[gofour3]

Don't underestimate the utility of the 150 Takumar f/2.8 for portraits. It is very affordable now.

Yep a gem of an older generation 6x7 lens, love it.

A 165 f/4 LS for studio

Be careful when buying a used leaf shutter lens, there have bee frequent post with new forum users having issues firing a flash with the lens. Make sure the seller has tested this.

Phil.

[desertscape]

Is the image quality not there on these lenses or something?

The old 300mm is actually fairly sharp with little chromatic issues and can be used for portraits handheld. On a tripod, it is a problem. Its DOF scale it not very accurate either. The 200 Takumar design is a modified triplet and does not close focus very well, while the Pentax version is an Ernostar design that is sharper than the Takumar and does better for portraits.

[nickelphoto]

Be careful when buying a used leaf shutter lens, there have bee frequent post with new forum users having issues firing a flash with the lens. Make sure the seller has tested this.

Yikes! Good to know, thanks. I might hold off on that until I can get one stateside with a return policy!

I'm also intrigued by the 55-100 simply for portability. Is there a loss of image quality you might expect from a non-prime lens?

[gofour3]

I'm also intrigued by the 55-100 simply for portability. Is there a loss of image quality you might expect from a non-prime lens?

I don't have any 6x7 zoom lenses, Steve (PF user "desertscape") does and is a better one to ask. Check out his 6x7 lens reviews as well.

Phil.

[RICHARD L.]

It can't get any better than this lens. It's big and heavy but imaging quality is first rate.

100 mm FL

75 mm FL

55 mm FL

[nickelphoto]

I was hoping for less glowing reviews. I'm not sure my wallet can handle anymore

[tuco]

A digital image with the lens is not showing its edge performance you will see on the Pentax 67.

[RICHARD L.]

on the 645Z

As I said : "ON THE 645Z". Maybe it will perform slightly differently on a 67. Contributor "DESERTSCAPE" likes it very much on his 67. For example, my P67 45 mm f/4 was "so-so" on my 67 II but is very good on the 645Z. The zoom sells between 350 and 400 US$ used on eBay.

Regards

[RICHARD L.]

Very good little lens for about 300 US$.

[tuco]

Here is some 'full frame' versions

67 gen 200/4





67 165/2.8

[cobbu2]

... Be careful when buying a used leaf shutter lens, there have bee frequent post with new forum users having issues firing a flash with the lens. Make sure the seller has tested this.

Phil.

I'm one of those that purchased a 165/4 LS (in 2019) only to find out that its PC socket was inop (I sent it to Eric, but he was unable to fix it). Luckily I was able to sell it for what I paid thanks to recent price increases. It also helped that it's one of the sharpest lenses in the P67 lens family and it was fine in that department.

If the leaf shutter flash sync is important to you, I definitely second verifying the flash sync operation with the seller.

[desertscape]

I'm also intrigued by the 55-100

This zoom is indeed amazing, with no degradation in image quality compared with the primes. It is almost as sharp as the 55mm latest. It has near zero distortion and no vignetting. I bought mine new when it was released many years ago but its price has dropped significantly since. Its f/32 makes it great for landscapes when max DOF is required.

[Cruddola]

Hello! I'm on the hunt for a Pentax 67 and have some questions regarding the many options out there. I've been watching videos, reading blogs/forums and trolling eBay for a couple of weeks now and I think I know what I'm looking for, but was hoping someone here could confirm that what I'm looking for is actually what I want.

I'm coming from (and still have) a Hasselblad 503cx which I primarily use for landscape/travel. I'm wanting a 6x7 format to focus more on portraits, but may still use it for all around general photography as well.

Body: Pentax 67 - Most of what I'm seeing in the near-mint range are going for around $850-1100 from Japan which seems crazy, but I think there is a recent increase in demand for this camera. I want MLU for when I do shoot landscape, but aside from that which I know you can get in a late model 6x7, are there any other major benefits to the 67 over the 6x7? I may get a leaf shutter lens in the future to utilize my strobes, not sure if that matters with the body. I'm just assuming a 67 is likely going to be in better overall shape than a 6x7 due to age.

Prism: My eyes aren't what they used to be, and I want to be able to nail focus on the 105mm wide open. I'm used to metering handheld with the Hasselblad, so I'm thinking of going with a non-TTL prism since it sounds like the TTL version often can't be trusted? Which ground glass would be best for me? I typically prefer split prism for film, as that's what I learned on with my first camera (Pentax K1000!) Also, should I consider getting that flip down magnifier? I do wear glasses.

