[JeffBurns]

In what situations would you prefer a K1 over a 645z and vice versa?

My local camera store has nearly new 645z I may be able to purchase at a good price. They also have several older 645 lenses. It is very unusual for them to have any Pentax gear. I think they purchased the stock of another store. At what price could a 645z be resold after a few months if I decide it is not for me?

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 06-27-2017 at 04:50 AM. Reason: Title edited from 654 to 645

[Fcsnt54]

I have both and use the 645z for about 80% of my images, 8% k1. I use the k1 when ever i want to do something wide. Many will talk about how the k1 will bring out medium format detail and look, but you have to jump through a few more hoops in editing to get close. The z is very hand holdable, its comfortable, and weighted well. I find that i love using the 75mm for its size, and image quality. The 150mm is also a great lens and makes a great two lens kit.

The 645z is not for everyone, but its one that im glad i took the plunge. Im sure others will add more.

[normhead]

I passed on the 645z for three reasons. It's not practical for telephoto images. For a Craft Show photographer the images that sell are sunsets and sunsets. The 645 would be awesome for sunsets but the frame rate is lacking for wildlife. I tend to get images on the fly, even many of my sunsets are hand held. SR is what gets me many of my images. If find a 4 shot burst hand held, one of those images will be as good as a tripod shot, without the long set up and knock down times. And for wildlife, being able to raise the camera and just shoot gets you images you might otherwise miss. On a trip a few years ago on a trip with some Nikon Dxx shooters, I ended up with 4 keepers to their one, because i was walking around shooting hand held while they were messing around with tripods and remote shutter releases etc. I didn't miss anything they got, I got lots of things they didn't.

Additionally most of my lenses work on a K-1. I have two that would work on a 645 just in case I ever see a great deal on a 645D or z, but I'm guessing I'm still a few years away from that. I need it to be cheap enough to be an impulse purchase.

But there are many on the forum who love there 645s. And I love seeing their images, it's just not for me. I don't see it working it's way into my work flow , even if there was one in the Camera display case.

[chrism888]

I also have both, the K1 is used for wildlife / action and anything that requires a lens over 200mm really, the 645z is used for landscapes, portraits, nudes etc.


Whilst some of the lenses I have for the K1 will also do the job of the 645, its such a lovely camera to work with, the images are outstanding and 3 lenses covers all of the above, a 28 - 45 / 45 -160 / and a 150mm F2.8 for those OOF portraits with minimal DOF.


I may part with some of the K1 lenses particularly the Sigma 85mm F1.4 as its not getting used, also the Samyang 14mm F2.8 might go as well

[leekil]

The 645Z weighs 50% more than the K-1, and the lenses are somewhat heavier, depending on what lenses you are comparing. If weight is important to you, that could be a factor.

[mikeSF]

i'm using the 645Z for my landscape and studio work, and K3II for long tele and ultra-wide shots, and travel snaps. I decided not to upgrade my K3II to the K-1 since there would be no long tele advantage with the K-1, nor are the currently FF lenses wide enough to cover the FOV I get with the K3II.

That said, I would think there are plenty of situations where the 645z rig might be to large or heavy to use for everything, so a smaller kit is a good thing.

[normhead]

i'm using the 645Z for my landscape and studio work, and K3II for long tele and ultra-wide shots, and travel snaps. I decided not to upgrade my K3II to the K-1 since there would be no long tele advantage with the K-1, nor are the currently FF lenses wide enough to cover the FOV I get with the K3II.

That said, I would think there are plenty of situations where the 645z rig might be to large or heavy to use for everything, so a smaller kit is a good thing.

Given my time spent lugging pelican cases over portages, my first question would be "how big is the pelican case those 645s fit into with a couple of lenses?"

[biz-engineer]

The K1 is supposed to be for everyone. The 645Z is not supposed to be for everyone. That is why Ricoh offers a professional guarantee / service of the Pentax 645 series which they don't offer for the Pentax K series.

[btnapa]

In what situations would you prefer a K1 over a 645z and vice versa?

I own the K1 and have shot with the 645Z as a test camera in shows. I like the handling of the 645Z. I would love to have the 645Z but total cost of body plus lenses far exceed my current budget. So I opted for the K1. Actually I bought some legacy 645 lenses a few years ago in anticipation of the 645Z but at the end I decided to let them go. I am totally happy with my K1 set up. It also helped that almost all of my lenses were full-frame already. I used to shoot my landscape work with a K3 so in that application K1 is quite an improvement in image quality and allowing me to print larger prints. Dynamic range of the K1 and the high ISO images are a major jump over the K3.

