control on the ipad.
Check my website www.valentino-photography.com. you can see my latest work is done with 645z and there are also some review, which I try to keep updated.
-
C+B, thanks for the input. I am not really thinking that flash sync is going to be a real problem for most shots. The idea of remote control via smart phone or other such device is that it can be useful in the field at its simplest as a shutter release with a few bells and whistles such as setting shutter, aperture and refocus without needing to touch the camera. Many of us carry smart phones but some of us forget or cannot find the remote :-[
Doug, thank you for clarifying the Capture One situation relating to other MF cameras. I did not think it would be a reasonable or safe option and I did hack the file to make it work, which is not the way I would encourage others to proceed I was just a little curious and had some time to play. I will probably stick to LR but of course give SilkyPix a try.
Dshellythe LR plugin sounds great and interesting comments on the lenses
Erik, thanks for your reflection on this. I am hoping that my play with the camera next week will reveal if the handling is ok and the IQ is a real improvement. Unfortunately, like you I don't believe that MF will automatically deliver better images by some mysterious magic but I live in hope ;).
-
orc73,thank you. I believe SilkyPix is what is offered by Nikon these days TBH having heard bad things I have not bothered to look.
It does not look like there are any leaf shutters coming soon.
The Flucard is just a thought and really for use when out in the field. Speed not likely to be a major issue in shooting landscape?
Checked your website 8)
-
Hey Tony,
Where are you located, as there may be someone closer than a dealer, plus there are online rental options.
+1 on DNG - and on import change the color profile to imported. Works great in Lightroom.
I love my 45=85, but the 28-45 is worth every penny, and the 75 & 150 2.8 are fun. Lensrentals.com has them all available.
Sync is a pain, but given the FPS size there isn't a lot to be done. I have a 540 speedlight and it helps with the HSS times.
FluCard - don't waste your money. The camera isn't that fastest responder while writing to the cards, and the Flu is by far the slowest card out there. The app pissed me off and the browsing speed was dirt slow. The screen is almost to the quality of the IQ backs, so if you need a bigger review screen, use the free image transfer to a Mac/PC.
The 645Z works with a Canon 2.5mm remote shutter release, so any wired/wireless that works to that end will be fine.
-
Hi Joe
Located in the UK and I have been able to locate a dealer, Calumet, who I had understood to have been closing branches at least locally. Obviously not the case and I have now rented the 645z end of next week from them.
Should I decide to buy the 645 I will be renting lenses to see which I like (and can afford!!) and keeping an eye open for bargains ;D. The lenses you mention I will be looking at. Current speedlites are of course Nikon compatible and I know nothing of Pentax offerings. I may even look at continuous lighting as an option
FluCard sounds like it may not be best idea but I will look into it and see if I can blag a free trial at the dealer was hoping that raw could be written to the main card in camera and a small JPEG to the Flu not looking for really fast time or even great image view just the remote control when away from a comfortable surroundings without a laptop.
-
Hi,
Yes, I think that any advantages you may see in MFD would be incremental.
Best regards
Erik
Erik, thanks for your reflection on this. I am hoping that my play with the camera next week will reveal if the handling is ok and the IQ is a real improvement. Unfortunately, like you I don't believe that MF will automatically deliver better images by some mysterious magic but I live in hope ;).
-
I have a 645D but I think I have some answers that may apply to your questions.
I like dng since it's a standard I feel like it is most likely to be supported by other software if I want to switch from LR one day.
Old auto and manual focus lenses are mostly very good from my findings. Cheap too! My current favorites are the FA 45-85/4.5, FA 80-160/4.5, and A 35/3.5. The A series lenses are manual focus but auto aperture. I love that 35 for landscapes and there is also an updated version with AF that has been well received too.
The two lenses I have that get some bad press are the A 200/4 and A 45/2.8 but both of mine seem plenty good enough for my needs shooting landscapes. The 200 was under $100 so it's not a big risk to try. I wonder if sample variation affects reviews because mine is nice and sharp. I'd love either a 25/4 or 28-45/4.5 but can't afford them yet. One day...
I got a FluCard with my K-3 and was underwhelmed. It technically works but I found it annoyingly slow and fiddly. I'll give you mine for $50 if you really want one! :)
-
Capture One does not and will not support 645Z files.
(...)
