[carddassxx]

Hi,

I’m new to the forum. I love the Pentax 645d CCD colors, however was considering selling mine because I’ve called Pentax and they no longer service this model. May I ask where you got your shutter serviced? Would they also be able to do a replacement? Thank you!

I had my shutter serviced at Rudiger Maerz in Hamburg Germany.
Foto Maerz - Canon | Ricoh Pentax | Tamron - Reparaturservice

My 645D didn't need a shutter replacement, it only needed to be lubricated so I'm unsure if they offer that service or if they can get the part for it. You would have to contact them about that.

As UncleVanya suggested, I actually did purchase a second 645D as sort of an insurance policy in case it becomes difficult for repair shops to source the parts needed. With people jumping to the Fuji ship, a used 645D (and sometimes Z) can be had for a steal.

[Eric Auer]

If you want to keep the Pentax brand alive, you upgrade.

[UncleVanya]

If you want to keep the Pentax brand alive, you upgrade.

Or buy lenses…

[Eric Auer]

Or buy lenses…

Nah, in order for Pentax to keep the body lineup fresh and up to date you need to buy cameras too.

Pentax MF bodies being a pretty good example for how low sales volumes stifle progression.

[normhead]

My desire for a 645D (I have a 645 body with two lenses) died when the k-1 came out.

36MP compared to 40 with a lot more DR and Pixel Shift. I'm guessing a K-1 pixel shift image is very similar to a 645D image.

A recent Pixels Shift image....


The feature set difference is not in any way comparable.
Pixels Shift, Astrotracer, more dynamic range, better low light performance,

On many instances I don't even bother setting up tripod.


So I have never regretted passing up the 645D for the K-1. But then, I shoot on the fly, prefer to not use a tripod, unless the scene is absolutely stunning. I do a lot of hand held images some of which would require tripods because of no In Body Shake Reduction. I'm not sure what you get from a 645D that would make it worthwhile. I'd happily go GFX 100s given a wad of cash, but it's really the first camera I've thought was impressive compared to my original K-1.

Of course, no one's the same as me, so I have no idea how relevant my opinion would be to you. Everyone's different. It would be so nice if mattb123 would stop in. I'd be curious in what he has to say.

[angerdan]

A friend of mine told me about the pentax 645 digital cams, and they seem intriguing. But that of course depends on if the 645D is still a competitive system at the price they seem to be going for these days.

The K-1 is an direct competitor. And very recommended.
Pentax K-1 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

If you want to enter 645, lenses are important. You can get an good impression about which Pentax 645 lenses are part of the system:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Pentax_645-mount_lenses_timeline

[TDvN57]

The K-1 is an direct competitor. And very recommended.
Pentax K-1 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

If you want to enter 645, lenses are important. You can get an good impression about which Pentax 645 lenses are part of the system:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Pentax_645-mount_lenses_timeline

Thank you for the spreadsheet link. Great resource and easy to read.

[EUMack]

This may sound hard spirited but I’m not trying to be a jerk:

1) Pentax doesn’t exist as a company Ricoh Imaging is perhaps the closest thing to it you can get. Pentax is a brand.

2) at least in most parts of the world the official repair channels are not owned by Ricoh Imaging - in the USA Precision is the authorized warranty services provider but there are some additional companies that do repair work. Parts can be tricky. Even some currently selling lenses like the DA* 50-135 can be hard to get parts for (at least for out of warranty repairs).

3) even if it is hard to repair a spare body is potentially a cheap insurance policy

Now with all that said… it does give one pause to invest in a system that may not be repairable.

Thanks! No mean-spiritedness taken. I appreciate your correction.

Yes, it was Ricoh that I spoke to. The customer service rep was very helpful - and was a photographer also. He did suggest upgrading to the 645z and said they have seen those models used in industrial settings come in with “around 1 million shutter count” in his words. I do plan to buy a 645z this year. I’m a Pentax brand devote and have been since they were a standalone company and my dad owned a camera store in the 80s and 90s. My first camera was a K1000 - like that of many a high school or college student I suppose.

I did also, by the way, speak to Precision USA. That is who Ricoh directed me to first as their US service center partner. Precision confirmed they no longer service the 645d as they no longer have the necessary parts for the camera.

I’m just going to miss this particular Kodak CCD’s rendering of color that is absent from the Sony CMOS in my opinion. It has been incredible to shoot with a Kodak CCD of this size. Other than a smattering of aging digital backs, there wasn’t much else produced out there in this class that compares, IMHO.

Of course, I understand that my view on the color is all very subjective.

I will probably just keep my 645d for as long as it lasts, but I don’t expect that to be for long given that it has north of 65k clicks now.

[EUMack]

I had my shutter serviced at Rudiger Maerz in Hamburg Germany.
Foto Maerz - Canon | Ricoh Pentax | Tamron - Reparaturservice

My 645D didn't need a shutter replacement, it only needed to be lubricated so I'm unsure if they offer that service or if they can get the part for it. You would have to contact them about that.

As UncleVanya suggested, I actually did purchase a second 645D as sort of an insurance policy in case it becomes difficult for repair shops to source the parts needed. With people jumping to the Fuji ship, a used 645D (and sometimes Z) can be had for a steal.

