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Pentax 67II

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12 99,105 Sat April 24, 2021
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
92% of reviewers $1,454.00 8.78
Pentax 67II

Pentax 67II
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Pentax 67II
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Pentax 67II
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Pentax 67II
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Pentax 67II
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Description:
67II
Year introduced
1998
Mount
Pentax 6x7 dual bayonet
Meter range
2 - 21 EV (AE pentaprism viewfinder)
Meter pattern
m (6 segment) c s
ISO range
6 - 6400
Film type
120 and 220 roll film
No. of exposures
120 film: 10, 220 film: 21
Data imprint on film
No
Exposure modes
Av, M, B, X, T
Exposure compensation
+/- 3 EV
Exposure memory lock
Yes
Shutter speeds (auto)
30 - 1/1000s
Shutter speeds (manual)
4 - 1/1000s
Shutter speeds (mechanical)
None
Half step speeds in M and Tv
No
Self timer
Yes
Mirror lock-up
Yes
Auto bracketing
No
Multiple exposures
Yes
Winder
No
Built-in flash
No
TTL flash
Yes
P-TTL flash
No
Sync speed
1/30s
Flash exposure comp
No
Autofocus
No
Autofocus sensitivity
Not applicable
Viewfinder
Exchangeable. Pentaprism 0.75x magnification and 90% coverage, waist level 100% coverage
Viewfinder type
Pentaprism, AE pentaprism with light meter and Av autoexposure, folding waist level, rigid waist level magnifying hood
Diopter correction
-2.5 - +1.5
Exchangeable screen
Yes
Depth of field preview
Yes (on lens)
Image size
55 x 70 mm
Battery
2c CR123A
External battery pack
No
Size (W x H x D)
185.5 x 151 x 106 mm (with AE prism, wothout lens)
Weight
1660 g with AE pentaprism finder
Comment
Accepts leaf shutter lens for flash synchronization to 1/500s.
The AE pentaprism with lightmeter couples to the shutter speed and aperture and provides for Av autoexposure and manual 'match needle' exposure
Price History:



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Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 1-12 of 12
New Member

Registered: August, 2012
Posts: 13
Review Date: February 15, 2013 Not Recommended | Price: $1,450.00 | Rating: 1 

 
Pros: AE Prism
Cons: Poor quality; film advance prone to breakdown

I have tried two Pentax 67ii camera bodies over the last two years. On both occasions, the body suffered from defects in the film advance mechanism. The film advance lever binds and will not advance the film. This can happen when loading a roll, or mid-roll. Either way, it renders the body useless and completely destroys confidence. I searched the internet, this problem is pervasive and well-known.

Get the Pentax 6x7 MLU instead.
   
Loyal Site Supporter

Registered: October, 2018
Location: Quebec City, Quebec
Posts: 6,493

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: April 24, 2021 Recommended | Price: $2,600.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Modern features, aperture priority auto-exposure, wonderful viewfinder image, excellent light metering and remarkable P67 lenses.
Cons: None except it uses film.


   
New Member

Registered: September, 2010
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 15, 2020 Recommended | Price: $2,000.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Ergonomics, compensation dial, metering options, bright focus screen, exposure lock, lenses
Cons: 75% finder mag cf 100% for 6x7 and 67, film loading not as easy as a Fuji 645zi

This is the second P67ii I have owned. The first one I purchased with boxes, 105mm lens and grip (with connector), strap for USD1500 in 2011. This current one was USD2000 in Nov 2020, just for the body and non TTL flash grip, however it seems almost unused. The first body I had developed a problem with a solenoid which sometimes (in colder weather) prevented the film advance from operating. I wasn't able to find anyone to replace the solenoid and in the end the technician adjusted a cam that prevented the dead solenoid from locking the film advance. This meant that when loading a film it was possible to continue winding the film to the end so it was necessary to watch the film counter and stop on 1. Once the shutter was released, the film advance operated normally, locking between frames as it should and releasing after the shutter was tripped. I sold this with its defect, and continued using a P6x7 body for a few years. I missed the benefits of the 67ii and eventually purchased this current one. The 67ii well designed with all the knobs in the right places. The righthand grip and shutter release and film advance are well thought out. The meter is accurate with the useful exposure lock and spot feature. Aperture priority makes this camera very convenient to use. The focus screen is twice as bright at the 6x7/67 models. The exposure compensation dial makes the use of filters easy (with yellow K2 on lens and B&W film, use +1/3). With a prime lens up to 105mm, the total weight is about 2.5 - 2.7kg (3.2kg with 55-100mm zoom) compared with a Hasselblad with finder and 80mm lens 1.9kg. For the extra weight you get a 6x7 negative, fast lenses and better ergonomics (A priority, coupled metering). The wide range of Pentax lenses with their SMC are super. Also, I have used the dedicated flash with the 67ii and 105mm lens shooting at 1/30, and I achieved 100% success rate. The camera has been properly designed with its mirror dampening and the wooden grip, to enable handheld images at 1/30s. Overall, it is a very easy camera to use and is very versatile with a great selection of lenses. Favourite lens is the 75mm f/4.5.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: October, 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,437