The other thing to consider is the format, 4:3 (645Z) vs. 3:2 (K1). If you prefer 3:2, you are better off with K1 as you use the entire sensor. If you crop the 645Z to a 3:2 format you lose valuable sensor real estate which negates some of the advantages of the 645Z

With that said, I am going to use the K1 for a while and save up for the possible next gen 645Z with the higher res sensor.

[jrpower10]

Think it's been said; K-1 for ultra wide or telephoto, 645z for pretty much everything else. I had both but had to sell a system when I moved overseas so the Z went. K-1 is more versatile but I'll buy another Z the moment I hit US soil for good.

[mikeSF]

Given my time spent lugging pelican cases over portages, my first question would be "how big is the pelican case those 645s fit into with a couple of lenses?"

ha, i recently flew with a Pelican 1520 (airline approved for overhead compartment stowage) containing 645Z and 4 lenses (DFA35, DFA55, DFA90, FA150) plus timer, batteries, all hoods, misc. accessories. It was a lightweight rig with enough focal lengths to get some good pics.

[clackers]

its such a lovely camera to work with, the images are outstanding and 3 lenses covers all of the above, a 28 - 45 / 45 -160 / and a 150mm F2.8 for those OOF portraits with minimal DOF.

Beautiful. I think that's my 'rich uncle passes away' setup.

[itshimitis]

ha, i recently flew with a Pelican 1520 (airline approved for overhead compartment stowage) containing 645Z and 4 lenses (DFA35, DFA55, DFA90, FA150) plus timer, batteries, all hoods, misc. accessories. It was a lightweight rig with enough focal lengths to get some good pics.

If you travel like I do with a coat with huge side pockets, you'll get far more in

[ronniemac]

In what situations would you prefer a K1 over a 645z and vice versa?

My local camera store has nearly new 645z I may be able to purchase at a good price. They also have several older 645 lenses. It is very unusual for them to have any Pentax gear. I think they purchased the stock of another store. At what price could a 645z be resold after a few months if I decide it is not for me?

I had a 645N and 7 FA lenses, but could not afford to splash out on a 645Z, even at used prices. I traded it all in for a new K-1 and some new Pentax FF lenses. The camera shop gave a good price for the 645 gear, more than I paid for it but will still be able to turn a fair profit on it.

Photography for me is just a hobby, I don't use a studio, preferring to shoot landscape, architecture, nature and family. I'm also getting on a bit in age now, so what follows needs to be read with this context in mind.

I can't compare the Z with the K-1, but I can say I am happy using the latter because it is very portable - compare the 645 Z + 35mm or 120mm macro with the K-1 + 31mm or 100mm macro and you'll see what I mean. It also has shake reduction, plus a host of features which are not on the 645Z, like pixel shift, astro tracer, and so on.

The other issue is choice of lenses. 15 of my lenses are current FF Pentax lenses - most acquired for my K-3ii. The rest can also be used in crop mode on the K-1. There's also quite a few legacy lenses some of which are getting a new lease of life. Perhaps that's all a bit over the top, but I do enjoy working with different combinations from 15mm - 450mm on either FF or APS-C. A 645 setup, excellent as the quality of image is, could never offer that range.

If your work is professional, I am sure the higher price of 645Z and lenses is justifiable , although even then you will want to pause for thought before stumping up for any new lenses. Sadly Ricoh is also falling behind with the release of new lenses, some of the 645 FA lenses appear to not have the resolving power of the camera. Having said that, images that I have seen from the 645Z are truly outstanding.

It's difficult to give definitive advice without knowing more about your approach to photography, and your preferred subject matter. In a studio nothing will touch the 645Z especially when paired with new 645 D FA lenses. Treking up rain soaked mountains, however, may well be more suited to the K-1. Remember the 645 FA lenses are not weather resistant, are heavy, and you are more likely to need a sturdy tripod.

I'm certainly glad that I stuck with K-mount, kept my K-3ii, and bought a K-1.

YMMV,

[2351HD]

ha, i recently flew with a Pelican 1520 (airline approved for overhead compartment stowage) containing 645Z and 4 lenses (DFA35, DFA55, DFA90, FA150) plus timer, batteries, all hoods, misc. accessories. It was a lightweight rig with enough focal lengths to get some good pics.

Mike would you mind sharing a photo of the 1520 packed with above setup? I've been looking for an option like this.