Originally posted by Markpszk ok,
I get the Professional thing.
I probably should of used the term: Technically superior for what I have in mind for my retirement.
Yes! it's photography.
What I want to have the capability of, is to be able to blow-up and print large format photographs.
like 2' X 3' minimum. 5' X 8' possibly. and maybe larger in-order to be the main focus for a large commercial wall. Bring life into the Architecture of a space; so to speak.
Could be abstract/ could be landscapes/ could be anything.
Although I can foresee some photos having merit to be out-of-focus, I would also like to have some photos spot-on focus like...blow away spot-on focus.
Would that be directing me to the 645Z camera? and can I use the lenses I have with that body?
645z is the highest resolution Pentax / Ricoh available. And it has the most dynamic range sensor. So for some types of photos, Landscapes for example, there’s some advantage to using it. However, at these sizes the Brenizer method (
Brenizer Method - Wikipedia) may be the best approach as the file sizes needed for 300dpi are massive. 100dpi may be sufficient depending on planned viewing distances. Here’s a link that gives some guidelines on the size of file needed for various print sizes (
How Large Can I Print My Digital Image? ? Pro Photo Supply ).
Given the relatively small gap in the k1 vs 645z and the expense of medium format and given your desired print sizes I’d guess you could stay with the K1 - but there could be some benefits to going with the 645z. The tripod and head would necessarily need to be larger and stiffer and your workflow on the computer with large files will require more horsepower so to speak. I’m honestly unsure if the budget is enough to switch to the 645z and potentially upgrade the computer/monitor and tripod and any positioning gear needed for precision shooting using this method. My gut says that the existing gear is pretty good and investing in making it work may be a better choice than gear chasing. Perhaps a high grade prime to use as your Brenziner lens would be useful. The D FA 85 comes to mind.
Obviously spare bodies etc become less of a consideration if the earlier Pro comments were about quality not commercial work.
Edit: 5’x8’ at 300dpi needs an original file that is 18000x28800 pixels. The k1 produces a file that has Max. image resolution: 7360 x 4912; the 645z produces a file with Max. image resolution: 8256 x 6192. (Sourced from digicamdb.com). Note also that the ratio of pixels is not the same so while the final ratio may seem to make one or the other format more appropriate, using this method already involves composing without a single view in the camera and requires many images taken in a single session which probably takes the ratio largely out of play.
Bear in mind another possible path is to use sophisticated software like Gigapixel. Here’s an article on the Fuji GFX 100 and how useless the pixel Shift feature is vs using this software.
https://petapixel.com/2021/06/21/fujifilms-pixel-shift-feature-in-the-gfx-10...rly-pointless/. I’m not suggesting the Fuji (although a fine camera I think swapping systems is beyond the budget given the body costs 10k and there are other expenses to consider). I’m suggesting the use of the same software perhaps with the Brenizer method as the base for some images.