[Ed Hurst]

Hello all,

I thought some of you may like to see this... It's an interview run by C.R. Kennedy (the people who distribute, market, sell and support Pentax cameras in Australia). They asked me to appear to talk about medium format in general and the 645Z in particular.

You can view it here. Skip to 2:35 into the track...

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

Warmest,
Ed

[Sandy Hancock]

Thanks for posting this Ed. I missed the live stream.

[MarkJerling]

Nice one Ed!

[KiloHotelphoto]

Great video Ed and beautiful shots.

I’m looking into getting a medium format body for wildlife, looking at 645Z and Fuji 50s but really leaning towards Pentax for it’s longer legacy glass,600mm and the 400mm you can still buy new.

I shot Pentax for years, K50,K3 and K1 with the da560 and da*300/4 but then switched to Canon for their lenses and auto focus. I’m currently shooting the 5dsr and 1DX2 with 600/4 IS II and 100-400 IS II lenses. The 1DX2 and 600 are incredible and will be my main set up for fast moving mammals and BIF. But I’m thinking of replacing the 5dsr and using the medium format for large slow mammals. I’m thinking early morning low light shots at watering holes or grazing in fields and thinking the medium format will give me a better look and quality.

My only concern with Pentax is it seems Ricoh has abandoned the system. I know you can adapt Pentax glass to the Fuji and even Canon EF with little vignetting so I could still use a older Pentax 600mm manually or even my Canon manually with Fuji but there is something about the 645Z that keeps drawing me back to it.

If you or anybody with 645Z experience could give me opinions on if I’m nuts for thinking of this I’d appreciate it.

My other thinking is upgrade the Canon 5dsr to the new R5, I’m sure it will have better low light capabilities but still not medium format.

[yucafrita]

Yeah, found it yesterday on YT and thought if I should post it. Nice talk and great pictures. That 6x7 lens is just *wow*...

Just one for the notes: I am not sure if the 6x7 to 645 adapters can be found new by Ricoh/Pentax. The CRK guy said they would list it (or similar). I only find them used or mint on ebay but not new by Riccoh/Pentax.

[mikeSF]

Ed, this is so great. Thanks for sharing.

[johnha]

Good stuff Ed, the background to some of your shots is interesting to hear. I don't envy you carting all that kit on a business trip though.

[RICHARD L.]

It was fun to see you "in person". But when you travel by air, what kind of problems do you encounter with the handling of your photo equipment ? Do you keep it with you in the passenger cabin or do you let it go to the underfloor cargo area where the handling can be quite rough ?

Regards

[repaap]

Good to see this! Inspiring

[Ed Hurst]

Thanks so much, everyone - means a lot to me!

---------- Post added 07-14-20 at 08:12 PM ----------

It was fun to see you "in person". But when you travel by air, what kind of problems do you encounter with the handling of your photo equipment ? Do you keep it with you in the passenger cabin or do you let it go to the underfloor cargo area where the handling can be quite rough ?

Regards

Hi Richard,

I was waiting for someone to ask me this! To be honest, I have been very cheeky in this respect. I have tended to get away with having most of it in my hand luggage, in the overhead lockers. I tend to fly Premium Economy, so maybe that helps. It helps that I am tall - 6'5" - so bags look small against my body! And, of course, long haul flights have larger lockers. I would, of course, be well over the weight limits for carry-on, but have rarely been challenged (only on budget airlines, as a rule).

The 6x7 400mm EDIF lens, of course, has to travel in the hold. In its aluminium flight case, wrapped in clothes, then put inside a suitcase, it seems to do alright.

---------- Post added 07-14-20 at 08:13 PM ----------

Yeah, found it yesterday on YT and thought if I should post it. Nice talk and great pictures. That 6x7 lens is just *wow*...

Just one for the notes: I am not sure if the 6x7 to 645 adapters can be found new by Ricoh/Pentax. The CRK guy said they would list it (or similar). I only find them used or mint on ebay but not new by Riccoh/Pentax.

Yes, interesting point. I had thought they were still made for sale in Japan, but not sure... Will be interesting to find out!

---------- Post added 07-14-20 at 08:17 PM ----------

Great video Ed and beautiful shots.

I’m looking into getting a medium format body for wildlife, looking at 645Z and Fuji 50s but really leaning towards Pentax for it’s longer legacy glass,600mm and the 400mm you can still buy new.

I shot Pentax for years, K50,K3 and K1 with the da560 and da*300/4 but then switched to Canon for their lenses and auto focus. I’m currently shooting the 5dsr and 1DX2 with 600/4 IS II and 100-400 IS II lenses. The 1DX2 and 600 are incredible and will be my main set up for fast moving mammals and BIF. But I’m thinking of replacing the 5dsr and using the medium format for large slow mammals. I’m thinking early morning low light shots at watering holes or grazing in fields and thinking the medium format will give me a better look and quality.