Lens: 105mm f/2.4 SMC and likely a 45mm f/4. I'll be searching for non-yellowed versions of course.

I'm hoping all of this is doable for at or under $1500 shipped. Is there anything in this plan that can be improved or sounds off? Thanks to those who read all of this!!

Save yourself the headache of sourcing a P67 these days. Mighty expensive for what's being offered. Should've done it decades ago. Worthy cameras are long gone and only questionable ones are left unless you wanna take a risk of sourcing from Japan. Worthy accessories are mighty hard to find these days and mighty expensive if you can get them. Grab an RB67 instead. Unlike the P67's (I have 4) there's still more repair resources for the RB than the P67.

---------- Post added 02-16-2021 at 02:57 AM ----------

I'm one of those that purchased a 165/4 LS (in 2019) only to find out that its PC socket was inop (I sent it to Eric, but he was unable to fix it). Luckily I was able to sell it for what I paid thanks to recent price increases. It also helped that it's one of the sharpest lenses in the P67 lens family and it was fine in that department.

If the leaf shutter flash sync is important to you, I definitely second verifying the flash sync operation with the seller.

I have both the 90mm and the 165mm leaf shutter lenses. They just don't last. Both have been to the doctor twice within the first year. All my gear was new when purchased. I know their history. They're a pain to use too. I gave up on them 20 years ago. I went back to my RB67 gear. I use the P67 gear only when not using flash on location.

[nickelphoto]

Save yourself the headache of sourcing a P67 these days. Mighty expensive for what's being offered. Should've done it decades ago. Worthy cameras are long gone and only questionable ones are left unless you wanna take a risk of sourcing from Japan. Worthy accessories are mighty hard to find these days and mighty expensive if you can get them. Grab an RB67 instead. Unlike the P67's (I have 4) there's still more repair resources for the RB than the P67.

---------- Post added 02-16-2021 at 02:57 AM ----------


I have both the 90mm and the 165mm leaf shutter lenses. They just don't last. Both have been to the doctor twice within the first year. All my gear was new when purchased. I know their history. They're a pain to use too. I gave up on them 20 years ago. I went back to my RB67 gear. I use the P67 gear only when not using flash on location.

I appreciate the info, but the deed is done one the body and lens. It was expensive compared to prices a decade ago for sure, but not too much for the value it brings me. I might however limit the lens lineup I had planned to acquire and consider this camera an available light only camera (unless I come across a clean LS lens locally that I can physically test).

I do still have a Hasselblad 503cx with a few lenses, which I think I would keep over the RB. I do love the rotating back option of the RB, but I’m not sure how much I would really gain (minus the 1cm on one side of the negative). If I do end up shooting a ton more portraits, I might look into a p645 instead (assuming it can sync with strobes better than 1/30?)

[Cruddola]

I appreciate the info, but the deed is done one the body and lens. It was expensive compared to prices a decade ago for sure, but not too much for the value it brings me. I might however limit the lens lineup I had planned to acquire and consider this camera an available light only camera (unless I come across a clean LS lens locally that I can physically test).

I do still have a Hasselblad 503cx with a few lenses, which I think I would keep over the RB. I do love the rotating back option of the RB, but I’m not sure how much I would really gain (minus the 1cm on one side of the negative). If I do end up shooting a ton more portraits, I might look into a p645 instead (assuming it can sync with strobes better than 1/30?)

Absolutely no reason to unload the Blad! I assisted my photographic mentor who was the premiere African-American portraitist in the Tidewater metro area (Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA) where I was stationed. His recipe was a pair Blad 500 ELMs when it was outdoors. An arsenal of the 50, 80, 150 and a 360 CF were his lenses. 70mm film backs ruled then. Six of them went along on each job. In his downtown studio it was all 4X5, 8X10 and 16X20 (he contact-printed those) for everything. All his lighting was Elinchrom. Those Blads were superb! Junk the thought of landing a P645. Get 645 backs for your Blad instead. On the issue of the P67, the LS lenses suck from the get-go all the way around and their shutter repair capability is all but gone. I don't mind lugging an RB. I humped 50 pound packs in the Corps.

---------- Post added 02-17-2021 at 08:28 PM ----------

Yep a gem of an older generation 6x7 lens, love it.



Be careful when buying a used leaf shutter lens, there have bee frequent post with new forum users having issues firing a flash with the lens. Make sure the seller has tested this.

Phil.

Amen! They just don't last.