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10-24-2018, 11:56 AM   #1
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Pentax 645N - First lens ?

I'm about to take the plunge and buy a 645N. It's my birthday - what can I say :-)

Sans lens of course. So I'd appreciate some advice on a starter lens to get a feel for the camera. I'd appreciate some economy having just bought the body and probably more of a general purpose lens until I work out what I really need and my bank balance has recovered.

Not averse to adapted 6x7 lens but unsure as to what is equivalent to say a 40-50 on 35mm. Please no arguments about equivalence either

I'm more inclined to landscape rather than portrait if that helps. Will be shooting MF too.

Thanks !

10-24-2018, 12:00 PM   #2
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The "normal" go-to would be the 75mm, i.e. the FA 75mm F2.8.

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10-24-2018, 12:09 PM - 1 Like   #3
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I had the same question last year, when I bought Pentax 645 (not N, alas). Before buying the lens I looked for what I mostly use on APC-S: that happen to be in the range 24-28 mm. So I bought Pentax-a 645 55mm. (It gives the same field of view as 24mm on APC-S).
10-24-2018, 12:11 PM   #4
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The FA 75/2.8 is a superb normal lens for the 645N. If you don't need AF, the older A 75/2.8 is optically the same lens.
For landscape work I highly recommend the FA 45-85mm zoom. It is a very good lens with a very useful range.

10-24-2018, 01:06 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by rjm007 Quote
I'm about to take the plunge and buy a 645N. It's my birthday - what can I say :-)
I'd appreciate some advice on a starter lens to get a feel for the camera. I'd appreciate some economy having just bought the body and probably more of a general purpose lens until I work out what I really need and my bank balance has recovered.

I'm more inclined to landscape rather than portrait if that helps. Will be shooting MF too.
Happy Birthday! It's my dad's 96th birthday too! And kudos for getting the 645N.

I second the nomination for the 645 75mm. It's my sharpest and lightest 645 lens and probably my default prime, especially for street photography. For landscapes, however, I love my 645 35mm...awesome wide angle, but it will put a dent in your bank account. It was more than I could afford in the late '80s but I still use it today and I have no regrets.
10-24-2018, 01:10 PM   #6
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It depends on how comfortable you are with manual focusing in terms of time and effort but I find that for anything needing spontaneity the 75FA is good. It is roughly the equivalent of the 50mm small format lens and by far the cheapest of the FA range compared to others.

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10-24-2018, 02:14 PM - 1 Like   #7
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The focusing screen on the 645N doesnt have frenzel or split prism to aid focusing, and won't accept the screen from the older 645 which has. So to be sure of focus, I would advise the autofocus FA 75mm f2.8. Alternatives which will cost more are the 35mm for wide angle (landscape?) and the 150 which is a fantastic portrait lens. Skip the 45mm, it's just not that good a lens, but if your into macro, the 120mm is fantastic.

10-24-2018, 03:22 PM - 1 Like   #8
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75/2.8 is a great one as mentioned already. If you already shoot 6x7 or plan to you might well head for 67 glass out of the gate with an adapter. In my humble opinion I like how they handle on the 645 bodies better than the actual 645 glass, though that's purely subjective. In that case the 67 75/4.5, 90/2.8 and 55/4 are all gems, along with the 105/2.4 of legend depending on your uses. I no longer have *any* 645 specific glass personally - it's all the larger cousins.

FWIW 75mm is considered "normal" on the 645 while 90mm would be on the 67.... but normal is as normal does, or something like that.

For reference, the 67 SMC 90/2.8 mounted on my 645Nii has a field of view not unlike a 50mm on a 135 format Pentax SLR, and the magnification is such that it's nearly a shoot-with-both-eyes-open sort of affair.

Last edited by Eyewanders; 10-24-2018 at 04:26 PM. Reason: additional info
10-24-2018, 03:23 PM - 1 Like   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by ronniemac Quote
The focusing screen on the 645N doesnt have frenzel or split prism to aid focusing, and won't accept the screen from the older 645 which has. So to be sure of focus, I would advise the autofocus FA 75mm f2.8. Alternatives which will cost more are the 35mm for wide angle (landscape?) and the 150 which is a fantastic portrait lens. Skip the 45mm, it's just not that good a lens, but if your into macro, the 120mm is fantastic.
The good news is that the 645N Operating Manual (page 70) lists the AB-82 split-image matte screen and the AA-82 microprism matte screen as two of the four available autofocus interchangeable screens. I have one of these (forget which one) but haven't swapped it in yet.
10-24-2018, 03:25 PM   #10
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Rough focal length equivalents (including P6x7 adapted lenses) are: 45mm (on 645 film) = 28mm (on 35mm film), 55mm = 35mm, 75mm = 50mm. If going down the P6x7 adapted route, I'd only recommend the original Pentax adapter (which would add to the cost). You should get AF confirmation with manual lenses but there are manual focussing screens available for the 645Nii (I presume they also fit the 645N but I'm not sure?).

Edit: see post above about focussing screens.

Last edited by johnha; 10-24-2018 at 03:26 PM. Reason: Updated info
10-24-2018, 04:20 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by johnha Quote
If going down the P6x7 adapted route, I'd only recommend the original Pentax adapter (which would add to the cost).
Not to terribly derail OT, but I'm curious as to why. I've used the Fotodiox adapter happily and without issue for a number of years.
10-24-2018, 04:55 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by chickentender Quote
Not to terribly derail OT, but I'm curious as to why. I've used the Fotodiox adapter happily and without issue for a number of years.
The Pentax adapter allows open aperture metering and shooting (many non-Pentax don't) and there have been some issues with non-Pentax adapters (which have later 'gone away' when swapping to a Pentax adapter), as noted on this forum. My used Pentax adapter was cheaper than I can find the Fotodiox one..
10-24-2018, 05:27 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by johnha Quote
The Pentax adapter allows open aperture metering and shooting (many non-Pentax don't) and there have been some issues with non-Pentax adapters (which have later 'gone away' when swapping to a Pentax adapter), as noted on this forum. My used Pentax adapter was cheaper than I can find the Fotodiox one..
As does the Fotodiox (allow for open metering). You may be confusing it with the 67-to-PK or 645-to-PK? Those do not.
Not sure what the other issues are. The proper Pentax adapters have been historically quite a bit more expensive, but I'd certainly recommend them over others if they can be found within the same ballpark or cheaper. (My Fotodiox was in the $75 range if I remember correctly - it's been a few years.)
10-24-2018, 05:53 PM   #14
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Start with the normal lens, which for a film 645 is 75mm. Bought used, it will be worth as much a year from now as it is now, and a year of steady shooting will give you a sense of what the next lens should be better than any advice from here. Lenses are not like spouses—we don’t have to keep them if we change direction.

Rick “who always has a standard normal lens available for any system” Denney
10-24-2018, 09:03 PM   #15
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This could help in planning also...

The Crop Factor Unmasked - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

Normal is between 64-85mm on the 645N. 75mm is about as long a normal lens as you'd typically use on a 645D or Z and 55 is closer to typical. But YMMV. So if you don't plan a digital D or Z future the 75 is likely the spot on choice.
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