[Giklab]

Offtopic slightly http://www.dirtygreet.com/kr.html

[elliott]

The idiot wants a digital back with no added buttons. What does he want it to have, super intelligence linkage so it automatically knows how he wants the white balance set?

Everything should be handled by (P)rofessional mode, there is no need for other settings or modes, those are just confusing.

[Ryan Tischer]

Everything should be handled by (P)rofessional mode, there is no need for other settings or modes, those are just confusing.

I shoot everything in fully manual (M) mode, but as a professional I'd never cut town a camera manufacturer for offering automatic settings, which in certain circumstances may be useful...just so they can be turned off when I don't want to use them.

[elliott]

I shoot everything in fully manual (M) mode, but as a professional I'd never cut town a camera manufacturer for offering automatic settings, which in certain circumstances may be useful...just so they can be turned off when I don't want to use them.

Me too, mostly because my most used lenses don't have auto exposure contacts.

I wasn't seriously suggesting anyone should use (P) for everything, that is just one of Ken's wonderful ideas. He often brags about how many of his shots were taken with (P) mode. He is the one who coined it "Professional Mode", even though nearly every true professional recommends against it. Everyone who reads his advice should remember that he makes money from his site, not his photos.

[stevebrot]

You know, sort of like an older wiser version of RiceHigh

Ha! Ha! Larger family too! (His "beg" line on his Web site references the ever-growing family...)

To give the man credit, it was on the basis of his review that I bought my Zenitar fisheye. He also is fond of Pentax MF film cameras.


Steve

[hcarvalhoalves]

It's the first time I see someone complaining there are too many features in a pro camera.

This guy wins the internet.

[GabrielFFontes]

It's the first time I see someone complaining there are too many features in a pro camera.

This guy wins the internet.

haha, true

[magkelly]

He's photography's version of Rush Limbaugh or Howard Stern. Shock jock, shrug. I do the same thing I do with either of them. Put him on ignore. Does anyone actually thinks any of these men has the credence of a gnat. I doubt it. They're just looking for ratings and adoration. Whatever...

[phonoline]

This review is pretty old, I wonder why it pops up now.
I have read a couple of good reviews on his site that were helpful in making decisions on some purchases, and I have never been dissappointed. I too think the 645D has too many bullshit buttons and functions pros don't need but I also think the 645D isn't neccessarily a total pro cam. It is for landscape photography but definetely not for anything else. Show me one pro who does high class fashion photography with the 645D.

[boriscleto]

Camera buying advice from a professional photographer | Xtranormal

[Yamanobori]

This review is pretty old, I wonder why it pops up now.
I have read a couple of good reviews on his site that were helpful in making decisions on some purchases, and I have never been dissappointed. I too think the 645D has too many bullshit buttons and functions pros don't need but I also think the 645D isn't neccessarily a total pro cam. It is for landscape photography but definetely not for anything else. Show me one pro who does high class fashion photography with the 645D.

Are you channeling Ken now? And which "bullshit" button and functions don't pros need? I use the 645D in the studio and on the street.

I found this with a simple Google search:

My Review of Pentax 645D from Fashion Shoot! With pics

Fashion Shoot with 645D (Not Safe for Work): Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Pentax 645D Review from Adorama Learning Center

[phonoline]

Those samples you post are not high class fashion photography. Noone working in the upper class of fashion photography works with the 645D. Noone ever used the 645 for fashion so why use the 645D now? There's no interchangeable back, LS lenses are rare. Pentax will never challenge Phase One, Hasselblad or Sinar with the 645D system - this cam was made for medium format beginners and for professional landscape photographers. That's it. And I don't neccessarily mean it in a negative way.

As far as pointless buttons are concerned, I can name two: flashmode & picture mode (or however the function is called where you can pick different colour modes). Noone needs these.

Don't get me wrong, I love the 645D. But in some points I can second what Ken writes about.

[phonoline]

Camera buying advice from a professional photographer | Xtranormal

hilarious!

[Yamanobori]

Those samples you post are not high class fashion photography. Noone working in the upper class of fashion photography works with the 645D. Noone ever used the 645 for fashion so why use the 645D now? There's no interchangeable back, LS lenses are rare. Pentax will never challenge Phase One, Hasselblad or Sinar with the 645D system - this cam was made for medium format beginners and for professional landscape photographers. That's it. And I don't neccessarily mean it in a negative way.

As far as pointless buttons are concerned, I can name two: flashmode & picture mode (or however the function is called where you can pick different colour modes). Noone needs these.

Don't get me wrong, I love the 645D. But in some points I can second what Ken writes about.

And your proof? You don't need interchangeable backs for fashion. You don't need LS lenses. I thought "professional" landscape photographers used MFDB with Alpa and Arca Swiss cameras. The 645D is not my first MFD camera--I am not a beginner. I don't understand when high-class fashion is done with 35mm DSLRs, it isn't done with the 645D.

So, like Ken, apart from your personal opinion, do you have proof for your assertions?

[larkis]

Those samples you post are not high class fashion photography. Noone working in the upper class of fashion photography works with the 645D. Noone ever used the 645 for fashion so why use the 645D now? There's no interchangeable back, LS lenses are rare. Pentax will never challenge Phase One, Hasselblad or Sinar with the 645D system - this cam was made for medium format beginners and for professional landscape photographers. That's it. And I don't neccessarily mean it in a negative way.

As far as pointless buttons are concerned, I can name two: flashmode & picture mode (or however the function is called where you can pick different colour modes). Noone needs these.

Don't get me wrong, I love the 645D. But in some points I can second what Ken writes about.

I work in advertising production as a day job and the tools used on the high end are as much about the established brand name as they are about quality. Sure certain cameras for motion such as the phantom don't really have competition, but for tools of the same quality from different manufacturers, they are generally picked on brand name preference of the client. Hasselblad and phase is what a lot of clients that pay great sums of money for their campaigns expect to see during a shoot. Not because another camera can't do the job but because there is a strong brand perception of quality still hanging on from the years past. Sure Hasselblad has more features that cater to fashion but very few of them have to do with image quality in the post film era.

As far as Ken Rockwell, I think he runs a joke/spoof site. No one serious would write some of the articles he writes. He is clearly a fan of a few pieces of gear and if a new camera does not follow that format he disregards it as "crap". I also believe he has "reviews" written before equipment gets officially announced (perhaps just changes the model name and few key specs from what they were not he rumour sites) and posts them the minute the announcements happen to funnel traffic to his site. It's very obvious he does not test or use most of the equipment listed on his website.

He reminds me of this guy:

You Tube

You Tube