There is a "fix" app circulating that allows you to modify your 645Z raw files in a way that tricks C1 into loading them. This "fix" is actually a metadata hack and could cause unforeseen issues downstream or stop working in future versions of Capture One. It also only provides hacked compatibility, not support (meaning the files will open but the processing pipeline, color profiles, lens correction algorithms etc, are not fine tuned to get the most out of the files).
And that's why it (for a lack of a better word) 'works' but it's a hassle ;)
-
I have a 645D but I think I have some answers that may apply to your questions.
I like dng since it's a standard I feel like it is most likely to be supported by other software if I want to switch from LR one day.
Old auto and manual focus lenses are mostly very good from my findings. Cheap too! My current favorites are the FA 45-85/4.5, FA 80-160/4.5, and A 35/3.5. The A series lenses are manual focus but auto aperture. I love that 35 for landscapes and there is also an updated version with AF that has been well received too.
The two lenses I have that get some bad press are the A 200/4 and A 45/2.8 but both of mine seem plenty good enough for my needs shooting landscapes. The 200 was under $100 so it's not a big risk to try. I wonder if sample variation affects reviews because mine is nice and sharp. I'd love either a 25/4 or 28-45/4.5 but can't afford them yet. One day...
I got a FluCard with my K-3 and was underwhelmed. It technically works but I found it annoyingly slow and fiddly. I'll give you mine for $50 if you really want one! :)
Matt thanks for the input. I too like the idea of DNG and I do hope that it gets more support from manufacturers as an option along with their proprietary file. But would say that I do not see that it is imperative to switch from native proprietary formats while both are well supported by LR and others (RT?). Writing and possibly re writing over the same file several times may not be the best solution. But then neither is the keeping of two files relating to one image (I do this due to using both LR and ACR sometimes just opening in ACR prior to PS therefore have LR write to xmp). At this time undecided but historically I have kept files as NEF knowing that they will be readable by Adobe for many years to come. I suppose at the end of the day if we do move to another raw editor regardless of support for proprietary or raw it is highly likely any parametric edits would not be honoured.
Lens information very useful thanks
Disappointing on the FluCard and I certainly would not buy one without being on a sale or return basis or being allowed to test before purchase
-
I really disagree it's just a small upgrade from a D800. This is personal preference so it's no use arguing it one way or the other. To me the overall look is just nicer, without going into pixel peeping sharpness - i.e. i'd be still using the 645z if if it was 36mp as well.
Anyway as to your questions.
Shoot DNG, use lightroom. It's not that bad. I'd prefer C1 but I can understand (yet not agree with) Phase Ones decision there.
Lenses. If you shoot landscapes the new 35/3.5 lens is a heck of a lens. If you want to keep your budget low, the older 35/3.5 can be had for not much $$$ and is still a fantastic landscape lens. Also check out a old 120mm f/4 macro lens which is also a fantastic lens especially stopped down for landscapes.
For people shooting, the 55, 75 and 150 are all great. I use the 75 and 150 a lot to shoot weddings and getting very good results.
Don't really use flash so can't help much there sorry.
I'm pretty sure I'll end up with a full sized phase one or blad one day, but for now I'm loving the 645.
-
The 645Z is a really nice body. The sensor is awesome. The lenses are ok. None are really great wide open. At mid apertures say f8-f16 they are mostly pretty good. Focal length selection is much more limited in the wide angle end compared to a 35mm DSLR and a Digital Back. The best wide angle option seems to be the 28-45mm lens but it is expensive and compares in cost to some of the Phase and Hasselblad H lenses.
The 1/125 sec flash sync speed is an issue for some (is to me) but for many it isnt.
-
The 645Z is a really nice body. The sensor is awesome. The lenses are ok. None are really great wide open. At mid apertures say f8-f16 they are mostly pretty good. Focal length selection is much more limited in the wide angle end compared to a 35mm DSLR and a Digital Back. The best wide angle option seems to be the 28-45mm lens but it is expensive and compares in cost to some of the Phase and Hasselblad H lenses.
The 1/125 sec flash sync speed is an issue for some (is to me) but for many it isnt.
I don't have much experience with phase/H glass - but the new 35/3.5 is very, very sharp even wide open. I'm sure there is better out there, but it's pretty good!
-
Aloha,
Get it.
You will never be disappointed.
It's the real deal, and having shot extensively with both the pentax 645D and the Z
Both are nice but the Z really shines.
