For Pentax 645 Users

pentaxuser · Jul 27, 2008

weasel said:
I must be missing something. Mine does not rewind, it just winds through to the end of the roll. Can they be set up to rewind somehow?

So two diametrically opposed viewpoints on this. It was what I was afraid of. Yet it seems both sets of users have experience of both outcomes. So what is the correct definitive answer?

There are a good number of P645 users out there in APUG. Would others care to help settle this? I think the one thing we can all agree on is that it is important for potential buyers to know whether there is a rewind facility or not.

Help needed.

pentaxuser

frdrx · Jul 27, 2008

No, there isn't any rewind facility.

Phillip P. Dimor · Jul 27, 2008

frdrx said:
No, there isn't any rewind facility.

I apologize for misleading anyone. After having taken the backing paper from a previous roll and running it through the camera, merely removing the back _does not_ rewind in mid roll. I'm sorry, it's been a while since i've used my camera and honestly while I remember this to be the standard procedure.. it doesn't rewind.. OTOH, attaching the emergency winder knob onto the camera allows you to cock the camera and wind the film when it is locked up. Merely attaching the lens cap and winding this way could work, but it is a pain in the ass. You could also switch to manual and fire away to the end of the roll with the lens cap on..

Sorry if I mislead or confused anyone! My mind isn't as good as it used to be..

frdrx · Jul 27, 2008

Frankly, I think the only sane method of changing film mid role with the Pentax 645 is to switch between bodies. And now, why not discuss the possibilities of using the P645 with a waist-level finder? The camera has its limitations, but I love it nonetheless.

jamusu · Jul 27, 2008

Okay..

I am a bit lost now. My film automatically rewinds when I shoot my last frame.

Jamusu.

frdrx · Jul 27, 2008

jamusu said:
Okay..

I am a bit lost now. My film automatically rewinds when I shoot my last frame.

Jamusu.

Except that it doesn't RE-wind but winds forwards onto the take-up spool. It just takes a few seconds; rewinding would take much longer. After you finish the film, do you see the word `EXPOSED' on the backing paper? Is the end seal there? Sure you have to move the empty spool to the second sprocket before you load a new roll. I cannot imagine how the Pentax could achieve to rewind the film. The thing is not designed that way.

jamusu · Jul 28, 2008

frdrx said:
Except that it doesn't RE-wind but winds forwards onto the take-up spool. It just takes a few seconds; rewinding would take much longer. After you finish the film, do you see the word `EXPOSED' on the backing paper? Is the end seal there? Sure you have to move the empty spool to the second sprocket before you load a new roll. I cannot imagine how the Pentax could achieve to rewind the film. The thing is not designed that way.

Yes.

It says exposed and the end seal is there. I do have to move the empty spool to the second sprocket.

In essence, the film is not rewinding, but fowarding to the end of the roll for removal?

Jamusu.

frdrx · Jul 28, 2008

jamusu said:
Yes.

It says exposed and the end seal is there. I do have to move the empty spool to the second sprocket.

In essence, the film is not rewinding, but fowarding to the end of the roll for removal?

Jamusu.

Yes.

pentaxuser · Jul 28, 2008

Phillip P. Dimor said:
OTOH, attaching the emergency winder knob onto the camera allows you to cock the camera and wind the film when it is locked up. Merely attaching the lens cap and winding this way could work, but it is a pain in the ass. You could also switch to manual and fire away to the end of the roll with the lens cap on..

Sorry if I mislead or confused anyone! My mind isn't as good as it used to be..

OK Phillip.Thanks for that. Things are becoming clearer, I think. The P645 doesn't rewind BUT if I have understood you correctly there is a way of ensuring a rewind by cocking the camera( I presume this means keeping the shutter open?) and rewinding the film with the emergency winder knob. Light is prevented from entering by the lens cap.

Have I got this correct? If I have then I am not sure why it should be such a "pain" so to do, other than a manual operation involving a couple of actions and a few seconds of time. Well worth doing, I would have thought if you had only taken one frame and decided that the film was wrong for the light conditions or a switch to colour from B&W or vice versa was called for.

I am not sure about the relevance of the last sentence, in the quote above, to the rewind issue. Maybe you can expand this. Finally which versions does what you have said about the rewind process i.e. only the manual 645 or both the AF versions as well

Thanks

pentaxuser

jamusu · Jul 28, 2008

Why would one need to rewind film with this camera anyway? Also, how does the DOF preview work. I have never had this on any of my other cameras and I am confused as to what is in and out of focus when using it.

Jamusu.

frdrx · Jul 28, 2008

pentaxuser said:
... if I have understood you correctly there is a way of ensuring a rewind by cocking the camera( I presume this means keeping the shutter open?) and rewinding the film with the emergency winder knob. Light is prevented from entering by the lens cap.

I'm sorry, but this isn't possible. The emergency winding/cocking/firing knob moves the film forwards only. There's no way of rewinding the film other than winding it to the end and then re-spooling it by hand. On the P645 film insert, there is no gear that would allow you to turn the supply spool backwards.

frdrx · Jul 28, 2008

jamusu said:
Why would one need to rewind film with this camera anyway?