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: June 24, 2016 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Meter, interface, image quality, ergonomics
Cons: No mid-roll change, no hot shoe w/o grip, no LCD illumination, viewfinder displays frame count now aperture (without modification)

This is one of the most amazing photographic experiences a photographer can have, and that's reflected in the value retention these have shown. New, they had an MSRP of around $3,600 with a 105mm lens (that was sold separately for around $1,100.) The cameras, today, with a kit lens are around $700 to $1,300, representing much less of a value loss than old AE-1 bodies that retailed for $300 and can now be had for around $10-20 on a good day.

But this is a much different class and caliber of camera. The 67II shoots amazing images. Complex metering settings are as hard for it as a Sunday drive is for a rally racer. Set in auto mode, this camera delivers consistent and excellent metering.

If you're looking for an easy entry into the most recent generation of medium-format cameras, this is your choice. The 67II is the finest camera that Pentax ever made in terms of stats and specs when weighed against capabilities and results.

The camera's not flawless, though. The hot shoe is only on the wooden grip. But if you have it, the shot shoe with the TTL meter allows TTL flash metering with compatible Pentax flashes, and that's fantastic. The camera does not allow mid-roll film changes, like the RB and RZ series. For me, that's a huge drawback and for professionals is the reason some of them carried two to four of these bodies. The LCD does not illuminate, which other cameras of the time did. That's simply an oversight and a weakness. Also, unless you or a previous owner had the camera modified by Pentax, the viewfinder display shows the remaining frames and not the aperture. Even with the modification, the process of displaying the aperture is a bit wonky.

But those are minor complaints and, ultimately, this camera is a joy to shoot with.



















   
Pentaxian

Registered: March, 2007
Location: Greater Copenhagen Area
Posts: 428

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: May 21, 2015 Recommended | Price: $800.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Handling/ergonomics; AE, extended shutter range, multi-segment metering, ML, EV-comp. +/- 3 EV; diopter adjustment; multi-exposure; LCD-panel; easier MLU; TTL; price (compared to competition)
Cons: Weight; lack of strap lugs on the right-hand side; no electronic remote release; 90 % view (with the AE prism); no external battery pack; no digital back (like Mamiya RX67); price (compared to Pentax 6x7/67)

How does one rate a camera such as this?
At the time of writing the Pentax 67 II has a rating of 8.00, whilst the 67 has 8.50 and the 6x7 8.75. That can't be right, surely. The 67 II is a much better, much improved camera compared to its older siblings, but also more expensive, of course. But can price alone be a negative factor when the camera is much newer and improved in a number of ways?

What's improved:
Ergonomics are much better on this latest iteration of the Pentax 67 camera. With its sizeable right-hand grip it is much easier to hold and to focus with the left hand. The mirro-lock up knob is within easy reacy of the shutter finger.
With its electonic shutter and AE prism with exposure info in the viewfinder it is a much more modern camera than its older siblings. Shutter speeds go from 30 sec to 1/1000 on auto and 4 sec to 1/1000 on manual. TTL flash is possible.
Whilst still a heavy beast it is more than 200 g lighter than the 6x7 with wooden grip attached (1730 g vs 1940 g - both versions with metering finder).

What's missing:
Strap lugs on the right-hand side, electonic remote/cable release, external battery pack.

I have only had mine for a short time. Image quality is of course the same, but the improved ergonomics and metering makes it much faster and easier to use handheld. It is still a heavy beast to lug around as a street camera, though ;-)

I have used the older Pentax 6x7/67 for some years, and they are great cameras in their own right, but this version is simply better in a number of ways. It has to be a 10.
   
New Member

Registered: March, 2012
Location: Ogden, Utah, USA
Posts: 10

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: March 2, 2015 Recommended | Price: $1,100.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: easy grip, good prism, large negatives, simple to use
Cons: heavy

This is the best camera I have ever owned. It's a heavy beast that takes wonderful photos, because of its large negatives.
   