In regards to comparing the Z to the
Nikon high rez 35mm offerings-forget about it.
You with see the difference period, end of story.
I will say the high ISO capabilities for the new sensor are a bit overstated, if you are looking for ultra
Clean files, they clean up ok a few notches above the native ISO but compared to the native ISO you will see noise pretty quickly come into play.
Going up to 200 and 400 and maybe 800 is ok
Most of the trash talk about the lenses is bs.
I agree the new 55mm is just ok.
The new 35mm seems excellent.
As it's an improvement on the excellent older version.
Agreed the older 45/85 is excellent
The telephoto 300 and 400 are also very nice and given the prices are a steal.
Most of the lenses have been extensively reviewed and the few sub par lenses are well documented.
Anyway, it's sn extraordinary canera.
-
With LR you have a great choice of DCP profiles. Many folks complain about the Adobe Standard profile, but the P645Z also DNGs also offer an "embedded" profile that may be better. You can also create your own profiles with DCamProf, Adobe DNG Profile Editor or X-rites ColorChecker Passport software.
Best regards
Erik
Be aware x-rites Colorchecker Passport does not work for the Pentax 645z. They limit it for some reason. datacolor spydercheckr works. I downloaded some dcamprof here from a forum member, they are very good. not sure about adobe dng profile editor.
-
Thanks for info on ColorChecker Passport!
I just tested Adobe DNG Profile Editor and it works fine on a P645Z image from imaging review.
Best regards
Erik
Be aware x-rites Colorchecker Passport does not work for the Pentax 645z. They limit it for some reason. datacolor spydercheckr works. I downloaded some dcamprof here from a forum member, they are very good. not sure about adobe dng profile editor.
-
Sorry for a delay in returning to the thread I have just packed up the Pentax for its return.
gavincato, thanks. I will be keeping budget low for the moment and will be looking at the used market or the odd hire as needed, until budget and CC recovers.
Ken R, for me the flash sync is not a huge deal although it would be good to see Pentax release a new LS lens. I did play a little with my Nikon, Yongnou flash along with wireless triggers and as expected (hoped for) works fine in manual mode only - therefore no problem.
I think there are ways around the slower flash sync well only compromises. ND filter to balance daylight exposure to flash or perhaps better a third party HSS flash trigger which will allow sync up to the camera maximum speed. Disadvantage of course is losing flash power with HSS.
leeonmaui, I have come to the same conclusion. I just love this camera, the handling, the provision of mainly button controls without too much menu mining. So many things that I like that I can turn a blind eye to those things that I prefer on the Nikon.
Having it for the weekend allowed at least some time to try and evaluate, although family matters did intrude somewhat :( and the weather was foul just giving time for a couple of hours walk in a very overcast grey park.
Set the camera to TAV, auto ISO to 6400 max and shutter to 1/125 around f/5.6/-f/6.3. Pretty much treating the camera as a point and shoot to see how well it handled and how I could manage with it being strapped on the shoulder and how usable for me handheld. Expecting to use it mainly on tripod to get the very best.
Was going to attempt some comparison shots D800e to 645z but realised that this would not really tell a great deal about the sensor but would be more revealing of the particular sensor glass combination. So unless the same glass used on both cameras and care taken to assure that image size comparable perhaps a wasted effort.
Anyway just did one comparison that seems meaningful to me at least.
I am not particularly keen on the 35mm aspect ratio of 3:2 much preferring 5:4 or 4:3 (accepting that aesthetics and image needs dictate final crop). So setting the Nikon to 5:4 crop seemed a sensible comparison and compared close enough to the 4:3 aspect of the Pentax. So really I would say that under these circumstances a 36 MP sensor becomes 25 MP and therefore the sensor area difference is 2x approx (not the 1.7x quoted). With good glass I believe that this should yield dividends in IQ when printing large or printing subjects where either 600 ppi or 720 ppi image would show benefits - assuming that we will all walk up to a print as close as our belly or nose permits ;D
After all this I was so sad to let the camera go that I ordered one including the 55mm lens that appears to be included at the same price - at least to the end of this month.
Thanks again to all.
-
good stuff. And yes I love the 4:3 of the 645z, something I never even thought of before buying it but now that I'm used to it very fond of it.
-
selling mine in perfect condition:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yys20km22bc24yw/pentax.pdf?dl=0
I go to travel and it's not ideal for that. Perfect camera besides.
