[pursang]

I'm using the 645z for 'studio' work and loving it. Image Transmitter 2 works just fine, and can shoot into either LR5 or Phocus. I will do a full review on it (or as part of an update user-experience review) but it is just fine. The only real hold-up in tranmission is the 3+ seconds the camera takes to 'think' (ie: process) the image in some way prior to initiating the transmission. There seems to be no way to turn this off, which absolutely cries-out for a firmware fix.

Personally, I have been transmitting large, low-quality jpegs and writing RAW to a card in-camera. This gives the fastest working time, and suits me just fine as the tethering is only for image review and examination.

The focusing and image quality under strobes are excellent. In fact, I had a small mishap where I shot the first look of a shoot on ISO 1000 instead of 100 - it happens when you are dialing down from 6400! The shots are absolutely fine, except the deep shadows have less recovery room.

So far so good.

- N.

I just received my order from BH Photo of Ricoh's Image Transmitter 2 software. I must say that I could not be more disappointed. The Pentax 645Z is a brilliant piece of hardware, but just like so many Japanese manufacturers of hardware, the software and its interface is really quite poor.

I am running v1.20 of the 645Z firmware. After installing the IT2 software on both a Windows 7 and 8.1 machine I could not get IT2 to download any of the images to the computer. I could control the 645Z through the computer interface, but Live View only successfully appeared ONCE in the software screen interface. Live View button in your interface does NOT toggle the LV on and off as stated in the very poorly written user's manual which must be downloaded off of your site rather than included with the 200.00 disk. Again an extremely poor oversight to not include instructions as a PDF on the disk itself.

Files are NOT kept on the 645Z whether or not the Save to Card selections are checked. Also when I attempted to select Live View once shooting was over, it didn't allow me to do so with the message: "Camera is now processing. Cannot Exit Live View" even though over 10 minutes had passed.

Also in Windows 8.1 the top menus do not appear, Version, Camera Off and Exit.

Also once I attempted to exit the program it does not exit properly and must be forcibly stopped in Windows no matter what version I'm using. And once I disconnect the USB3 cable from the 645Z the camera will not completely shut down unless the battery is removed. In the LCD window on the top of the camera shows number of remaining shots for both cards appears in the LCD panel along with the battery level even when the power switch is set to "Off." If I turn the camera back on I am able to fire the shutter, however the hourglass on the rear Live View panel simply contains a perpetual hour glass, no image appears. Removing the battery completely shuts down the camera.

Once I attempt to view any images, none appear since nothing has be written to the card or the computer no matter how the Save to Card or File Format to Transfer is set.

My camera is set to PTP for USB Connection.

I am using version 2.0.0.0 of your IT2 software. As a working commercial photographer in the US my workflow depends on being tethered for client work. I will await your response to my concerns before attempting to return what I consider to be pre release beta software to the retailer. Please advise me if I'm doing something incorrectly in attempting to use the software.

[ndevlin]

I just received my order from BH Photo of Ricoh's Image Transmitter 2 software. I must say that I could not be more disappointed. The Pentax 645Z is a brilliant piece of hardware, but just like so many Japanese manufacturers of hardware, the software and its interface is really quite poor.

I am running v1.20 of the 645Z firmware. After installing the IT2 software on both a Windows 7 and 8.1 machine I could not get IT2 to download any of the images to the computer. I could control the 645Z through the computer interface, but Live View only successfully appeared ONCE in the software screen interface. Live View button in your interface does NOT toggle the LV on and off as stated in the very poorly written user's manual which must be downloaded off of your site rather than included with the 200.00 disk. Again an extremely poor oversight to not include instructions as a PDF on the disk itself.

Files are NOT kept on the 645Z whether or not the Save to Card selections are checked. Also when I attempted to select Live View once shooting was over, it didn't allow me to do so with the message: "Camera is now processing. Cannot Exit Live View" even though over 10 minutes had passed.

Also in Windows 8.1 the top menus do not appear, Version, Camera Off and Exit.

Also once I attempted to exit the program it does not exit properly and must be forcibly stopped in Windows no matter what version I'm using. And once I disconnect the USB3 cable from the 645Z the camera will not completely shut down unless the battery is removed. In the LCD window on the top of the camera shows number of remaining shots for both cards appears in the LCD panel along with the battery level even when the power switch is set to "Off." If I turn the camera back on I am able to fire the shutter, however the hourglass on the rear Live View panel simply contains a perpetual hour glass, no image appears. Removing the battery completely shuts down the camera.

Once I attempt to view any images, none appear since nothing has be written to the card or the computer no matter how the Save to Card or File Format to Transfer is set.

My camera is set to PTP for USB Connection.

I am using version 2.0.0.0 of your IT2 software. As a working commercial photographer in the US my workflow depends on being tethered for client work. I will await your response to my concerns before attempting to return what I consider to be pre release beta software to the retailer. Please advise me if I'm doing something incorrectly in attempting to use the software.

