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04-28-2019, 11:56 AM   #1
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Is The Worlds Greatest Camera the 645D and Its CCD Sensor?

I've always liked the look of cameras with CCD sensors over CMOS sensors and now used 645Ds are in my price range. So, for those who've used both cameras are there any drawbacks to the 645D that would disqualify it as a potential camera? And do you have a preference for the look of either camera?
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04-28-2019, 04:45 PM - 1 Like   #2
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Many certainly do like the look CCD. The biggest potential drawbacks are:

The 645D images are noisier at higher ISO values compared to more modern CMOS cameras -- not a problem for well-lit or non-moving subjects.

The 645D has a very low frame rate of only 1.1 FPS -- not a problem for landscape, portrait, and other non-action genres.

The 645D has no live view or movie making features at all -- more a disqualifier for videographers than photographers.
04-28-2019, 09:17 PM   #3
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Great info; thanks.

When you say no video is a drawback I have to laugh because I’ve shot a lot of video and it’s hard enough to keep the subject in focus with a micro 4/3rds sensor, shooting on anything larger really requires a second camera operator just to keep on top of focus.
04-29-2019, 05:56 PM   #4
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I've shot with it as a rental. Lovely photos, but the camera is not fast, in any sense, and new, digital-optimized lenses are spendy. Be sure you like slow photography!

04-29-2019, 08:40 PM   #5
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I've shot with Canon, Nikon, Fuji and Sony before now also shooting with the Pentax 645D so I'll chime in with a few of my own thoughts.


Outside of the 1.1fps and iso 1600 limitation the 645D is my favorite body/sensor I have ever shot with. All of the 2nd hand glass I've acquired has been very affordable if not downright cheap and optically excellent. The 645D, 45-85 FA 4.5, 75 FA2.8, 120 FA 4 MACRO, 150 FA 2.8 & 200 FA 4 together cost less than $3300 and that's a great price when putting together a portrait/landscape shooting kit.


The colors coming out of the CCD sensor are so vibrant that it makes my post processing work flow much easier compared to the cmos sensors of the Canon 7d, 1DSMIII, Nikon D3 and D800 for example.


The grip, which is extremely comfortable, viewfinder, huge and bright and control layout were all well thought out when the engineers designed this body. Unlike any other body/lens combo I've held in the past it doesn't seem to matter which lens I put on the 645D they feel well balanced while being handheld. I was shooting this past Sunday with the 645D and 120 FA 4 Macro before switching off to the D800/200 F2 and it felt like I was handling an unbalanced brick when shooting with the latter.


If portraits/landscape shooting is your passion I believe you couldn't find a more capable camera than the 645D, fast action would require using another body.
04-30-2019, 01:47 AM - 2 Likes   #6
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Know though that according to dxomark the 645D sensor measurements are all beaten by the 6 year newer K1. Especially dynamic range with 14.6 vs 12.55 Evs,
04-30-2019, 10:16 PM   #7
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split

sensor split. the two sensor halves can expose differently in certain conditions. still so glad I had one from introduction to the day it was replaced with the Z........

04-30-2019, 10:21 PM   #8
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Like I said in another thread, for studio work, specially portraits, it’s an amazing camera, for everything else, there are better more modern cameras.

I own one, and hardly ever use it now, only in studio. I use my new Sony a7riii for everything else now.
04-30-2019, 10:54 PM   #9
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I think mine is fantastic, it might not be the fastest camera but I'm not bothered about that. I don't need high ISO and I don't need a super fast frame rate. Getting stunning IQ is effortless even with film era and 6x7 lenses.

The current prices make it a very good deal but I'd try and get one with warranty or support as with any expensive used gear.
05-03-2019, 08:23 AM - 1 Like   #10
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The 645D will do everything now that made it the greatest digital camera on the market when it came out. It will do everything that made people line up to pay $10,000 for it then. It will turn out solidly professional results when used with skill (less skill than getting similar results using color film).

It will still outperform even current smaller formats in sheer image quality when using similarly priced lenses.

But it will not do things that newer, more expensive cameras will do in low light. And larger formats require more skill to get excellent results, all else even remotely equal. That has always been true.

Your optical focusing skills will need to be at their best, too, if you take advantage of abundantly available and excellent manual focus lenses.

Rick “not seeing very much photography made great by newer features, though certainly made easier” Denney
05-17-2019, 10:37 AM - 3 Likes   #11
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I am landscape photographer and I own both the Z and the D.

The D works perfectly with almost any of the 645 and 67 lenses when stopped down. There are a few exceptions staying soft on the 645D even if stopped down, for example the 645 55-110 on the long end. But most of the lenses are just great for landscape photography on that camera.

The Z is much more picky. Off course, the new lenses like the 55 AW, 28-45 and 90mm macro are grat on the 645Z, too. But some of the old lenses aren't. For example the 67 55-100 and 90-180 zoom.

Yes, the Z has more dynamic range. In most of the cases the dynamic range of the D is sufficient, tough. There is one exception: If the sun is on the picture and it has thin clouds covering the sun partially or just next to the sun. In that case, not only the sun is white, the clouds are, too. With the 645Z no problem at all. I remember I had to use both the 0.9 and the 0.6 GND filters to fix this problem on the 645D, that's 5 stops. For the same pictures I don't need any GND on the 645Z. I guess this is infrared light which is not filtered that well by the clouds, and the 645D is most likely more sensitive to infrared light. It is not the total dynamic far too high for the 12.5 stops the 645D offers, a slight 1 to 2 stop GND would do the job, there is happening something else.
05-17-2019, 12:26 PM - 1 Like   #12
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I don't like superlatives, but the 645D is a very nice camera and sensor. I'd definitely be super happy to own one for it's fantastic CCD, I'd stick it on a tripod and do good work!
05-17-2019, 12:40 PM - 1 Like   #13
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The one thing that worries me a little about the 645D is that they are all quite old now. Any problems might be expensive or impossible to resolve. By rights the price should reflect this, but internet sellers have not received that memo yet. Bit of a bummer,that one. I would really like a 645D but prices remain way outside my modest means. For now I get my CCD kicks with a K200D. Perhaps I should get another K10D to replace my deceased one.
05-17-2019, 08:10 PM - 2 Likes   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wasp Quote
The one thing that worries me a little about the 645D is that they are all quite old now. Any problems might be expensive or impossible to resolve. By rights the price should reflect this, but internet sellers have not received that memo yet. Bit of a bummer,that one. I would really like a 645D but prices remain way outside my modest means. For now I get my CCD kicks with a K200D. Perhaps I should get another K10D to replace my deceased one.
To be fair about the 645D being old, which it is, it goes without saying that they are extremely well designed and rugged body that has a reputation of not needing servicing. I looked up every bit of information (reports) on the internet about 645Ds failing, needing servicing and found the camera is not one that sees the Pentax servicing centers often, if ever. Combined with the excellent image quality of the CCD sensor and low prices on 2nd hand glass don't expect the 645D prices to go much lower, if at all for the next few years.
05-18-2019, 12:58 AM   #15
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I really like my D, I use it more than my K-1apart from a recent holiday (with hindsight I'd have preferred a slimmed down D outfit to the more comprehensive K-1 one outfit I took).

Prices have fallen since I bought mine a year ago, some refurbished ones with warranty appeared at very good prices a couple of months ago. Lenses are abundant, most are very good or better stopped down a bit and some are fairly inexpensive. I already had 6x7 lenses and adapter and these all work seemlessly with the D.
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