[RonHendriks1966]

For Pentax there is also the Pentax 645 SMC FA 300mm f/4.0 ED (IF) objectief wich is better then thè a*.

Looking at past experience with mirrorless.......the X1d might have some hard job on working with longer lenses, but you will find out when available.

For Pentax there is also the Pentax 645 SMC FA 300mm f/4.0 ED (IF) objectief wich is better then thè a*.

Looking at past experience with mirrorless.......the X1d might have some hard job on working with longer lenses, but you will find out when available.

Thanks for the info, Ron. Is this 300 lens the best option in the 300 mm FL, or how is the f:5.6 in comparison ? Would not break the bank, when I compare this with a switch to Hasselblad....

Carsten

[Royce Howland]

Carsten, I use a heavy Velbon CF Sherpa Pro tripod with a BH-55 ballhead from Really Right Stuff. I also have the RRS long lens support rail. Plus various bean bags and so on for additional damping. There are probably some things I could do yet to improve stability of the overall platform, such as a heavier tripod with no movable centre column, and a heavier head. But for now I just have a range of shutter speeds that I stay away from with longer lenses. I can go slower or faster for single shots and escape the danger zone. For auto bracketed series with multiple shutter actuations, which I do a lot, sometimes all I can do is boost the ISO way up.

[Thomas]

Thanks for the insightful report Carsten. Another option for 300mm is the 67 300mm f/4 M*. The lens is universally regarded as excellent and is a different optical design than the 645 counterparts.
Shutter shake is a serious limiting factor with long lenses at slower shutter speeds; e.g., I've found better results using the 400mm mounted on a tripod at the body rather than at the lens mount. I also built a pretty elaborate lens stabilization system for the 600mm which suffers terribly from shutter shake at slow shutter speed. Image below, and I sometimes add a Manfrotto long lens support to this as well.

[texandrews]

Which is the longest lens you have used on your 645Z? I specified "645Z and A 300 combo" because this is not what most 645Z owners use. It's no surprise to hear that someone has never experienced shutter vibration issue with his or her 645Z..

Yes, but shutter shock could still be an issue with the A7R with shorter lenses---it just wasn't as big a problem. Again, I've seen nothing with my Z and haven't heard much, either. FYI, with my Z the longest lens I've used is the 200---a fairly compact lens. So, no 300.

[2351HD]

Are you sure it was the shutter and not the wind movement ? Did you make an indoor test without any wind blowing ? I have a print hanging on my wall, made with 2 sec timer, Liveview, and the 90 Macro on 645z. About 1/20 sec, but razor sharp. It was made on one of those rare days here without and air motion.... My wish for a 645zII: even more light sensitivity, for sharp photos with long lenses, with higher ISO/ shorter exposure.

Carsten

Not the wind. How do I know? I took the photo with my 5DmkIV and 70-300L, using live view and EFCS. Perfect image on the same tripod.

There are danger shutter speeds for the Z. Perhaps between 1/30 to 1/200 with lenses from 80mm and up. This escalates quickly when in portrait too, as the slap from the shutter is sideways.

My process is to go into mirror lockup on the side dial. Enter live view, focus and meter, exit live view. Then go mirror up and either use timer or manually take the image with the IR remote.

Not the wind. How do I know? I took the photo with my 5DmkIV and 70-300L, using live view and EFCS. Perfect image on the same tripod.

There are danger shutter speeds for the Z. Perhaps between 1/30 to 1/200 with lenses from 80mm and up. This escalates quickly when in portrait too, as the slap from the shutter is sideways.

My process is to go into mirror lockup on the side dial. Enter live view, focus and meter, exit live view. Then go mirror up and either use timer or manually take the image with the IR remote.

Thanks for your input ! I have not tried that systematically. Yesterday, I tested 645z/ Macro 90 with this MLU technique (remote app, smartphone), as compared to the X1D/ 90 mm combo (Mq mode, with reduced shutter movements). The 90 Macro shot was a bit sharper than the XCD 90 shot. I will definitively try this out next time when I use the *A300 !

Carsten

[DandA]

Carsten,

The *A300 is an excellent lens as is the FA 300 f4 645 lens. As you probabaly know I tested multiple samples of all Pentax 645 legacy lenses on 645D when that body was first released and posted those results. Subsequesntly tested them on the 645Z but didn't post as of this date.

Upshot is FA 300 f4 and FA 300 f5.6 have similar performance characteristics with of course the f4 being a stop faster. Although the f4 lens is a lot bigger and heavier, that extra stop can be of significant benifit, even as it relates to vibration due to support and shutter speed.

Again thanks for all your thoughts and comparions with the X1D and 645z. Very informative and your objective observations are extremely useful. Look forward to more.

Dave (D&A)

Carsten,

The *A300 is an excellent lens as is the FA 300 f4 645 lens. As you probabaly know I tested multiple samples of all Pentax 645 legacy lenses on 645D when that body was first released and posted those results. Subsequesntly tested them on the 645Z but didn't post as of this date.

Upshot is FA 300 f4 and FA 300 f5.6 have similar performance characteristics with of course the f4 being a stop faster. Although the f4 lens is a lot bigger and heavier, that extra stop can be of significant benifit, even as it relates to vibration due to support and shutter speed.

Again thanks for all your thoughts and comparions with the X1D and 645z. Very informative and your objective observations are extremely useful. Look forward to more.

Dave (D&A)

Dave, thanks for your assessment. Good to hear your verdict on the *A300. BTW, the HC 4.5/300 with adaptor on X1D is about the same weight.... When I have the oopportunity, I will compare them. Same sensor, but the HC300 wasn´t built for the X1D. I remember my disappointment with some Leica lenses on A7R.

