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Author Topic: Pentax 645Z  (Read 156095 times)

Royce Howland

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #440 on: August 27, 2014, 11:27:19 am »

The comments from Royce, pretty much nail the issues on the head, mainly that if things go wrong, you are looking at the 10 weeks wait.  It still seems that the bodes stll have to go back to Japan for repair.

That's true for core things, like shutter and mirror assembly replacements, or work on the sensor. Other matters can be handled by whomever in North America is being used on contract for less complicated work. But there's no Ricoh/Pentax internal service center here right now, so anything complicated has to go to Japan.

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 I had hoped to see Pentax create some form of a North American repair center, for Canada and US warranty work.  I realize for the price of the other companies single product, you can purchase 2 of the Z's and have a backup.  Not sure what the cost of shipping/insurance is for such a return, but I am sure it's not cheap.

Might not be a bad idea, as products do fail and the failures tend to happen at the most inopportune times. 

That's what I called the self-support model. :) In the 35mm world I always maintained 2 bodies (at least) for this reason. Of course it's more expensive to do that with an $8500 body, but still far more realistic to run 2 of them than if they were north of $25K or $30K each.

So far I've paid nothing for shipping, insurance, etc. on warranty repair work. I take the downed kit to my local dealer and they handle the rest with Pentax. I don't know if that's exceptional service from my dealer or if Pentax is covering it, I haven't asked. Obviously somebody living away from a metro centre with a good local dealer would not have the same option.

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Hopefully Pentax address the service issue in the future.

From what my local rep has said, it looks like Ricoh is going to do something about this. We'll see what they come up with. Hopefully it involves a full repair centre in North America somewhere and a professional-level support program.

ErikKaffehr

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #441 on: August 27, 2014, 02:28:22 pm »

Hello Paul,

Thanks for chiming in, interesting points.

Re stitching, I do it quite often, more for field of view than for print size. It works remarkably often.

When you say Schneider and Rodenstock lenses, are you meaning the HR lenses that are made for digital or Schneider and Rodenstock lenses in general?

The crop factor you mention is interesting. Personally I have found that I can live with the 1.1 crop factor on the P45+, to my great surprise. With 1.3X like on the Pentax 645 there is a need for very short lenses to get into really wide angles. It is clearly a factor needing consideration.

Best regards
Erik



Hello Erik

Good points as always.
My goal has always been to capture images that will hold up to large scale printing.  The largest single image I have made was a single image broken into (4) 36 x 72 panels.  I have had prints made even larger, however I did not do the final uprez. 

I also feel that the best printing solution is one done with the least amount of uprezing.  As has been pointed out in Jeff"s Digital Print, and other publications, for an Epson inkjet the best output dpi is either 360 to 720.  For say a 23 x 33 at 360 dpi, even a single shot from a 60MJP back will not print this without uprez.  What tools are used is another topic. 

Since 2003, I have worked to come up with ways to gain raw resolution, starting with a Zork adapter on a 1ds MKI and moving up to the current solution of MP back and Acra  tech camera.  Most often I still stitch a solution with the Acra working again to gain as much overall resolution as possible, thus keeping uprez work later on to a minimum.  As anyone who uses this equipment knows this is a much more involved workflow involving multiple captures and LCC work.  The results still impress me.  So far none of the current 50MP Sony solutions really mean much to me since the current chip is not friendly with wides at all.  My shooting environment the wides are most common, 28mm or 40mm max 60mm. 

Do I feel that the difference between a single D810 and single P645Z frame is important, yes, sure there is more useable resolution in that single frame, however I could easily stitch my D810 for 3 frames have have more useable resolution.  And sure someone could stitch 3 frames with a 645Z so question comes back to the knowledge base of the photographer.  If you just had to use a single frame from a 645Z or D810 then I believe the 645Z would make a larger print with less effort.  Good technique needs to be used on both of these platforms with wide lenses to allow you to use the full frame taken, and not crop due to corner softness.

Everyone has their own levels of what constitutes a good print, and I don't feel any two photographers will ever agree.  I know what I like to see from a 30 x 40 print in details and I feel I have a solution that gets me there.  Was it a cheap not in the least but I still prefer the output from the Schneider and Rodenstock glass, no matter what the workflow is.  It does tend to make you a bit more focused on the shot at hand. 

For me it's a balancing act of can I carry the weight all day to get a shot I know will hold up in larger print sizes.  Many times I know that a 5 to 8 mile hike in 100% Arkansas humidity is not where I want to carry a Phase One solution all day, and thus I compromise with either Nikon or Fuji.  Many tend to also forget it seems that all the current 50MP chips are 1:3 cropped and that's 30% less overall image.  For a wide shooter that's a big deal.  I still remember the issues I had with the 1:1 (10%) crop of the P45+. 

