645 Shootout?

Pioneer said:

I shoot sports quite frequently with it. I love the 45-85, 150, the 200 and the 300. Once in awhile I drag the 400 along but have rarely actually used it. Even the 300 gets "noticed", if you what I mean and people tend to start backing away when I hook up the 400.

I usually have the 150 on the 645 and the 200 on the 645Nii. Long telephoto isn't really all that necessary for kids soccer and softball. Actually with soccer I frequently forgo the really long stuff and mount the 45-85 on the 645Nii. I get some decent goal action that way. Something almost scary about a herd of young boys headed your way, each trying to kick a soccer ball.

I also like the 45-85 for those bleacher shots as well. Sometimes there is more excitement to photograph in the bleachers than on the field.

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That's really cool that you are able to shoot medium format for sports. When my daughter was real young I shot 35mm and my 180mm was plenty long for CYC softball and soccer. When my daughter got older she pitched select fast pitch softball. I was assistant manager of one of her teams for three years so I could shoot through the gap in the fence next to the dugout. Normally, parents were not allowed there. I would shoot the whole team so all the parents and girls had photos. For high school and college ball I was just another parent and needed every bit of that 300mm (400mm 35mm camera equivalent) I had on the DX zoom.

Pioneer said:

I like that. THE SWARM!!

We call it THE HERD! Many little kids get trampled by the HERD.

Defensive positions are a completely foreign concept.

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Yeah, my daughter's coach called it Herd ball!

I could probably get along with just the Pentax 645Nii if I needed. It is pretty flexible and very durable.

But I'm glad I don't have to.

I could probably get along with just the Pentax 645Nii if I needed. It is pretty flexible and very durable.

But I'm glad I don't have to.

I am still leaning towards the mamiya for the backs, I tend to have one loaded with c-41 and one b&w and don't think i would be as happy with the pentax, besides I have manual lenses that will work with the mamiya

rhyno0688 said:

I am still leaning towards the mamiya for the backs, I tend to have one loaded with c-41 and one b&w and don't think i would be as happy with the pentax, besides I have manual lenses that will work with the mamiya

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I have never shot a Mamiya 645 but I have heard good things about them. I would say that you are correct in the Mamiya suiting you better for the reasons that you stated plus the autofocus lenses of the Pentax are really expensive now due to being able to use them on the Pentax medium format digital cameras.

I've no experience with the auto focus version (or any autofocus MF) but my M 645 Pro is an excellent camera. It does get pretty big with the winder and AE prism attached. You'd want a prism of some kind and I don't think the others are significantly smaller. It handles much, much better with the winder, especially for portrait orientation, so even if you don't really need the film wind it's worth having. You won't confuse it with having an albatross around your neck, but you won't confuse it with an Olympus OM 35mm either (or, in my case, my Pentax MX) nor for that matter my Yashicamat. Don't get me wrong, it's not an RB/RZ or such and quite comfortable to shoot handheld, but it's more the camera I take when I am going out to shoot photos rather than walking around doing something else or sightseeing and just might want to photograph. My full kit with multiple backs, inserts, three lenses etc. is actually heavier than my 4x5 kit, but then a lot of that is down to the medium format lenses versus the small 4x5 lenses I have.

I have an rb67 as well as a mamiya 645 super with winder grip so I am familir with what you speak of as far as the weight and size. But apperently im young and can pack the heavier weight (26yo) and as far as my 4x5 goes, it gets pretty bulky when you add in all the film holders but your right my 645 with the 4 lenses gets heavy quick