Have you updated to the latest firmware? It apparently contained a number of patches for using IT2. I have seen none of these issues - though I am running it on a Mac.

- N.

[pursang]

Have you updated to the latest firmware? It apparently contained a number of patches for using IT2. I have seen none of these issues - though I am running it on a Mac.

- N.

I am running fw 1.20 in the 645Z which is the current firmware released. Oh how I wish IT2 would work as you have described.

[xpixel]

The Pentax 645Z is a brilliant piece of hardware, but just like so many Japanese manufacturers of hardware, the software and its interface is really quite poor.

Yes the interface and the software is not state of the art. Today with every serious manufacturer you can at least use Lightroom for tethering, but unfortunately not Pentax. With a camera of this price level i expect an appropriate piece of software. But lot of people here mean the 645z is a landscape camera...

[ndevlin]

Yes the interface and the software is not state of the art. Today with every serious manufacturer you can at least use Lightroom for tethering, but unfortunately not Pentax. With a camera of this price level i expect an appropriate piece of software. But lot of people here mean the 645z is a landscape camera...

I'd be interested to know if other people are having the same problems are Pursang on the Windows platform. There are a number of things you have to set to make it work optimally, and Pentax doesn't tell you, but I've found it to be pretty solid thus far.

Particularly, I am using it tethered to LR5 - not all that much different than a native tethered LR shoot. It also works into Phocus and PhotoMechanic, so I don't see any real impediments to using it professionally.

IT2 must be treated purely as the pipeline - the program by which the data gets into the computer. After that it can be minimized and real software used. And no, there is no excuse for this being a $200 add-on. However, there is really no excuse for being a $24,000 'value included' on the IQ250, now is there?

- N.

[Victor Wolansky]

I just received my order from BH Photo of Ricoh's Image Transmitter 2 software. I must say that I could not be more disappointed. The Pentax 645Z is a brilliant piece of hardware, but just like so many Japanese manufacturers of hardware, the software and its interface is really quite poor.

I am running v1.20 of the 645Z firmware. After installing the IT2 software on both a Windows 7 and 8.1 machine I could not get IT2 to download any of the images to the computer. I could control the 645Z through the computer interface, but Live View only successfully appeared ONCE in the software screen interface. Live View button in your interface does NOT toggle the LV on and off as stated in the very poorly written user's manual which must be downloaded off of your site rather than included with the 200.00 disk. Again an extremely poor oversight to not include instructions as a PDF on the disk itself.

Files are NOT kept on the 645Z whether or not the Save to Card selections are checked. Also when I attempted to select Live View once shooting was over, it didn't allow me to do so with the message: "Camera is now processing. Cannot Exit Live View" even though over 10 minutes had passed.

Also in Windows 8.1 the top menus do not appear, Version, Camera Off and Exit.

Also once I attempted to exit the program it does not exit properly and must be forcibly stopped in Windows no matter what version I'm using. And once I disconnect the USB3 cable from the 645Z the camera will not completely shut down unless the battery is removed. In the LCD window on the top of the camera shows number of remaining shots for both cards appears in the LCD panel along with the battery level even when the power switch is set to "Off." If I turn the camera back on I am able to fire the shutter, however the hourglass on the rear Live View panel simply contains a perpetual hour glass, no image appears. Removing the battery completely shuts down the camera.

Once I attempt to view any images, none appear since nothing has be written to the card or the computer no matter how the Save to Card or File Format to Transfer is set.

My camera is set to PTP for USB Connection.

I am using version 2.0.0.0 of your IT2 software. As a working commercial photographer in the US my workflow depends on being tethered for client work. I will await your response to my concerns before attempting to return what I consider to be pre release beta software to the retailer. Please advise me if I'm doing something incorrectly in attempting to use the software.

I'm using it in windows 8.1 and works perfectly, I see all the menus and all is fine, have it working on multiple computers and not a problem on any of them. Are you sure you using the latest firmware? And also have you clicked the little thing that says what you want to be downloaded?

---------- Post added 01-05-15 at 06:20 AM ----------

.....And no, there is no excuse for this being a $200 add-on. However, there is really no excuse for being a $24,000 'value included' on the IQ250, now is there?

- N.

Best answer I've seen.

[iCrop]

I am using version 2.0.0.0 of your IT2 software. As a working commercial photographer in the US my workflow depends on being tethered for client work. I will await your response to my concerns before attempting to return what I consider to be pre release beta software to the retailer. Please advise me if I'm doing something incorrectly in attempting to use the software.

This reads as if you expect a response from Pentax/Ricoh. This is only a forum, and has no direct association with Pentax or Ricoh. If you want an actual response from Pentax/Ricoh, make sure you contact them as well.

[pursang]

This reads as if you expect a response from Pentax/Ricoh. This is only a forum, and has no direct association with Pentax or Ricoh. If you want an actual response from Pentax/Ricoh, make sure you contact them as well.

This is simply a copy of what I sent to Pentax. Obviously I NEVER expect a response in a forum.

[ongaku]

Deleted