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03-11-2012, 09:29 PM   #1
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67 800mm M* 6.7

i cant tell you where one of these is for sale because Adam will admonish me (again)......but, has anyone shot with one , specifically on a 645D ? There was a user here named surfotog who said he had all the big glass and perhaps ron boggs has or had an M* 800mm?

So does anyone have experience shooting with this lens ? My" big glass for Pentax" experience is limited to a 67 600mm f4 , which is a chromatic nightmare.....and my Canon FD 600mm which i converted to 645D and shoots great pics......alas, a teleconverter ruins everything........so, can anyone share experience with the 67 800mm M*?

thanks

03-12-2012, 08:48 AM   #2
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Yeah that one has been for sale for the last 4 months that I know of. It comes up for a couple weeks then disappears for a couple weeks and comes back... Supporting the thing without shaking will be your biggest fight. I think the focusing mechanism on these looks interesting and have always wondered if it was faster than the standard design. Not much information out on it but here is what I have seen.

Luminous landscape

I was looking for long glass for the 645 system. I opted to go with the 645 A* 600mm 5.6 than this lens. If I had bought this lens the jump from 300mm to 800mm would have been too great and I would have needed a 400mm... If you're really interested I bet the seller would come down in price as it has seen a couple price drops already...

Edit:
Yeah, as tuco says the weight issue too especially for travel. Small planes in Africa really limit your luggage weight or rake the price up (buying two of the six seats sorta deal).

Last edited by atlnq9; 03-12-2012 at 09:28 AM.
03-12-2012, 09:16 AM   #3
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In the old days, people would use a pack mule to carry their 8x10 gear. It looks like you'd be reliving the good Ol' days with that lens.
03-12-2012, 04:37 PM   #4
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672-
I too own a 600 f/4 for the 6x7. I wrote the test on it here in Pentax forums. One thing I can say about it is that the chromatic really drops off quickly as you stop down (huge difference in color correction by lens zone-- AKA spherochromatism). When I add a Pentax 1.4X converter and stop the lens down to at least f/13, the performance is pretty good. It gives you 840mm and the 1.4x doesn't seem to add to the color aberrations. The performance is even better at f/22. Of course the 800 EDIF has no color fringing wide open but you PAY for it.

03-14-2012, 10:18 PM   #5
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Yes, I have "played" with an M*800 that was for sale in a small shop in Idaho, but that was many years ago...The focusing is a worm gear knob that absolutely can't be anywhere near as fast as the standard focus rings we are all used to...though I've never played with the worm gear in the field. I did rack it back and forth for about half an hour in that little shop and still remember the feel quite vividly. My impression was that this focus system is not designed for quick focus or following action, but rather to dial in very precise focus with virtually no risk of "bumping" it out of focus like a tiny touch of a focus ring can do. The focus tension on that worm gear is nicely tight and precise.

My M*400 is still in the marketplace, but it's probably only available by search as I haven't bumped the post in eons...I did add a couple nicely detailed and subtly colorful landscape extraction photos taken through the lens if you want to see what an M* is capable of.

From my experience with M* medium format and FA* and A* lenses for small format, the * lenses are phenomenally better for color cast, aberrations and contrast. Back in about '94 I was shooting an osprey pair on a nest in my neighborhood with the SMC 500/4.5 non-star lens side by side with my neighbor who I loaned an FA*300/4.5 the difference was absolutely shocking! I sold the non-star telephoto within days of getting the slides back and ordered a used F*600/4 from KEH and have never even considered shooting through a non-star telephoto since. Upgraded to an FA*600 shortly thereafter and have never looked back.

I too generally hate teleconverters though there are two exceptions for me and one is the M*400 with 1.4x. I really can't tell the difference between with and without teleconverter shots and I'm one picky sob. Read the Luminous Landscape review and test and check out the photos in their test for yourself...pretty amazing actually. The other teleconverter combo that measures up to my picky standard is the A*200/4 macro with 1.4XL for small format. I've shot many dozens of published images through that combo back in the film days. I use an FA*200/4 macro with a Pentax multi-element close up lens originally for 67 telephoto lenses now when I need to get beyond 1:1 in small format. Pentax made fantastic pro quality close up lenses for the medium format systems...I have several and all are stunningly sharp with resolving power that goes well beyond what you might expect.

