Pentax 645

Psynema · 06-29-2009, 08:42 AM

Anyone recommend it and a few lenses? Saw it's only $300 with a 75 2.8 lens - seems like a nice deal (what I like about film, as expensive as film is, at least you don't have to worry about having the best sensor...all the work is done in the emulsion).

Heard on photorumors.com the K-7 is supposed to, via adapter, support 645 lenses and as well the new lenses for the rumored Pentax DSLR MF camera (if they come out with it).

k100d · 06-29-2009, 08:49 PM

should try to move this thread to the MF section for more responses

**yurihuta** · 06-30-2009, 04:39 PM

I highly recomment the Pentax 645. You might do a little better than $300 for the older Pentax 645 (as opposed to the newer 645N) with the A 75mm f/2.8 (with or without film back?), but maybe not much better. You are not getting ripped off by any measure.

Lenses? Depends on what you want to shoot. Right now you can acquire the A 150mm f/3.5 for around $100 and the A 55mm f/2.8 for abot double that. That will give you a nice wide, normal and tele setup (in 35mm full frame equivalent terms, these are 35mm, 50mm and 75mm).

**yurihuta** · 06-30-2009, 04:40 PM

You can use these on Pentax K mount bodies, but from the existing adapters, it is a purely mechanical hook up - no electronic information is passed from the lense to the body. Stop down metering is what awaits you, which is not bad at all.

Psynema · 07-05-2009, 05:43 PM

Originally posted by yurihuta

You can use these on Pentax K mount bodies, but from the existing adapters, it is a purely mechanical hook up - no electronic information is passed from the lense to the body. Stop down metering is what awaits you, which is not bad at all.

Nice...are these good lenses? Hard to find info for them.

**yurihuta** · 07-06-2009, 06:24 AM

They are very good lenses. I find them to be excellent. They debuted and were tested well before the internet and websites were around, but they have an excellent reputation.

But a simple poke around the web turns up:

Right here, there are some reviews...
Pentax Lens Review Database - Pentax 645 Lenses

Not exclusively about lenses, but does mention them.
The Luminous Landscape

scottk13 · 08-02-2009, 07:13 PM

These are GREAT lenses! I've got all the primes from 45mm to 300mm, the 80-160mm zoom, and the 120mm macro. Contrast and color reproduction are excellent, and they are very sharp. I got most of mine locally and from KEH.

Portland Pete · 12-29-2009, 04:25 AM

I picked up a 645 body with the 75mm f/2.8, a 67 105mm f/2.0(?)[I'm not at home right now so I cant check], the 67/645 adapter, and 2 120 film holders for $500 a little over a year ago from a local pro who went digital. I love it. The glass is everything I could hope for. Aside from having to step down for metering, you get the advantage of a huge sweet spot using the larger format glass. So far I'm shooting negative film, but I'm going to try slide film for my astro work. I have heard good things about Fuji Velvia and Kodak Ektachrome 100 if anyone has some input. Also, I was reading in the review that you can do multiple exposures with the 645. I'm sure its easy and I just missed it, but if anyone can let me know how, that would be great.

andycogbill · 12-30-2009, 10:26 AM

Agreed with everyone BUT I would add that you should just spend the extra cash on the 645N with the 75mm. I'm ready to shoot the 645 system for the rest of my life, and I think you will be too after spending a little time with it. Might as well go for AF, *amazing* knob controls for exposure comp and shutter speed, and general nicer quality. Not to mention data imprinting is handy.

RioRico · 01-15-2010, 03:48 PM

I'm up to me bum in cameras and lenses, mostly M42 and PK mounts. And I've more MF cams than I can transport and use: folders & TLRs, 6x6s & 6x9s. And I'd dearly love to add a 645 to the herd; and it'd be Real Nice if that was a Pentax too. BUT...

But a new SLR system means yet more lenses, and I'd obsessively buy too many, I know I would. And my darling Financial Director reminds me that we're no longer employed, and she ain't gonna let me blow another couple grand anytime soon, not until we sell our second house. [ Toland Adobe - Bisbee, Arizona USA ] And any 645 SLR system will be heavy and bulky, so I'd have to tote around Yet Another Bag. And I must ask myself, since I do this for fun, not money: would I use it enough to justify the cost?