-
I owned the 645D for a long time. Nice camera with the 55, but the buffer was horrible when shooting people. It would simply lock up after a few frames.
I bought the 645Z when it came out but returned it after a week, due to:
* Image Transmitter software was lame. Pentax rep said "Oh yeah it'll tether fine". Rep was obviously was not a working photographer.
* Main thing: It just seems that Ricoh does not care about the camera. Seems like an afterthought. They get it 90% there, but then won't go that last 10% to get it to be a working camera. This is NOT a system to invest in, unless you want to just go shoot landscapes with it on the weekends. But it's not a system for a commercial photographer.
* Buffer is fixed in the Z camera. Much better buffer.
* Tilting LCD seems silly. Seems ripe to break off in the middle of a job.
* Basically, one center autofocus spot. They say it'll go off center a bit but only moves a small bit. Nowhere near the 35mm cameras. In the real world, there's one center spot. FAIL.
* Price is good.
* Really nice viewfinder. Large. And really nice proportion to the frame.
* In short, there are so many negatives, compared to positives, for me I think it's not worth considering, compared to Nikon or Canon. Just let the camera die, just like Ricoh really wants. They invest in it like a red-headed stepchild. Avoid.
* Why drag around a camera like this, when the 5dsr or 800R are out there, used with Sigma Art lenses -- much cheaper, with a zillion more features?
* Seemed like Adobe did not even care to make it work directly with Lightroom. That says a lot right there. And no way would Phase make it work with C1.
* Avoid.
-
For me it is definitely a keeper for landscape photography - it has never let me down in the past 18 months - and I travel quite frequently - not the ultimate image quality (as we know from the new P1 systems) but at least as good as the best DSLR you can get today and with a lot of flexibility for an MF camera.
I would only give it away, if I would get a 80-100 MP Pentax 645xy instead - but then Adobe would have to do their homework in order to have a reasonable speed of LR on Mac working on large files. Too bad that C1 does not support it.
-
The Pentax was from the beginning targeted at domestic market japanese landscape hobbyists. It has entirely fulfilled its promise but struggles to escape this niche. A rare case of truth in advertising.
Edmund
For me it is definitely a keeper for landscape photography - it has never let me down in the past 18 months - and I travel quite frequently - not the ultimate image quality (as we know from the new P1 systems) but at least as good as the best DSLR you can get today and with a lot of flexibility for an MF camera.
I would only give it away, if I would get a 80-100 MP Pentax 645xy instead - but then Adobe would have to do their homework in order to have a reasonable speed of LR on Mac working on large files. Too bad that C1 does not support it.
-
I bought into this system early, so there was definitely some issues I had. One was shooting tethered, but when Pentax released the Lightroom plugin, I've been able to use this without error on many commercial shoots. I find that the autofocus points work just fine – and for medium format, Pentax has more focus points than other MF brands. The files are amazing and the dynamic range serves my needs.
Couple things I would like to see - more autofocus points (apparently that's a hard thing to do with medium format digital), I would like a quicker, easier way to select different autofocus points. I want to either see Pentax offer a higher synch speed or roll out some leaf lenses. I've signed the petition to encourage Profoto to offer an HSS Air Remote for Pentax.
-
I bought into this system early, so there was definitely some issue I had. One was shooting tethered, but when Pentax released the Lightroom plugin, I've been able to use this without on many commercial shoots. I find that the autofocus points work just fine and for medium format, Pentax has more focus points than other MF brands. The files are amazing and the dynamic range serves my needs.
Couple things I would like to see - more autofocus points (apparently that's a hard thing to do with medium format digital), I would like a quicker, easier way to select different autofocus points. I want to either see Pentax offer a higher synch speed or roll out some leaf lenses. I've signed the petition to encourage Profoto to offer an HSS Air Remote for Pentax.
It will be interesting to see what Pentax does to improve this product. They could go mirrorless, they could provide multi-axis stabilisation and multishot. Somebody should finally make a mirroless medium format camera.
Edmund
-
"* Main thing: It just seems that Ricoh does not care about the camera. Seems like an afterthought. They get it 90% there, but then won't go that last 10% to get it to be a working camera. This is NOT a system to invest in, unless you want to just go shoot landscapes with it on the weekends. But it's not a system for a commercial photographer."