Forgot about the A*300/2.8 with the 1.4XL...also a very acceptable teleconverter combo but not likely of any help for our medium format outfits...I guess it's just another proof that even a teleconverter hater can find an exception every now and then.

Last edited by Ron Boggs; 03-14-2012 at 10:24 PM.
03-15-2012, 11:40 AM   #6
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Greetings all. it's been a while since I've visited, but saw the thread on the M* 800/6.7 and since i own one, thought I'd chime in.

First, I have never used it on a 645D, so can't comment on it's peformance on a high resolution sensor. I would love to spend a couple of days testing this combination.
I've had the lens for a couple of years, but it has seen limited use, due largely to it's sheer bulk. It weighs about the same as my Minolta 600/4 APO, but that lens fits easily in a Lowepro lenstrekker, the 800 does not. The 800/67II combo demands a seriously sturdy tripod and head. I use a wooden Berlebach Uni17 which weighs about 17lbs., topped with a version 1 full Wimberley head. With everthing needed for a day of shooting, I'm looking at 60+ lbs. of very bulky gear. I have found that using the M* 400 &1.4x to be a much easier settup to handle, although the lack of reach compared to the 800 dictates I alter my shooting position and subject matter.

Optical performance. No complaints here. When you get everything right, it's very sharp. When I first got the lens, I sent it to Bob Watkins for a CLA. He tested the lens when he was done working on it, and proclaimed it "tack sharp". Performance with the dedicated T5-1.4x converter is just about the same as the bare lens. In fact, I have two of the dedicated converters, and one day ran a test using both converters stacked. Very little drop in performance when the lens is stopped down just 1/2 stop.
The two stacked T5's performed better than the grey 2x converter.

The focus mechanism used on the M* 800 takes some getting used to. This type of focus was found on a number of long lenses in the 70's and early 80's. As Ron pointed out, it's not an easy lens to track moving objects, but it can be done.

672,
Reading your post I see you have a converted FD 600/4.5. An old canon 800/5.6 (non L) was my entry lens into surf photography. it was pretty sharp stopped down a bit, but it too could exhibit some serious purple fringing in the right conditions. You'll have no such issues with with the M* 800. In my experience, all the 67 M* lenses are very well corrected for CA.
If you ever find yourself in Honolulu, drop me a line. I'd be happy to spend a day testing the 800 on a 645D. I'll supply the support, and spring for a cheeseburger when the testing is done!
03-15-2012, 11:50 AM   #7
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One more thing. I find it funny when I read posts by people complaining their gear is too heavy. They grouse about carrying a few pounds around. Really?
I'm 5'9", 160lbs., in my 50's, have old injuries to my knee, ankle and shoulder which flare-up, yet still manage to haul this stuff through the sand. If you have a good, ergonomic backback, relatively heavy loads can be handled by most people.

03-15-2012, 06:47 PM   #8
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The first mile is easy!

Glad to hear your report Surfotog...been awhile.
03-15-2012, 10:57 PM   #9
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I hike A LOT with medium format gear. I hike up 1000ft (305m) gain per mile (1.6 km) trails and it is more than the camera gear you are hauling (water, food and supplies). When I was younger, I could do large amounts of weight. Today, however, I need to pay more attention to what I'm hauling. Flatter ground is easy with heavy loads.
03-16-2012, 12:13 AM   #10
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"Flatter ground is easy with heavy loads". Agreed. Unless the flatter ground is deep, soft sand. It's a great workout.
03-16-2012, 12:42 AM   #11
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Thanks for all the replys. It seems that 800 is just too big for most applications.........
03-16-2012, 11:29 AM   #12
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It's big, but if you need the reach the lens provides you can find a way to work with it. i think there are some backpacks now that will accomodate the length of the 800.
03-16-2012, 06:17 PM   #13
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Yes, you should be able to get a backpack for that lens. I ran into a wildlife guy on the trail once who had a monster Canon lens. I don't remember the focal length but it was fast and had to be every much as big as that Pentax 800mm along with the needed tripod. He had it all in a backpack. So who said MF gear was large

Last edited by tuco; 03-16-2012 at 06:58 PM.
03-17-2012, 12:13 AM   #14
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I got it

I won the auction , so , should see it in 7-10 days............will keep you posted.........
03-17-2012, 12:53 AM   #15
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Congratulations!
Waiting from some pictures taken with it.
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