Carsten

[DandA]

Dave, thanks for your assessment. Good to hear your verdict on the *A300. BTW, the HC 4.5/300 with adaptor on X1D is about the same weight.... When I have the oopportunity, I will compare them. Same sensor, but the HC300 wasn´t built for the X1D. I remember my disappointment with some Leica lenses on A7R.

Carsten

Hi Carsten,

Although the *A300 is a good lens, both the FA 300 f4 and FA 300 f5.6 do superceed it in performance. Of course long lens techniques in shooting can have an equally important role in the final aquired image and how sharp it is.

I too encountered issues when trying to adopt lenses via adapters and often times the performance of the lens loses something along the way.

This is what stopped me from moving over to the Leica S system and for not considering the X1D. Simply that I often require really good native long focal length lenses...although Hasselblad has/had some terrifix performing ones for their other lens systems.

Keep up the good work. Thanks.

Dave (D&A)

[JoeC]

Carsten, thanks for posting the photos and the link to RAW files. As I await the X1D, I'm constantly second guessing my decision to divest the 645Z and go the Hasselblad route. The weight and bulk of the Z and its lenses resulted in my leaving it in its Pelican case much of the time. The allure (for me) of the X1D is medium format in a smaller form factor. The initial 30mm, 45mm and 90mm focal lengths suit my photography just fine. Your comments about AF speed are concerning to me. Hopefully, I'll soon be able to form my first-hand impressions. Thanks again.

Joe

Carsten, thanks for posting the photos and the link to RAW files. As I await the X1D, I'm constantly second guessing my decision to divest the 645Z and go the Hasselblad route. The weight and bulk of the Z and its lenses resulted in my leaving it in its Pelican case much of the time. The allure (for me) of the X1D is medium format in a smaller form factor. The initial 30mm, 45mm and 90mm focal lengths suit my photography just fine. Your comments about AF speed are concerning to me. Hopefully, I'll soon be able to form my first-hand impressions. Thanks again.

Joe

Joe, the Z changed my habits: with Leica / Sony I had the body with 2 to 3 lenses with me. Now, I must decide before I hike or bike, which one or two lenses make sense ? When you know your terrain, this works most of the time. I carry the Z with one or two lenes in my Lowepro Flipside Sport 10L AW backpack. I can walk / bike for hours with this minimal set. But I give you right, weight was also my chief motive to consider the Hassy.

Carsten

[batmobile]

Interesting results and thanks for sharing. I thought about this a great deal (and blogged about it). I reached the same conclusion as I did when first shooting in Iceland with the 645Z and 28-45mm: that lens is so darned useful it covers almost all the wide angle shooting I could want and with stunning quality. The X1D is much smaller and lighter, but if you like the flexibility of working across the whole 21-35mm (in FF terms) range, the big Z lens is a great friend. With my Sony bodies I am regularly changing lenses between the 21-28-35 options and it is a pain in the backside when it is very cold, raining, or I am in a rush, or on difficult ground. With the Z I always seem to be able to get the wide angle shot with that one lens attached. I love it. The fact that the quality at 45mm holds up to the 45mm Hassy prime is quite a testament, but when you consider that the lens is even better in the middle of the range, it says even more.

The X1D is tremendous, but I would personally rather carry the weight of the 28-45 than to carry an X1D with a number of primes and keep changing lenses all the time. If travelling very light and hiking, I have my Sony A7 system and carry multiple bodies to reduce lens changes.

FWIW I have shot two copies of the 45-85 FA, a 80-160 A and FA and all were different! Both my 80-160s were ace, with the FA being a touch better. I find mine very sharp throughout the range, even at 160mm. I just ensure that I stop down well (f13-16) at the long end for best performance across the frame when shooting distant scenes (at closer/medium distances it is tack sharp corner to corner at F9 or so). Diffraction is not an issue at such a focal length in my experience. One 45-85 FA was a mint but badly decentered and very poor after 60mm. The other is ever so mildly decentered (rarely noticeable at all) and actually very sharp up to 75mm or so and very decent at full reach. My 150mm FA is stunningly sharp always, as is my 35mm A, my 200mm FA is very good indeed (one needs care in the wind). I am thrilled that I have such a line up at such a low cost

[DandA]

Joe, the Z changed my habits: with Leica / Sony I had the body with 2 to 3 lenses with me. Now, I must decide before I hike or bike, which one or two lenses make sense ? When you know your terrain, this works most of the time. I carry the Z with one or two lenes in my Lowepro Flipside Sport 10L AW backpack. I can walk / bike for hours with this minimal set. But I give you right, weight was also my chief motive to consider the Hassy.

Carsten

Attachment 337941

Attachment 337942

Love it when I hear about another hiker and cyclist taking their kit . Maybe we need to get together sometime in each others respective location for a ride and shooting. Of course I will let you ride with my Pentax *A 600 f5.6 645 lens....thanks! . By the way, Mt. Bike or road bike? We have great rides (trails and roads) of each here as well as vistas on hiking trails. I am familar with that Lowepro backpack having owned one but found two other brand backpacks that are even better when cycling with gear and at same time protect the gear even more with rock aolid support on the back but still light weight.

Each camera system has pluses and minuses depending on application and uses and thats why when comparing the X1D to the 645z system, a case can be made for each one.

Dave (D&A)

[Ristretto]

Love it when I hear about another hiker and cyclist taking their kit .

Dave (D&A)

So we are even three...

I use for my 645D and two or three lenses (35mm+90mm always, 150mm sometimes) an f-stop Kenti. But as you guys I have an eye on the Hassi because of its weight and form factor. So it's great to read some real world test - thanks a lot to you Carsten !