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03-22-2013, 08:20 AM   #1
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645D and Long Exposure

Hello all this is my 1st post here. I making the jump into medium format and I am trying to decide between the 645D and the PhaseOne P45+.

I am a fine art photographer who will probably never use the camera in a studio. I primary focus on landscape long exposure work. The main reason for the switch is the need to print large with quality. My canon 5d mkII is just not cutting anymore. My buyers are constantly asking for larger print size than I can get with the 5D MKII.

My main question about the 645D is its long exposure capabilities. I really like everything about the system but I am having trouble getting good info on long exposures. I know about the dark frame thing and I can live with it. What I don't know is how long the 645D is capable of shoot a single exposure and still look good.

Can some of you guys with experience with the 645D chime in here? I'm not looking to go for an hour long like the P45+ but I would like to know if I can reach about 10-15mins if needed. I mostly shoot between 30 and 150 sec. I have some nighttime projects in mind that will require some much longer exposures maybe reaching into the 10-15mins realm.

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

03-23-2013, 02:02 AM   #2
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Check out The Luminous Landscape for more information about the camera and back in question. From what I've gathered from my time spend there (and I spend quite a lot of time there - too much I'd say), the P45 is the better option for large prints and long exposure.

Of course, the best option would be for one of the new 260 or 280 Phase One backs, but do you have deep enough pockets?
03-23-2013, 04:02 AM   #3
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I love my 645D , but, this week i took a Phase 180 IQ for a test drive.....there is no comparison.......totally different animals...........
03-24-2013, 04:33 PM   #4
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Hi good luck with your choice, buy the best you can afford is my motto... re LE, longest i have shot with the 645D is 4 mins, copes with it very well, make sure you also invest in a SOLID tripod as well though and use the little IR remote ..all basic stuff which i doubt i need to mention... not into star trails etc per se, really only use the LE for smoothing water and cloud streaks... re the bloody dark exposure i, i think its down to the heat generated by the bigger sensor... there are threads that say it can be turned off, but i have tried and updated firmware and still it cant be turned off, pleasde correct me if im wrong.. So it comes down to timing on sunsets/sunrises... as time and colour moves quick at these times... good luck... Go the Phase i guess if you have the cash..
I also print large have a Canon IPF 44 Inch and the prints off the Penty are fantastic...

03-24-2013, 07:19 PM   #5
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Original Poster
Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies...My pockets are definitely not deep enough to get the IQ260 & I do own the best tripod I could find, Really Right Stuff... The p45+ is no doubt a solid choice but I want to make sure before I spent my very hard earned money that I look at all the options. If the 645d can do the job I will go with, but like I said before its hard to know. Very little is written about long exposures and the 645D. Still searching...
03-24-2013, 07:55 PM   #6
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I think if you're keeping the exposures in the 30 sec - 5 min range the 645D should be pretty good, though you may need to clean up some noise. If it's less than two mins I'd say the files will look great. I did a few 30 min star trail exposures with it in Yosemite Valley last spring and found the files to be pretty noisy. I cleaned up much of the noise in post, but the files had still lost some of that sharpness due to the noise. I've never worked with the Phase One, but given that it's also a CCD sensor (to my knowledge anyway, correct me if I'm wrong) it will probably have the same noise issues from the sensor heating up from the long exposures. The long exposure files of 10+ minutes won't be anywhere as clean as those from the 5D mark II, though given it has twice the MP the final print may end up looking about the same once the NR is applied.
03-27-2013, 08:51 AM   #7
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I shoot in the 3-5 minute range with the 645D and the files are fine. 10-15 min, I have not tried. The 645D will apply a dark frame, so a 15 min exposure will take 30 minutes.

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