So I'm trying to find ways to explore the 645 world without going totally overboard. Hey, Holgas have 645 masks! Hey, I could fabricate a 645 mask for my 1930 KW Patent-Etui 6x9 folder! And I'm beguiled by a Fuji GA645 rangefinder with 60/4 AF lens, currently up on eBay. But I just can't decide...

Nesster · 01-15-2010, 04:42 PM

Yes, I know

I probably won't use the P645 as much as I might - it is bulky and heavy - and I'd rather carry a TLR or folder hiking around. Though a nice landscape with a non standard lens.... I figure I won't lose much if at all when / if I ever sell it off.

You know there are old 6x4.5 folders out there, very cute, if you're not put off by the vintage camera thing. And my Bessa I has the 6x4.5 mask...

And the Fujis, yeah, they are so tempting.

In SLR, I've noted that Mamiya (I can't spell it so I wont buy it

) stuff is more readily available via various channels than Pentax.

And to really put a temptation past your path: the Koni Omega 6x7 has super lenses and comes out cheaper than the Pentax 6x7....

RioRico · 01-15-2010, 05:39 PM

Originally posted by Nesster

You know there are old 6x4.5 folders out there, very cute, if you're not put off by the vintage camera thing. And my Bessa I has the 6x4.5 mask...

Vintage is nearly me middle name. That 1930 KW Patent-Etui, and a ca.1920 Kodak Monitor, both 6x9 folders; the late-1940s Zeiss Ikonta-B, a 6x6 folder that's always in my shoulder bag; the ca.1950 AnscoFlex TLR (the deco Raymond Loewy design) and a couple old Brownies. And more! I do not fear the old. But all the 645 folders I've seen on eBay are terribly overpriced, compared to 6x6 and 6x9 stuff. Bother.

Quote:

And to really put a temptation past your path: the Koni Omega 6x7 has super lenses and comes out cheaper than the Pentax 6x7....

My current obsession is 645. If I start pursuing 6x7 or 6x12 or 6x17, I'm doomed.

GeneV · 02-05-2010, 01:17 PM

I've wondered why this is the Rodney Dangerfield of MF. I've got my first 7 rolls of film coming back next week, but I thought the 645 handled beautifully. If placed in the right bag, it is no problem to carry, and it was loads of fun to use.

Everyone seems to diss this format in favor of 6x7, but my scanned image (Coolscan 9000) will be going from about 19mp for my 35mm film to 54mp for 645. OK, 80+mp for 6x7 would be even better, but it seems like I'm going to see the biggest jump in quality from 35mm to 645. Why doesn't this format get much respect?

Nesster · 02-05-2010, 02:19 PM

It does, it does... get respect I mean. I think it's a really well designed camera, and the lenses are excellent. Plus you can fit Russian lenses with an adapter, plus the 6x7 Takumars.

I'm trying to drag people to post up their pics. So make sure you do post samples from the 7 rolls

I plan on taking mine out in the snow tomorrow.

GeneV · 02-05-2010, 03:49 PM

Originally posted by Nesster

It does, it does... get respect I mean. I think it's a really well designed camera, and the lenses are excellent. Plus you can fit Russian lenses with an adapter, plus the 6x7 Takumars.

I'm trying to drag people to post up their pics. So make sure you do post samples from the 7 rolls

I plan on taking mine out in the snow tomorrow.

Assuming I didn't buy a lemon, there should be something among those hundred exposures worth posting. Like others here, I was doing a lot of cat, wife and house photos just to see if it worked. Some of the film came with the camera and was out of date, as well.

I did also take mine out in one of our rare snows earlier this week and shot a couple of rolls. That was an actual photogenic moment, so I used my fresh film and all three lenses. It is my best chance for something I'd want to share.

06-29-2009, 08:42 AM	#1
Psynema Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 136	Pentax 645 Anyone recommend it and a few lenses? Saw it's only $300 with a 75 2.8 lens - seems like a nice deal (what I like about film, as expensive as film is, at least you don't have to worry about having the best sensor...all the work is done in the emulsion). Heard on photorumors.com the K-7 is supposed to, via adapter, support 645 lenses and as well the new lenses for the rumored Pentax DSLR MF camera (if they come out with it).