My only concern with Pentax is it seems Ricoh has abandoned the system. I know you can adapt Pentax glass to the Fuji and even Canon EF with little vignetting so I could still use a older Pentax 600mm manually or even my Canon manually with Fuji but there is something about the 645Z that keeps drawing me back to it.

If you or anybody with 645Z experience could give me opinions on if I’m nuts for thinking of this I’d appreciate it.

My other thinking is upgrade the Canon 5dsr to the new R5, I’m sure it will have better low light capabilities but still not medium format.

I am hoping someone with more experience of that kind of shooting will weigh in, as I don't have a lot.

My impression is that, while the 645Z will deliver results for shots like that if you work hard, it does seem to me that it will not be the best beast for the job. The body is large and the long telephotos you seem to need are also very large on the format. The 645 600mm lens is very demanding to use if you want truly sharp pictures; it's hard enough to use with static subjects where you can set up slowly and meticulously; doing it with subjects like this, even at a water hole, strikes me as creating difficulties you could do without. If you manage it, the quality will blow your socks off. But the hit rate might drive you nuts...

If you were wanting to use the 645Z with shorter lenses, that would be different and I'd say go for it. But overall, I feel the full frame bodies you mention would be the right tools for the job.

Anyone else care to comment?

[RICHARD L.]

How unfair life is ... you have to be a big man to be able to handle safely and enjoy using heavy medium-format equipment, SIGH! (just kidding !). LOL !

Regards

P.S. I'm 5'10" and 325 pounds (heavily muscled, not a fatso) and I find 645 or 67 telephotos quite a handful.

[johnha]

I am hoping someone with more experience of that kind of shooting will weigh in, as I don't have a lot.

My impression is that, while the 645Z will deliver results for shots like that if you work hard, it does seem to me that it will not be the best beast for the job. The body is large and the long telephotos you seem to need are also very large on the format. The 645 600mm lens is very demanding to use if you want truly sharp pictures; it's hard enough to use with static subjects where you can set up slowly and meticulously; doing it with subjects like this, even at a water hole, strikes me as creating difficulties you could do without. If you manage it, the quality will blow your socks off. But the hit rate might drive you nuts...

If you were wanting to use the 645Z with shorter lenses, that would be different and I'd say go for it. But overall, I feel the full frame bodies you mention would be the right tools for the job.

Anyone else care to comment?

I haven't tried 'waterhole' photography, but I'd agree on the handling of long lenses. I infrequently use a P67 500/5.6 on my D (weighs in about 3kg, I use it on a 5kg tripod & head rig). It depends on your patience & perseverance (YMMV) - but anything is possible if you have enough of both. Lugging the kit and setting up carefully & methodically can be a battle in itself - you'd be used to this with your existing kit but the 400 or 600 won't reach as far.

Stunning dawn/dusk landscapes (with waterhole) are another thing entirely... I do agree with the comment in the video - once you've used medium format, it's very hard to go back.

[w2ck]

Hi,

Nice interview. You sold me on the P645 and I already got one! Well, a D and you sold me on the Z, but there it is.

I am in the midst of changing around my entire kit. Or, everything that isn't Nikon Manual Focus from when I began in 1979. That stuff stays because (a) I still use it and (b) it isn't worth enough these days to try and sell anyway.

So, the previous kit was all based around Kodak / Nikon stuff - F5 film bodies with Kodak digital backs. All replaced by a Nikon Df in 2018. Also, I had a Contax 645 with a Kodak Digital back. That gave me 16 MP in a 36mm square size imager to go along with the other which was 2 MP for Hi ISO and 6 MP for Lo ISO. Yeah, three bodies.

Anyway, I felt myself missing the larger medium format. So, I began thinking on what was current, or just recently replaced. That led me to Fujifilm and Pentax as the only two reasonably priced options. And, the Pentax is much lower cost when one looks at the older lenses. Pentax hasn't abandoned the format as they have the Digital lens line, but those are still new. Like the Fuji offerings.

I had a particular shooting sequence in mind, and the 16 MP Df I calculated wasn't quite up to the task. I also calculated that the older Nikon lenses I own weren't up to going past 30 MP. And, 24 MP wasn't quite enough, either. So, if I am buying new lenses, I don't have to stick with Nikon or full frame and so, medium format.

I got to looking and decided on a used P645D and then used film-era lenses which are shown a lot around here on the D and the Z. And, the prices are most decidedly reasonable. Dirt cheap, actually, and I hate to use the word 'cheap' as the glass doesn't perform cheap at all.