Site Supporter

Registered: October, 2008
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 8,085

6 users found this helpful
Review Date: January 10, 2014 Recommended | Price: $1,128.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: User interchangeable focusing screens, TTL flash support & redesigned metered prism.
Cons: Not as nice looking as the older 6x7/67 bodies.

After being in production for almost 30 years the Pentax 6x7/67 cameras & TTL metered prism finally got a complete overhaul in 1998. This new 67II & AE metered prism were designed to work together and are a completely different shooting experience.

Improvements/Additions from the 6x7/67:
- A redesigned metered AE prism with diopter adjustment, eyepiece blind, exposure compensation and three metering modes. The AE prism mounts/dismounts like a regular prism and the linkage chain from the older models has been removed.
- Aperture priority (With AE prism)
- Improved shutter speed range; 1/1000 – 30 sec. in Auto or 1/1000 – 4 sec. in Manual.
- User interchangeable focusing screens. (6 standard and 6 telephoto “bright” screens)
- TTL flash support with the 67II hot-shoe grip.
- Battery grip on the right side and the 67II now uses two CR123A lithium batteries.
- Improved ISO range 6 - 6400.
- Memory lock function.
- Self timer mode.
- Multiple exposure mode.
- Time exposure mode.


Missing from the 67II:
- Right side strap/grip lugs.
- The remote cold weather battery cord will not work with the 67II.


Summary:
Having TTL flash support by adding the optional 67II hot-shoe grip is a big plus. I’m using the AF500FTZ and it works perfectly. The interchangeable focusing screens are also great and I have four. (BA-61 micro-prism & BB-61 split-image for general use, BG-60 cross-lined for landscape/shift tripod work and the BG-80 cross-lined “bright” screen for macro/telephoto work)

The 67II is a great camera and has tons of features without being ruined by having auto focusing. The only negative for me is the “looks” of the camera, which I don’t like as much as the older 6x7/67 cameras. The 67II looks modern, while the 6x7/67 have the old classic look. If you want a Pentax 6x7 system body and use a TTL meter this is your best bet. If you want to use a waist lever finder and use hand held metering, then the older 6x7/67 bodies are all you need. The 67II body and AE metered prism are a complete package and really should be used together to make use of all the features. Well done Pentax!


Price:
The price indicated is for a boxed mint Pentax 67II body & AE metered prism. There no signs of use and the manual, warranty cards & strap were included.
   
New Member

Registered: July, 2012
Location: Worthing, West Sussex
Posts: 7
Review Date: June 7, 2013 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A 

 
Pros:
Cons:

tnabbott
Have you still got your 67IIs and how much do you want for it/them?
   
Senior Member

Registered: June, 2010
Location: Hamburg
Posts: 267

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: December 31, 2011 Recommended | Price: $1,100.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: gorgeous image quality, excellent light metering, wooden grip
Cons: HUGE!, slow

I come from Nikon 35mm. The D700 is my workhorse for my daily work and a great camera, no question.
If I want to shoot with more muse, patience & ease, if I want excellent image quality for fine art photography, if I want more depths in my pictures: I use my Pentax 67II. I love this camera, right from the start when I got it two years ago and thought it was broken when I first heard the mirror hit - loudly and fiercely.
It has personality: a few little idiosyncrasies here and there but overall overwhelmingly phantastic in handling and image quality. It is bulky, yes, but an eyeturner. It is not perfect but definetely beautiful and very forgiving. The wooden grip: like a bowing salute to the old days. The lens range: with a few exceptions from the early 6x7 times the sharpest ever and at eye level with Mamiya and Hasselblad.

I come from digital Nikon. I love it. My Pentax 67II, though, is the finest camera I have ever worked with.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: May, 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,971

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: May 9, 2011 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Image quality.
Cons: Never an upgrade to AF or digital.

As far as all the film medium format Pentax cameras go, this was tops for me. I didn't want to stop at 6x4.5 and also wasn't a fan of the 6x6 Hasselblad, so I went straight to the 67II, with it's ultra large 6x7 negatives. A sharp lens system, AE prism finder, and updated body made this an attractive buy over the old 6x7 and 67 versions.

Quite heavy, but nothing a Manfrotto tripod couldn't handle. Combined with mirror lock up and a cable release, I used this camera for countless high quality documentary style images without ever worrying about camera shake. Also used handheld at the right shutter speeds, this is a very comfortable camera to hold.

One problem after using this camera is that all the new Pentax DSLR's feel miniscule in my hands! Sadly, Pentax never upgraded this format like they did with their 645 system, going to AF and ultimately now to digital. I wish they would bring out a medium format digital camera in this body style, as I prefer it over the boxy 645.
   