01-15-2010, 03:48 PM	#10
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	My 645 dilemma I'm up to me bum in cameras and lenses, mostly M42 and PK mounts. And I've more MF cams than I can transport and use: folders & TLRs, 6x6s & 6x9s. And I'd dearly love to add a 645 to the herd; and it'd be Real Nice if that was a Pentax too. BUT... But a new SLR system means yet more lenses, and I'd obsessively buy too many, I know I would. And my darling Financial Director reminds me that we're no longer employed, and she ain't gonna let me blow another couple grand anytime soon, not until we sell our second house. [ Toland Adobe - Bisbee, Arizona USA ] And any 645 SLR system will be heavy and bulky, so I'd have to tote around Yet Another Bag. And I must ask myself, since I do this for fun, not money: would I use it enough to justify the cost? So I'm trying to find ways to explore the 645 world without going totally overboard. Hey, Holgas have 645 masks! Hey, I could fabricate a 645 mask for my 1930 KW Patent-Etui 6x9 folder! And I'm beguiled by a Fuji GA645 rangefinder with 60/4 AF lens, currently up on eBay. But I just can't decide...

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
For Sale - Sold: Pentax 645 Rear Converter-A 645 1.4X (US/UK/CAN/AUS)	yurihuta	Sold Items	1	11-07-2010 06:58 PM
K5/K7 with K-Adapter/645 and PENTAX-D FA 645 55mm F2.8 = WEATHERPROOF???	Wololo	Pentax News and Rumors	9	09-08-2010 05:14 AM

06-29-2009, 08:49 PM	#2
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	should try to move this thread to the MF section for more responses

06-30-2009, 04:39 PM	#3
yurihuta Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Washington DC, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 632	I highly recomment the Pentax 645. You might do a little better than $300 for the older Pentax 645 (as opposed to the newer 645N) with the A 75mm f/2.8 (with or without film back?), but maybe not much better. You are not getting ripped off by any measure. Lenses? Depends on what you want to shoot. Right now you can acquire the A 150mm f/3.5 for around $100 and the A 55mm f/2.8 for abot double that. That will give you a nice wide, normal and tele setup (in 35mm full frame equivalent terms, these are 35mm, 50mm and 75mm).

06-30-2009, 04:40 PM	#4
yurihuta Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Washington DC, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 632	You can use these on Pentax K mount bodies, but from the existing adapters, it is a purely mechanical hook up - no electronic information is passed from the lense to the body. Stop down metering is what awaits you, which is not bad at all.

07-05-2009, 05:43 PM	#5
Psynema Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 136 Original Poster	Originally posted by yurihuta You can use these on Pentax K mount bodies, but from the existing adapters, it is a purely mechanical hook up - no electronic information is passed from the lense to the body. Stop down metering is what awaits you, which is not bad at all. Nice...are these good lenses? Hard to find info for them.

07-06-2009, 06:24 AM	#6
yurihuta Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Washington DC, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 632	They are very good lenses. I find them to be excellent. They debuted and were tested well before the internet and websites were around, but they have an excellent reputation. But a simple poke around the web turns up: Right here, there are some reviews... Pentax Lens Review Database - Pentax 645 Lenses Not exclusively about lenses, but does mention them. The Luminous Landscape

08-02-2009, 07:13 PM	#7
scottk13 New Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest, USA Posts: 20	These are GREAT lenses! I've got all the primes from 45mm to 300mm, the 80-160mm zoom, and the 120mm macro. Contrast and color reproduction are excellent, and they are very sharp. I got most of mine locally and from KEH.