No camera is perfect. I don't even know what this mystery 10% is that you are referring to, but you can find flaws in any system. Heck I'm sure i could find things on a $40,000 camera that annoy me.
"* Tilting LCD seems silly. Seems ripe to break off in the middle of a job."
Personally, I never tilt it. But did it actually break on you or are you just looking for problems?
"* Why drag around a camera like this, when the 5dsr or 800R are out there, used with Sigma Art lenses -- much cheaper, with a zillion more features?"
Sure, it'll be cheaper, faster, easier to use, more features, faster apertures. But it won't have as good IQ - which is really why we get MF right?
"* Seemed like Adobe did not even care to make it work directly with Lightroom. That says a lot right there. "
Interesting that I use lightroom every day with 645z files.
-
Gavin, maybe you remember Ken Rockwell doing a "review" of the 645D and basically trashing the camera for being an amateur tool because it had buttons for the various Jpeg look modes among other things. What makes a pro tool seems to change from individual to individual. Some folks love to pick at the most random things to discredit a product that does not jive with them for other reasons.
I like the 645D and 645Z (still have both) and have used them in a wide range of conditions without issues. Traveling with the system is more of a hassle than with my sony a7r kit, but the shooting ergonomics, resulting files and the fact the camera is not built like a toy makes it safer to rely on when it matters.
-
Quicker easier method to select AF points?
it is quicker then with the a7 series. You can set it in the menu to judt jave the direction buttons reacting directly to move the AF points. There is no quicker way i can imagine, it is just like canikon can do if set in custome settings. And sony did not manage to offer this option, still need to go 2 steps.
quote author=Dshelly link=topic=108107.msg910919#msg910919 date=1463940660]
I bought into this system early, so there was definitely some issues I had. One was shooting tethered, but when Pentax released the Lightroom plugin, I've been able to use this without error on many commercial shoots. I find that the autofocus points work just fine – and for medium format, Pentax has more focus points than other MF brands. The files are amazing and the dynamic range serves my needs.
Couple things I would like to see - more autofocus points (apparently that's a hard thing to do with medium format digital), I would like a quicker, easier way to select different autofocus points. I want to either see Pentax offer a higher synch speed or roll out some leaf lenses. I've signed the petition to encourage Profoto to offer an HSS Air Remote for Pentax.
[/quote]
-
Sorry I've come to this topic so late.
I love the camera but have been disappointed by the glass having suffered from major chroma issues wide-open on the 45mm, 45-85 and 80-160 lenses, although the 150mm f2.8 IF was a joy to use. I decided to run a comparison of image quality between the Pentax kit and my old Hasselblad H1 + 80mm + 50-110 and Contax 645 + 35mm + 45 + 80 + 140 and 210. The Hasselblad lenses (made by Fuji) and Zeiss lenses had the edge over my Pentax glass but the Pentax and Contax cameras offered the best ergonomics and a far greater range of shutter speeds than the 6x6 Blad. The Blad and Contax were attached to an Ixpress 132C digital back which is not ideal due to the need to carry the Imacon Image Bank with trailing cable about the place.
I've been a lover of Pentax glass since the 1970s when I first got hold of a 6x7, inspired by my old friend Sam Haskins. Sadly, I decided to abandon my Pentax gear (still have my old 6x7 though!) and have retained the Blad. I foolishly sold my Contax 645 kit and have decided to replace the body at least as I loved using it with my Mamiya 645 Auto Bellows N + 55mm N Sekor lens for macro work. I'm sure that if I could have afforded the very best prime lenses offered by Pentax for the 645, I may well have been pleased with the results but as a mere hobbyist I could not justify the cost. I loved the camera so much that I expect I'll revisit it one day, if I can afford the top of the range lenses.
On a minor note, I found the AF360GZ II flash a superb partner for the camera and with the apertures closed down, most of my best images were produced that way.
-
@gx680III
the lenses you mention are really not comparable to the Hassy and Contax lenses. I used them, not sharp, the 150mm is ok, the others should not be used on a 645z.
Try the new 35HD, amazing lens, better then the Hasselblad. The 55 is good for short distances. The 120mm is just amazing sharp as well right from f4 onwards.Must have for studio, the bokeh is not so nice though(150 is better here). Those are the 3 lenses I would recommend.
If you have the cash and don't mind the weight, the 90mm and the 24-45 are awesome.