Inactive Account

Registered: March, 2010
Location: Woodinville WA
Posts: 1

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: April 21, 2010 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A 

 
Pros:
Cons:

I bought my first 6x7 in 1974 along with a 135 macro lens. I still have the camera and still love it. Since then I have bought 5 other 67 bodies and 18 lenses.
I lived 2 miles from the west coast Pentax rep and she would let me try all the lenses. What an evil lady! She had a tiger head shot of mine shot with a SMC 300 mm F4 that I had printed 30x40 in the Pentax booth late in the last century.
When I heard Pentax was stopping production on the medium format cameras I searched to find a 67II. I bought a really good used one from B-H and went out to shoot New York, Steam town, and of course my grand kids.
There are some really good upgrades on this camera. The viewfinder on the AE prism has the eye correction on it and you don't have to keep spare diopter lenses for it when your eyes change (they do as you get older you know) I think the viewfinder is brighter and/or easier to focus with all my lenses. I have not had a bad exposure yet with the AE prism and I just love the TTL flash.
I ran out and bought the 540 AF flash for it and love the low light capabilities. I used a 300 mm F4. telephoto in a jazz club to shoot a singer in really low light TTLwith great success. It is even better with macro work. My favorite trick is to put 400 ISO film in it and shoot the 400 mm ED-IF lens with animals and action. Like I said I am a serious amateur not a pro and I have not had a bad exposure yet!
I held off writing this until I bought a second 67II body with AE prism. I have loved my 6x7's and 67's over the years and still shoot my first one. But, after 35 years of them I am switching over to the newer 67II. It's that much better.
Easier to shoot and with the same Pentax quality. The things I used to worry about like exposure and focus are history.
Combine this camera with Velvia film and a tripod and hit the mirror lock up before you shoot and you will be amazed. Then get a 500 mb scan - you'll see.
Enjoy, FW
   
Junior Member

Registered: May, 2009
Location: S. Ontario
Posts: 30

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 23, 2009 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A 

 
Pros:
Cons:

I'm surprised not to find any review or words about the 67ii. I've been using a P67 for a few years now for both astrophotography and landscape. A great rugged camera and well suited for astro with a battery bypass device developed by my friend.

I recently acquired a 67ii and can state that it surpasses the functionality of the older 67. Ergonomically - it seems to naturally fit the hands, and all functions to adjust exposure, MLU, ISO - everything is right where it should be. Additional features like a internal shade to block stray light from entering the view finder which could change the exposure reading, especially when using the timer mode. Timer mode, matrix, centre, or spot meter, which brings me to the AE prism.

The single most improved feature is the addition of AE and metering. Many times in low light conditions, the older 67 would require your to play with half stops on the lens to get the meter as close to the -< as possible, with the shutter dial being adjusted between .2 and .4. With AE on manual - the display visible in the view finder would show a .2 or .4 as the shutter speed selected. Switch to AE function and the in-between setting of .3 comes up. Adjust the lever to Auto on the lens, turn the dial and view the DOF, and fire away - knowing the best shutter speed is being selected for that exposure. Great for fast shooting situations.

Once you stop down the lens - the metering system automatically goes from matrix - for wide open wide angle shots - to centre weighted to average the scene. Select Spot - to get into those special lighting situations. In either case - AE is right there to select shutter speed, and it is displayed in the "heads up" view finder.

If you want to have more control - turn the EV dial to jump into manual mode. Dial in + or - exposure by 1/3 stop - up to 3 full stops in total. No need to reach around for the stop dial on the lens. It's all right there.

The frame counter is also shown in the heads up display. This can be changed - albeit by having the camera program changed - to display the f stop instead. Much more useful for my purposes.

Lastly - it meters with either inner - or outer lens ring connection. I've used the 67ii for astro photos with my Tec telescope at f7. The field flattener from Tec is designed to have the 67 cameras attached directly using the outside ring. Takes a bit of practice, but work well and locks up solid. I also use the 1.4x converter turning the scope into f/10. When you first turn on the camera with the finger lever, the meter will show a confused figure - and an arbitrary shutter speed that is way off the mark. Wait for the display to extinguish after 20 seconds, the activate the meter by touching the shutter button, or go manual. The meter will usually display the corrected value. Mine first showed 4s when turned on with the Tec, then cycling the AE changed the shutter speed to .4. I was shooting a 1/2 moon at the time.

In simplified terms - if you are serious about medium format photography, and love your older P67 or 6x7 camera, then get your hands on a 67ii. Once you do - you will NEVER let go. It's that good.
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