As far as the long glass goes, I go to 300mm with the P645D and also the 1.4x TC but haven't used that for-real yet. Just testing shots to see how it all works. If I were to take a nature hike and so wanted to maybe grab some long shots and BIF, I would use my Df with a 150-600mm zoom on a monopod. I would also use the P645D with the 45-85mm zoom. The Df carried like an ax and the P645 on a shoulder strap. This is a way I have done for many years, also around the race track. One body with a wider lens and the other with a long lens on a monopod. Used to be only primes, but these modern zooms work very well and it is nice to be able to dial up a focal length.

Stan

[barondla]

Hello all,

I thought some of you may like to see this... It's an interview run by C.R. Kennedy (the people who distribute, market, sell and support Pentax cameras in Australia). They asked me to appear to talk about medium format in general and the 645Z in particular.

You can view it here. Skip to 2:35 into the track...
Pentax | Shooting Medium Format with Ed Hurst and the 645Z - YouTube

Warmest,
Ed

Very enjoyable interview filled with info and amazing images. Love all the photos. The technical hurdles, of the firewoks image, are mind boggling. Two Z! Wow, what a creative way to capture fireworks. What lenses did you use?

Speaking of lenses, that 67 400 is massive. What a stellar lens. Did you purchase it for the 67 and adapt it to 645 or was it intended for the 645 from the start?

Pentax needs more promotions like this! CRK is doing a great job. No wonder Pentax is so strong in Australia. Wish we had CRK in the USA.

Ed, thanks for the taking the time to do the interview and posting it here,
barondla

[BSULMON]

I use both 645Z and GFX50S.

Some details which could make a difference ............

Prices of lenses
----------------
GFX50S is lighter, but all the lenses are new ones and are to pay at the price of the new gear.
645Z lenses could be found in second hand shop at very low prices. Most of my P645Z lenses come from Japan, and even with shipping cost and duties taxes, they are still more affordable compared to the european prices.

Viewer
------
I prefer to use the viewer than the screen

GFX50S : electronic viewer
There is always a short delay between the moment when you put you eye through the ocular and the moment when you can visualize the framing of your picture.
When there is not a lot of light, the electronic viewer of the GFX50S become coarse grained and it's difficult to manually focus the lens ... you need to accept what the autofocus propose
possibility to observe an increased part of the picture

Possibility to place other branded lenses through adapters ... but you loose autofocus and automatic aperture control ..... not very professionnal, even if only used in the studio.
Could be used as a digital back on a small view camera (with minimum a 70 or 80mm lense if infinity has to bee reached).

P645Z : optical viewer
No delay for framing
Framed picture is much brighter so that manual focusing is still usable in low light situation.
No possibility of increasing a part of the picture through the viewer .... only on the screen.
Could also be used as a digital back, but with more difficulities and longer focal length (distance between lens and sensor is much greater)




Autofocus
---------

The autofocus of P645Z lenses is very slow compared to the GFX50S lenses.
Last lenses incoporate a focusing motor, but the big part of the available lenses still use a mechancial focusing system through the motor incorporated in the body
None lenses have a anti-vibrating system

The autofocus of GFX lenses are ultra fast. Each lens incorporate his own adapted system.
Some lenses incorporate a anti vibrating system
Moreover the body of the GFX100 incorporate an anti-vibration system


Quality of pictures
-------------------
Same sensor 33x44mm
Same quality of pictures
the size of the RAW pictures issued from the P645Z (.PEF ou .DNG) are smaller that the ones which comes from the GFX50
If you are using a CAMFI PRO PLUS transmitter to be able to shoot without a cable, it take more times to transmit a picture to your computer.
6 to 8 seconds for a pentax 645Z RAW and 16 to 20 seconds for a GFX50 RAW.
20 seconds is long when you wait to see the picture you have just taken on a large video screen.


TETHERED SHOOTING
-----------------
GFX50 is delivered with the free XACQUIRE software and a free plugin for lightroom (version 6 minimum).
There is also a free CAPTURE ONE software ... but this version is not the full version... no tethered shooting possibility with the free version ... you have to buy the whole version.
I suppose that FUJI has paid royalties.
It is still possible to use XACQUIRE to place the pictures in a directory and use the small C1 FUJI VERSION which will regularly look in this directory... so if become possible to shoot tethered

With P645Z you have 2 possiblities : buying IT2 software (Image Transmitter version 2) or using the free plugin for lightroom (version 6 minimum)
CAPTURE ONE do not accept the P645Z pictures (nore in .PEF, nore in .DNG). Phase One do not accept to open pictures from mid sized digital bodies as it is a concurrent of his own digital back).
Some people modify the EXIF data in order to look like a Phase One back file... and so they can use C1 to develop and adpat their RAW files.

Both bodies could be used with CAMFI PRO PLUS transmitter.


MENU
----

P645Z .... straigtforward .. do not need a lot of time to adapt yourself with this body

GFX50 .... confusing ....... need a lot of time to found the options you want to change ... have to make reminder's notes to not waste a lot of times

Personnaly, i prefer using the P645Z for hand shooting and the GFX as a digital back.