645n and 200mm from KEH

*jbrowning* · 10-23-2009, 01:04 PM

Last weekend I went ahead and ordered a 645n and 200mm f/4 645 lens from KEH and they just arrived today. Wow these are in great shape for the price. I can't wait to get out tomorrow with it and run a couple of rolls of black and white film through it. So I guess I will be having a 645 body for sale pretty soon with a 120 or 220 back. I am thinking I might keep the 75mm f/2 lens that came with it though.

Jim

Nesster · 10-23-2009, 01:53 PM

Congrats - please post your findings re. viewfinder usefulness in manual focus!

bc_the_path · 10-23-2009, 03:09 PM

I believe you should keep the 75mm, definitely.
I am very happy with my 645N and the three lenses, all bought from KEH.
Constant pleasure!
Wish you many happy shootings, as well

fs999 · 10-24-2009, 07:03 AM

Have you tried the 150mm 2.8 ? It has more sharpness than the 75mm...

yurihuta · 10-24-2009, 01:49 PM

Hi Jim,

Congratulations on the new gear. By any chance was it you who purchased the FA version of the 200mm? Looks very nice and the prices was really attractive.

One thing about the original 645 body that is better than the 645N is for long exposures over 30 seconds. This is where the original 645 is better than the 645N. So, if you do any night photography/astrophotography you might want to consider hanging onto it.

Yuri

Originally Posted by jbrowning

Last weekend I went ahead and ordered a 645n and 200mm f/4 645 lens from KEH and they just arrived today. Wow these are in great shape for the price. I can't wait to get out tomorrow with it and run a couple of rolls of black and white film through it. So I guess I will be having a 645 body for sale pretty soon with a 120 or 220 back. I am thinking I might keep the 75mm f/2 lens that came with it though.

Jim

*jbrowning* · 10-24-2009, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Nesster

Congrats - please post your findings re. viewfinder usefulness in manual focus!

Thanks Nesster, I will be posting some of findings later on today. I was very happy with the in focus confirmation that the Pentax 645N showed.

Originally Posted by bc_the_path

I believe you should keep the 75mm, definitely.
I am very happy with my 645N and the three lenses, all bought from KEH.
Constant pleasure!
Wish you many happy shootings, as well

KEH has won me over that's for sure. I am very happy with my purchases from them. I am certainly thinking about keeping the 75mm I do like using it. What lenses do you have and how do you like them?

Thanks
Jim

Originally Posted by fs999

Have you tried the 150mm 2.8 ? It has more sharpness than the 75mm...

That price on that 150mm 2.8 is a little bit out of my price range at the moment. It does look like a very nice lens though.

Thanks
Jim

Originally Posted by yurihuta

Hi Jim,

Congratulations on the new gear. By any chance was it you who purchased the FA version of the 200mm? Looks very nice and the prices was really attractive.

One thing about the original 645 body that is better than the 645N is for long exposures over 30 seconds. This is where the original 645 is better than the 645N. So, if you do any night photography/astrophotography you might want to consider hanging onto it.

Yuri

Thank Yuri, I don't think mine is the FA version. It just says it is the SMC A version. It doesn't say anything about FA on the barrel. I do like doing night photography but I'm just afraid I won't be able to focus the 645. How is the 645 better than the 645N at this? I haven't looked into this aspect of it.

Thanks
Jim

Well I have developed my first two rolls of film through the 645N and I have noticed the first roll of film is only showing 10 shots instead of the normal 15. The frames where the other 5 shots are at is clear (not black) and this is the last 5 shots on the roll of film. I am noticing after about the 7th shot on the roll that the next roll of film isn't spaced like it should be. The second roll of film looks fantastic. I will be scanning them both later on today and post the findings today.

Thanks
Jim

*jbrowning* · 10-25-2009, 03:51 PM

Here are the results from the 645N and 200mm and 75mm lenses that I have. These were taken with the TMAX 100 and TMAX 400. I am thinking about making part of the pictures colored. Like adding blue to the sky. Has anyone tried that here and if so what did you think of the outcome?

All have been touched up in PS. Just clearing up the electronic noise and played with levels and contrast some.

Thanks
Jim

yurihuta · 10-26-2009, 06:08 AM

The original 645 allows for longer exposures. Nothing to do with focusing. So, if you are doing star trails or night car traffic (streaks of light) - long exposure photographs, the 645 allows longer exposures than the 645N.

Originally Posted by jbrowning

Thank Yuri, I don't think mine is the FA version. It just says it is the SMC A version. It doesn't say anything about FA on the barrel. I do like doing night photography but I'm just afraid I won't be able to focus the 645. How is the 645 better than the 645N at this? I haven't looked into this aspect of it.

Thanks
Jim