Yeah, why? We're Pentax users, so we don't do such things.

jamusu said:
Also, how does the DOF preview work.

DOF preview lets you stop down the lens, which allows you to see how your current aperture influences the image. Of course, as a side effect, the viewfinder goes dim as the aperture lets in less light, but it is still a very useful feature as it allows you to control not only DOF but also bokeh and reflections. Once you get used to it, you will miss it on your other cameras.

jamusu · Jul 28, 2008

So when using DOF preview, I need to stop down my lens for it to work? After stopping down, do I open back up to the original aperture?

Also, how will I know what is in and out of focus when using it? Will the out of focus areas show a blur in the viewfinder?

Sorry for so many questions, but as stated previously, I have never had this function because all of my other cameras are manual and it is a bit confusing to get used too.

Jamusu.

weasel · Jul 28, 2008

The DOF preview will simply stop the lens down to whatever f stop you have it set to. This allows you to see what the depth of field will look like when the picture is taken.
You will be able to see what is, and what is not, in focus.

jamusu · Jul 28, 2008

Okay.

Jamusu.

pentaxuser · Jul 29, 2008

frdrx said:
I'm sorry, but this isn't possible. The emergency winding/cocking/firing knob moves the film forwards only. There's no way of rewinding the film other than winding it to the end and then re-spooling it by hand. On the P645 film insert, there is no gear that would allow you to turn the supply spool backwards.

Thanks. At last a definitive statement based on the actual engineering involved in the insert. I am glad I wasn't on the point of bidding for a P645 and basing it on a post in APUG which stated that it has this ability to perform a rewind.

Rewinding is clearly impossible and re-spooling by hand is as good as useless, given the difficulty involved and need for changing bag/darkroom etc.

Call me naive, folks, but unless I know it to be an opinion, I had tended to take statements on APUG about a piece of equipment's functions as being a statement of fact.

I am now wiser and more wary but actually poorer(fortunately in the broadest, non financial sense) for this experience.

pentaxuser

jamusu · Jul 29, 2008

Pentaxuser.

In the short period of time that I have had my P-645, I would have to say that it is going to be regularly used. I can't wait to pull it out with my P-K1000 and use them at the same time. Maybe I should change my name to PentaxuserII?

Jamusu.

frdrx · Jul 29, 2008

How about `Pentaxhugger'? And you could even improve on this by altering one letter.

Phillip P. Dimor · Jul 29, 2008

Apparently you've never been to photo.net ?

frdrx · Jul 29, 2008

I've been there a few times recently, but I don't like the place very much.

jamusu · Jul 29, 2008

frdrx said:
I've been there a few times recently, but I don't like the place very much.

Dido.

Phillip P. Dimor · Jul 30, 2008

We all make mistakes, i'm not out to screw anyone over with misinformation.
I was obviously wrong and i'm thankful that some sober people corrected my erroneous posts.

OTOH, not everything you read is correct or true. Internet Forums, any forum for that matter, will have something that's erroneous somewhere.
Atleast this place isn't full of jerks. Like that other forum.

luvmydogs · Jul 31, 2008

pentaxuser - I'm sorry I missed your earlier question. I didn't mean to confuse. frdx is right - the film doesn't rewind, it moves forward. My bad.

pentaxuser · Jul 31, 2008

Phillip P. Dimor said:
We all make mistakes, i'm not out to screw anyone over with misinformation.
I was obviously wrong and i'm thankful that some sober people corrected my erroneous posts.

OTOH, not everything you read is correct or true. Internet Forums, any forum for that matter, will have something that's erroneous somewhere.
Atleast this place isn't full of jerks. Like that other forum.

Phillip. True and amen to your last sentence. Yes I have looked at other sites and as you say this one is way ahead of others where often the thread just "finishes" without any real answer. The other sites suffer as well because often the contributors are not big enough to admit they have got a question of fact wrong or they have a "disguised axe to grind".

You certainly couldn't be accused of either of these things and I let my frustration get the better of me when I overreacted to what I saw wrongly as a " Yes it does/ No it doesn't " situation.

Things resolved themselves with no harm done as they usually do on APUG. Anyone know of a "chill pill" stockist in my locality?

Regards

pentaxuser

Phillip P. Dimor · Jul 31, 2008

No worries! I always swore it rewound but yes it just forwards to the end of the roll. Could you not just put the film back in, place the lens cap, set it to manual and fire away until you get to the 'next frame' ? I'm not sure how it advances (no pun intended) whether it's a mechanical sensor or electronic but.. I think this is how I used to do it with a 35mm a long while ago (big pain in the butt). *shrug*

The older I get the more I realize I don't know anything.

I remember that Mr. PhotoEngineer had a lot of hassles on Photo.net. I guess people didn't believe him. It's sad, once Lex J. said hey try APUG I never looked back.

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