I hope Pentax is successful for sure as I have always liked their medium format gear.  However knowing what I have learned in the past 8 years of stitching, if I did not own the Phase One/Arca gear I know I could still get great results with the D810 and stitching. 

Paul
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Erik Kaffehr
 

tsjanik

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #442 on: August 27, 2014, 02:36:05 pm »

It may be hard to determine which equipment is the very best at achieving that, but I think that finding something which is "good enough" is in fact easier than we (I) sometimes think.

Would the 645Z be superior to my D810 for the landscape part of what I like to do? I guess it probably would to some extend, but I clearly feel that the D810 is more than good enough and is in no way limiting me today.

As a jack of all trade camera, I find that it does extremely well at the different styles of photography below and is never far from the very best in each category.

Cheers,
Bernard


Agreed on all points.  Were I not so invested in 645 lenses, I would  have seriously considered the 800/810 for its available lens options, versatility and the AF which has become increasingly important to me.
My point was that as much as I enjoy and admire Lloyd's reports, his opinion is not the final word. 

Tom

Very nice images BTW, particularly the first.
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tsjanik

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #443 on: August 27, 2014, 02:36:34 pm »

« Last Edit: August 27, 2014, 02:52:40 pm by tsjanik »
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Telecaster

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #444 on: August 27, 2014, 03:53:38 pm »

I saw Edward Burtynsky's aerial landscapes in a NY gallery not long ago. They were done with a Hasselblad and 50MP back. The prints were about 4'x6' (adjust for correct aspect ratio). Amazing.

I saw a Burtynsky exhibition last year in NYC at the Wolkowitz (I think) gallery consisting of photos from his latest book, Water. Lovely stuff indeed.

When it comes to immersive prints I often get the feeling that the photographer is just trying to overwhelm me with visual volume—sorry, but I know how the sausage is made…not impressed—but the Burtynskys get an exemption because they work well at smaller sizes too, like in the book (which is actually kinda large as far as books go).

-Dave-
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jerome_m

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #445 on: August 27, 2014, 04:50:23 pm »

I saw Edward Burtynsky's aerial landscapes in a NY gallery not long ago.  They were done with a Hasselblad and 50MP back.  The prints were about 4'x6' (adjust for correct aspect ratio).  Amazing.

This is what I was thinking about. Thank you.
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Theodoros

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #446 on: August 27, 2014, 05:24:02 pm »

This is what I was thinking about. Thank you.
Hi Jerome... If one masters printing well and the capture parameters are perfect, there is no problem on printing fine art images as low as 72ppi (or 75ppi - depending on the printer) with brilliant detail. I wouldn't trust to scan (colour) neg film and print it at lower than 180ppi though...
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BernardLanguillier

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #447 on: August 27, 2014, 06:06:49 pm »

Very nice images BTW, particularly the first.

Thanks Tom, forgot to comment on your flower sorry, very nice as well!

Cheers,
Bernard

tsjanik

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #448 on: August 27, 2014, 09:14:14 pm »

Thanks Tom, forgot to comment on your flower sorry, very nice as well!

Cheers,
Bernard

Thanks Bernard. 

I'm as much of a technophile as most, but I wish more posters would include images that illustrate their comments*.

Best,

Tom

* I don't mean brick walls.
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kdphoto

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Re: Pentax 645Z tether
« Reply #449 on: September 04, 2014, 08:41:35 am »

Has anyone found a work a round for a tether solution in Capture One or Lightroom?  I know when the Canon 5D Mark III came out there was no way to use CP but Capture Integration found a work around.

Is the Pentax to much competition for Phaseone that they won't include the 645Z in their list of compatible cameras for Capture One?
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patrickfransdesmet

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #450 on: September 04, 2014, 09:18:03 am »

first of all
this IS a beautifull picture

BUT
as with all digital photo's

WHY does this looks like PLASTIC flowers

I fighting this some 15 years now
first with P20 and D200
now with P45 e.a.

If I compare with film
I tend to like the film version (PROVIA) better
although you have more noise, but higher exposure is possible without clipping colors

But digital is the way to go now
Film is declining
SNIF !

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eronald

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Re: Pentax 645Z
« Reply #451 on: September 04, 2014, 01:17:47 pm »

Texture loss.
Some sensors do better than others in this respect. The Sigma is spectacularly good.

Edmund

first of all
this IS a beautifull picture

BUT
as with all digital photo's

WHY does this looks like PLASTIC flowers

I fighting this some 15 years now
first with P20 and D200
now with P45 e.a.

If I compare with film
I tend to like the film version (PROVIA) better
although you have more noise, but higher exposure is possible without clipping colors

But digital is the way to go now
Film is declining
SNIF !


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