12-29-2009, 04:25 AM	#8
Portland Pete Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Oregon Photos: Albums Posts: 144	I picked up a 645 body with the 75mm f/2.8, a 67 105mm f/2.0(?)[I'm not at home right now so I cant check], the 67/645 adapter, and 2 120 film holders for $500 a little over a year ago from a local pro who went digital. I love it. The glass is everything I could hope for. Aside from having to step down for metering, you get the advantage of a huge sweet spot using the larger format glass. So far I'm shooting negative film, but I'm going to try slide film for my astro work. I have heard good things about Fuji Velvia and Kodak Ektachrome 100 if anyone has some input. Also, I was reading in the review that you can do multiple exposures with the 645. I'm sure its easy and I just missed it, but if anyone can let me know how, that would be great.

12-30-2009, 10:26 AM	#9
andycogbill Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New York, NY Posts: 74	Agreed with everyone BUT I would add that you should just spend the extra cash on the 645N with the 75mm. I'm ready to shoot the 645 system for the rest of my life, and I think you will be too after spending a little time with it. Might as well go for AF, amazing knob controls for exposure comp and shutter speed, and general nicer quality. Not to mention data imprinting is handy.

01-15-2010, 04:42 PM	#11
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	Yes, I know I probably won't use the P645 as much as I might - it is bulky and heavy - and I'd rather carry a TLR or folder hiking around. Though a nice landscape with a non standard lens.... I figure I won't lose much if at all when / if I ever sell it off. You know there are old 6x4.5 folders out there, very cute, if you're not put off by the vintage camera thing. And my Bessa I has the 6x4.5 mask... And the Fujis, yeah, they are so tempting. In SLR, I've noted that Mamiya (I can't spell it so I wont buy it ) stuff is more readily available via various channels than Pentax. And to really put a temptation past your path: the Koni Omega 6x7 has super lenses and comes out cheaper than the Pentax 6x7....

01-15-2010, 05:39 PM	#12
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Originally posted by Nesster You know there are old 6x4.5 folders out there, very cute, if you're not put off by the vintage camera thing. And my Bessa I has the 6x4.5 mask... Vintage is nearly me middle name. That 1930 KW Patent-Etui, and a ca.1920 Kodak Monitor, both 6x9 folders; the late-1940s Zeiss Ikonta-B, a 6x6 folder that's always in my shoulder bag; the ca.1950 AnscoFlex TLR (the deco Raymond Loewy design) and a couple old Brownies. And more! I do not fear the old. But all the 645 folders I've seen on eBay are terribly overpriced, compared to 6x6 and 6x9 stuff. Bother. Quote: And to really put a temptation past your path: the Koni Omega 6x7 has super lenses and comes out cheaper than the Pentax 6x7.... My current obsession is 645. If I start pursuing 6x7 or 6x12 or 6x17, I'm doomed.

02-05-2010, 01:17 PM	#13
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	I've wondered why this is the Rodney Dangerfield of MF. I've got my first 7 rolls of film coming back next week, but I thought the 645 handled beautifully. If placed in the right bag, it is no problem to carry, and it was loads of fun to use. Everyone seems to diss this format in favor of 6x7, but my scanned image (Coolscan 9000) will be going from about 19mp for my 35mm film to 54mp for 645. OK, 80+mp for 6x7 would be even better, but it seems like I'm going to see the biggest jump in quality from 35mm to 645. Why doesn't this format get much respect?

02-05-2010, 02:19 PM	#14
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	It does, it does... get respect I mean. I think it's a really well designed camera, and the lenses are excellent. Plus you can fit Russian lenses with an adapter, plus the 6x7 Takumars. I'm trying to drag people to post up their pics. So make sure you do post samples from the 7 rolls I plan on taking mine out in the snow tomorrow.

02-05-2010, 03:49 PM	#15
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by Nesster It does, it does... get respect I mean. I think it's a really well designed camera, and the lenses are excellent. Plus you can fit Russian lenses with an adapter, plus the 6x7 Takumars. I'm trying to drag people to post up their pics. So make sure you do post samples from the 7 rolls I plan on taking mine out in the snow tomorrow. Assuming I didn't buy a lemon, there should be something among those hundred exposures worth posting. Like others here, I was doing a lot of cat, wife and house photos just to see if it worked. Some of the film came with the camera and was out of date, as well. I did also take mine out in one of our rare snows earlier this week and shot a couple of rolls. That was an actual photogenic moment, so I used my fresh film and all three lenses. It is my best chance for something I'd want to share.