[devermb]

At:

Amazon.com: Pentax 645D 40MP Medium Format Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD Screen (Black): Camera & Photo

we read this: According to DATA sheet, shutter is rated for (only) 50,000 actuations (3)

Does this mean that the camera has to be repaired after every 50,000 shots?

Some people using the Pentax 645D, on the web, say that the ISO for this cameras only goes to 1000, whereas others say 1600. Which is it?

[Ryan Tischer]

The ISO goes to 1600 in 'extended' mode. Personally, I find 1600 a bit noisy, but many find it perfectly acceptable.


The shutter is rated for 50K actuations. It may last longer than that....it may not, I suppose depending on usage conditions and luck. A few people on the forum have had shutters repaired, and I think the cost came to around $1000 USD, plus a month or two down time while it was in for repairs. Hopefully, others can offer their personal experiences in this regard.


I only have about 14K on my 645D and purchased it back in March 2012...I better get out and do some more shooting!

[devermb]

IS 50,000 actus the norm for medium formats, with 1000$ repair...?

[Royce Howland]

Shutter failure & repair with the 645D has been discussed in previous threads, just search the forum. I'm one who had my 645D shutter fail right around 50K, but I avoided the repair cost because it was still under warranty. I shoot a fair amount of frames compared to most medium format users, and I work in a pretty strong range of outdoor conditions from cold to wet to hot to dusty. Medium format cameras are usually designed with a very different shooting and usage profile compared to 35mm gear, typically intended for low volume work.

I can't say a 50K actuation shutter rating is standard for other MF vendors but it doesn't seem unreasonable to me, even though mine actually did fail. $1000 repair cost is probably cheap compared to other MF cameras that cost much more than the 645D. The mirror & shutter assembly is the primary mechanical component in the camera and this is a very low-volume, niche market product therefore relatively higher cost of parts and labour.

Extended ISO goes to 1600, as noted above. It is grainy but usable depending on the circumstances and image use.

[Pål Jensen]

50 000 is the number where the manufacturer guarantees that the unit is within factory specification. It is not the number where the unit self destruct. These numbers are set very conservatively; particularly for bodies that are suspected to be destined for heavy professional use...