Thank you for responding with that information! I will reach out to them. Also, the second body is a good idea. I’m seeing a few listed for under $2k out there now - as you note, a lot of Fuji MF mirrorless converts, perhaps a few to Hasselblad MF mirrorless also.

I prefer my TTL as an optical view as opposed to EVF, personally. Call me old fashioned, but I love my mirrors and prisms! I stare at a computer screen/phone screen/tablet screen long enough all day as it is. I don’t need another screen!

Thanks again for your help!

[EUMack]

If you want to keep the Pentax brand alive, you upgrade.

Good point. I plan to this year - a new 645z from Adorama probably.

---------- Post added 11-03-21 at 10:23 PM ----------

My desire for a 645D (I have a 645 body with two lenses) died when the k-1 came out.

36MP compared to 40 with a lot more DR and Pixel Shift. I'm guessing a K-1 pixel shift image is very similar to a 645D image.

A recent Pixels Shift image....


The feature set difference is not in any way comparable.
Pixels Shift, Astrotracer, more dynamic range, better low light performance,

On many instances I don't even bother setting up tripod.


So I have never regretted passing up the 645D for the K-1. But then, I shoot on the fly, prefer to not use a tripod, unless the scene is absolutely stunning. I do a lot of hand held images some of which would require tripods because of no In Body Shake Reduction. I'm not sure what you get from a 645D that would make it worthwhile. I'd happily go GFX 100s given a wad of cash, but it's really the first camera I've thought was impressive compared to my original K-1.

Of course, no one's the same as me, so I have no idea how relevant my opinion would be to you. Everyone's different. It would be so nice if mattb123 would stop in. I'd be curious in what he has to say.

I appreciate you’re thoughts - and those shots are gorgeous!

It’s mainly just the experience, I guess - in regards to my like of the 645d, and I really do prefer the Kodak CCD as opposed to the Sony CMOS - I do understand I’d be gaining a massive ISO increase potential, of course, and more dynamic range with CMOS (though, for a CCD, I’ve always been very impressed with my 645d’s DR). As for the experience, my first real “pro” camera was a Pentax 645n. It’s big, yes, it’s cumbersome for taking out on a hike, yes, but I’m a rucker, I like the challenge of a little weight on my back anyway, and I just love the ergonomics of the camera - and probably the nostalgia too.

Like you said, to each his/her own. But yeah, again, nice work with your K1. I’ve heard nothing but a great deal of respect for that camera from everyone I’ve talked to who owns or has used one. The Astrotracer and pixel pitch functions sound awesome too!

[UncleVanya]

Have you seen the efforts by some users to create profiles to emulate the ccd look? Have you used DXO? There’s an option to change the default rendering to different base cameras including some ccd ones. This may help remove some of the sting of not having any large ccd options available.

Thank you for your response it was very well articulated and in the spirit of this forum.

[Denver]

HI
I use the 645Nii and have two bodies as I still enjoy film. I have a 645z so my lenses work on both types of cameras. The D is nice and can be reasonable to purchase but I would vote to go for the Z. It is more recent manufacture the tilt up screen is useful. You would like the mirror lockup feature as well. Since I live in Colorado and it does get cold here at times (I know hard to believe), it affects battery life in low light shooting. I have a turbo3 battery setup. It makes a great counterweight on the tripod, and have cords for my Pentax K S2 and 645z so I never worry about cold low light shooting. I also have the right-angle view attachment. It works on all my 645s and find it nice when you have to be very high up with the tripod or low. Enjoy whatever you get.

[GPMASS]

I bought the 645D a few months ago and "built" a mini kit around it: 35FA, 55D FA, 45-85FA and 80-160FA.
Since I have it in my hands I use it a lot instead of the full-frame Canon 6DII (always with L series lenses, of course ...), that I also own.
Knowing what you are buying, there will be no surprises: it is certainly a slow camera, but what appears on the display after a few seconds amply compensates for the short wait.
The results are evident, especially in A3+ prints...

[RICHARD L.]

DFA 55 mm f/2.8

FA 200 mm f/4

[Edmunds]

I bought my 645Z about half a year ago, along with a few lenses.

My honest opinion is this: the world has moved on. If you're only going to shoot digital, I don't see the point in Pentax 645 mini-MF. The advantages in resolution/DR are slim, if any. The difference in sensor size between the 645Z and "35mm full frame" isn't very large - the digital mini-MF sensor is smaller than 6x4.5 film. The camera is huge, weighs a ton, modern lenses are also large and quite expensive.

Shooting landscapes with the 645Z after using a mirrorless camera feels like using an antique. Landscapes are so much easier to compose on a tripod at different heights if you can see what you're shooting in the rear screen. While possible to do on the 645Z, its much nicer on a modern mirrorless camera.

I would just get a more recent full frame camera and live happy.

The reason I have the 645Z is basically because I also use the 645N, the lens sharing makes a lot of sense. Also, its a pretty good bang for your buck.

If you do go with Pentax, make sure you shop around for the best deal. Lots of people place their Pentax equipment on ebay at unrealistic prices, making it seem quite expensive. It isn't, its just that there is very little supply and very little demand.