[rjm007]

Appreciate all the comments guys. In the end I ummed and ahhhed about the choice of lens (and checked the cost of an adapter for a 6x7 lens) and bought a SMC Pentax-A 645 55mm F2.8 for the princely sum of $95 + shipping from a Japanese vendor on eBay. Time will tell if it proves to be a bargain. It appears to be mint if you'll forgive the expression. Certainly cleaner looking than many 35mm lenses I've bought of late.

A 70mm would perhaps have been a better starting point but I know my primary interest is landscape. That and having a gift voucher meant it cost me not very much at all....

It was interesting looking at the range of 645N available on ebay this morning. Most were from Japan - by a large amount. Most but certainly not all were in very good condition (if the photos are to be believed) and all generally priced very close to one another. There was the odd slightly tired ones but most seemed in surprisingly good shape - visually at least. Certainly not the like scruffy collection of lenses I've seen on my travel on nether regions of eBay.

[jumbleview]

It was interesting looking at the range of 645N available on ebay this morning.

As far as any way you bought a manual focus lens, maybe it makes a sense to look for PENTAX 645. KEH has several of them now on sale and there is 15 days return policy.

[Jonathan Mac]

The 75mm is superb and a great standard prime. The 55mm is probably just as good optically if you prefer something wider, but it's bigger. I had the FA 75mm but sold it and bought the A as my camera is the original 645 and, like the K-mount equivalents, the A series are much better built than their later FA brethren.

[rjm007]

How is that an order from B&H will take seven days + to get here from NY but the camera body I ordered on Thursday last week from Japan will be here this afternoon (following Monday) :-)

Needless to say the lens I bought won't be here until the end of the week. What will I do in the meantime - boo-hoo.

<<<Later>>>

Well the camera body has just arrived. Somewhat gobsmacked. It looks brand new. Not a mark on it. Now I await with some frustration the arrival of lens and film.

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Last edited by rjm007; 10-29-2018 at 02:32 PM.

[johnha]

How is that an order from B&H will take seven days + to get here from NY but the camera body I ordered on Thursday last week from Japan will be here this afternoon (following Monday) :-) [

Orders from Japan can get to the UK in 2-3 days - they then spend a week in customs, it then takes another week to receive the letter with the customs charges before you can pay them and collect said item.

[kaseki]

Orders from Japan can get to the UK in 2-3 days - they then spend a week in customs, it then takes another week to receive the letter with the customs charges before you can pay them and collect said item.

In my experience, used camera equipment from Japan spends little time in customs here in the USA. Duty is not over 2.5% as best I can figure out. My assumption is that the duty is not worth the labor cost of generating invoices and confirming that they have been paid. However, as duties are in a state of flux, this might change in the future, particularly if there is significant content from the PRC.

[johnha]

In my experience, used camera equipment from Japan spends little time in customs here in the USA. Duty is not over 2.5% as best I can figure out.

Duty in the UK is similarly low as far as I can work out (4% perhaps?), but there's 20% VAT to go on top of that (product + shipping + duty costs).

My assumption is that the duty is not worth the labor cost of generating invoices and confirming that they have been paid.

In the UK they've sorted that out with an extra fixed fee to cover it, added to the product + shipping + duty + VAT costs - all in all it adds 25-30% to the price for expensive items (50% when I ordered P6x7 strap lugs from Japan).

[rjm007]

Well the lens has arrived - all I need now is some film - that's somewhere in Texas on a rather long and indirect journey to me.

Lens is as spotless as the camera. I'm now worrying about marking it. Never been a concours car man - prefer a bit of patina but I seem to have bought a concours camera. I'd forgotten just how sweet an OVF was (and big). Still reaching for the non-existant focus mag button though :-)

[UncleVanya]

Concours was a new word for me. Neat.

[rjm007]

I feel like I need to put it on a felt cushion :-)

Film arriving today (mix of Ilford b&w and some Kodak colour).

Urgent need to get lens and body caps and some filters.

---------- Post added 11-01-18 at 08:50 AM ----------

Happy Birthday! It's my dad's 96th birthday too! And kudos for getting the 645N.

I'm turning into my old dad. Buying more cameras and lenses than I need and going off into niche photo pursuits and interests. He'd also be fascinated by the latest tech with the ability for PP and the capabilities of the modern digital realm gear. He'd probably still be using his Spots and old Leicas but it's a huge regret that we can't chew the fat over such stuff. I hope you enjoyed your Dad's birthday and here's to many more !