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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
08-25-2014, 06:43 AM
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Very nice photo! Again, I think maybe it's just something wrong with my model or something? I took a photo in some fog of a cooler sitting alone on a beach at 1/320 of a sec. early AM. I was shooting with the Leica Tri-Elmar @ 18mm. The focus was on the cooler however the edges of said cooler exhibit a "ghosting" where it seems to be moving from right to left. And this was at 1/320. I'll try to post the photo to flickr soon. Anyways, I am happy to be back to the more manual, simple aspects of the 645 system.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
08-19-2014, 06:37 PM
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I know this is off topic of the thread but honestly I am not sure what it is if I've got a bad model off the assembly line or what but I've seen shutter vibration in some, not all, but some, of my images that were shot even at 1/320 of a second. It is a very distinct look that I recognize immediately-the "sharpest" part of the image is where the focus was, but deteriorated. The first time I took the A7r out of the box was on a vacation in March. Had NO IDEA about the shutter shake issue whatsoever as I had bought the camera solely based on the stats and it arrived the day I left. Shot images I would have shot with any other camera from 1/80-1/160 of a second. Almost half, if not 75% of my images were lacking any sharpness whatsoever...over 350 images. I had NEVER seen this before so I did the research and bam there was the shutter vibration at the top of a Google search.
The images I have taken, all handheld, from 1/200th of a second and faster, will show in most shots that vibration effect. I cannot get the tack sharp effect people claim to see. If I use a tripod, I can achieve a nice sharp image, but I mean, if I can't get that standing still, holding the camera with both hands, not walking or moving, and using a shutter speed of at least 1/200th, auto ISO, f/stop between 5.6 and 8, well, I just don't think it is worth it. Again, this is just my personal experience.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
08-16-2014, 06:20 PM
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So, after some careful deliberation, and a slight twist of fate, I ended up selling a Leica M9-P, A7r, AND my good ole 645D to purchase the 645Z. There is something to be said for the simplicity of having one camera. Plus, everything they said about shutter vibration in the A7r is true. A camera that cannot take a sharp photo to save its life at 1/200th of a second has to look at itself in a mirror and say, "Am I truly happy being a camera?!?"
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
07-20-2014, 06:38 PM
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Well I certainly can't disagree with you there. For me, I think I am starting to finally find a camera I am comfortable with in my photo ventures-I do a lot of hiking and carrying around the 645D even with only two or three lenses is somewhat taxing. Being able to get great quality out of a small package, ie A7R, and not missing a shot because the camera is in your hand, not your bag, well I think there's a lot to be said for that. I remember shooting with a Fuji 617 and an Ebony SV45TE...great cameras. Amazing image quality (when properly scanned). But, I found myself shooting much less than I would with a digital camera...and because of that, I found myself having less fun. I can still do some deliberate work with the A7R, more so with the 645D, especially considering the aforementioned points, so I might keep it after all. Still on the fence at this point.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
07-20-2014, 06:30 PM
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Hey, forensicscientist! I am out of the York area, so pretty far south. Been to Bar Harbor once and I am trying to get another trip up that way hopefully before the end of September. Lots of coastal opportunities up my way obviously, but I am still trying to branch out a bit...tough with work. Photography is strictly a hobby rather than a business, though I do get to sell some canvas prints here and there.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
07-18-2014, 04:17 PM
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Greetings, Royce! Could you be more specific as to the annoyances you've seen with regard to shooting the A7r vs. the 645D? Haha I'd probably agree with you on some!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
07-18-2014, 02:17 PM
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Hello, all! Name is Aaron and I work primarily in landscape and conceptual work. Two cameras in the holster-645D and Sony A7r. Cheers!
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
07-18-2014, 10:27 AM
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I know this is coming in quite late in this thread, but as someone who owns both the 645D and the Sony A7r, I can honestly say that while there is a certain pleasure derived from shooting with the 645D, from both its simple, film-inspired design to the beautiful IQ in each file, it is in fact collecting dust on my shelf now. I am truly considering selling the 645D solely because the A7r has stolen my attention away. Coming from a primarily FF shooter, my most favorite aspect of the 645D besides IQ & no-BS buttons was the aspect ratio of 4:3 as opposed to FF 3:2. In this respect a non-cropped version of a 645 photo would almost completely cover a 17x22 sheet. That to me is just amazing.
I consider myself to be a landscape photographer. I am using a tripod quite a bit, and also doing some hand-held work when I want to pull off some crazy low level angle stuff. The first thing I noticed with the A7r was the dynamic range. This in itself is something I have not seen since my 6x7 days with a Mamiya 7II. Granted, it's not drum-scanned slide quality, but the DR blows away all my previous digital experiences, from a 5DIII to an M9. With these cameras I was always bracketing exposures. I find myself doing that now about 1/10th of the time given the A7r's RAW abilities.
Me: Hello, my name is X, and I am a pixel peeper.
Crowd: Hello, X. Welcome.
Yes I admit it, I believe I have a pixel peeping problem. That being said, when this camera's focus is on, it is ON. I shoot manual focus 90% of the time. These images are the sharpest I've seen, and, with hesitation, I do decree, sharper than any of my Leica lenses on an M9 rangefinder. (Cue explosive commentary in the followup) Now, give me a break on that comment as I am shooting mostly with the Tri-Elmar 16 18 21 lens and the Novoflex adapter, but I am in fact seeing equal sharpness compared to if not slightly more than the rangefinder system. One last comment before the onslaught-the FE 55mm 1.8 is the sharpest lens I have ever seen in my days holding a camera. No, I do not have the Zeiss OTUS nor have I shot with one...is it sharper? Probably. I don't know. For $4000 should it be? Yes. Back to the point-because of my pixel peeper addiction I will gladly use the A7r over the 645D any day. Couple the sharpness factor with the fact that it is over half the weight, well, you pretty much got a winner IMHO.
Are there drawbacks? Of course. I mean, I had to pony up for the Tri-Elmar because I wanted a WIDE lens and the 24-70 OS is crap at 70mm and is worse than what I want to see at 24mm. It's great at 35mm. Do I see lens vibration at 1/100? Sometimes. Do I see it on a tripod? No. Do I care if I am getting the sharpness I want and the dynamic range I have dreamt of in years past? Meh, yes and no. I will get by.
So, the 645D is a great, decreasing in price camera. Am I interested in the 645Z? Definitely .Will I buy it? Hmmmmmm. It's hard to go back to those large bodies when you've been messing with the skinny chic down the corner on Sony Street. Most likely I will convince myself the A7r is a better camera in terms of IQ and will just stick with this one till the end. Or, until they release the A8r. I'll keep you posted.
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