[adelorenzo]

The 35mm A lens is a must-have for this system, IMHO. Prices can be high but if you are patient you can do well. Keep an eye for them to pop up on this board.

In terms of AF, my normal lens on the 645NII is the 45-85 AF. I use it in manual focus 80% of the time but the AF does work well enough. The nice thing is that these cameras have focus confirmation that works even if you are manually focusing and I find that the system is very accurate.

[AquaDome]

The 35mm A lens is a must-have for this system, IMHO. Prices can be high but if you are patient you can do well. Keep an eye for them to pop up on this board.

In terms of AF, my normal lens on the 645NII is the 45-85 AF. I use it in manual focus 80% of the time but the AF does work well enough. The nice thing is that these cameras have focus confirmation that works even if you are manually focusing and I find that the system is very accurate.

I agree. The A-35mm was one of the bigger motivators to switch from the Mamiya 6x6 TLRs. The other was hand-held operation.
I didn't know it had Auto-Focus until I researched the N-model I was offered.
I don't have any FA lenses yet. I also don't have enough arms and hands to manually operate the 80-160 hand-held while tracking a moving subject.
I can definitely see how auto-focus would be pretty-much a requirement for using the zooms for action.

My initial project is going to be architecture recognizable from Hollywood films, so that 35mm wide lens needs to happen before an auto-focus lens does.

[jon404]

@AquaDome -- about that 35mm lens -- seeing as you're in Southern California, maybe we can start a rumor that owning this 35mm lens --
1. Causes earthquakes
2. Destroys your sex drive
3. Causes the police to stop you on the 405 whenever you take it in the car
4. Causes a traffic jam on the 405 whenever you take it in the car
5. May cause Gehry's symphony hall to collapse, when you take pictures there
6. Sets off mass panic in Disneyland, when you visit Fantasyland
7. In the past, caused the Brown Derby to be demolished
8. Will absolutely cause Julius Shulman's iconic Case Study House #22 to slide down the hill
9. Makes passing teenage girls chase you down the street at twilight, as only vampires use this lens

Etc. Obviously, this is one mega-bad-karma lens! If sellers ask for more than $50, they are inviting years of bad luck.

[AquaDome]

Ha! Superstition and anecdotal conjecture already run amok here.
With my luck, it might all come true as soon as I get my hands on one.

[LFLee]

That's a big investment. At least up front, anyway.
I'm sure this 645N is going to nickel and dime me.
At two frames per second, she's a Velvia-Eating Monster.
The Yen is down, so I ordered 5 rolls of 220 from Tokyo.
If I don't get prints, that's just about $1 per frame end-to-end.

just wonder where you order from? would like to order some if the price is right. ..thanks!

[AquaDome]

I purchased from an eBay vendor. E. G. A. Kinniku. If you type Velvia 220 into eBay, you will find it currently available from a variety of vendors.
I have not received mine yet. I'm waiting to see if I get to pay an import tariff.

[Fritzenpapa]

I own both the 645 and the 645N. I got the 120mm Macro (with 3 extension tubes), since Macro Photography is mostly what I do. The cameras and the lens are great. But I stopped buying Pentax 645 lenses. I only buy Pentax 6x7 lenses. They are working very good with my Pentax 645 cameras via an adapter (and they are mostly cheaper) and I have the option to buy and use a Pentax 6x7 camera and then I can use my lenses for both camera systems; the other way round does not work. I soon got the Pentax 6x7 and 67ii and I am glad, that I made my lens choice like this.