What have you to say about Pentax 645?

[AndersPS]

I´ve seen a Pentax 645 on a biddingsite i Sweden called Tradera. I´m love old cameras and sometime in the future I want a 120 or 220 film-camera, and I saw this Pentax 645..http://www.tradera.com/Pentax-645-43-75-2-8-mellanformatskamera-i-gott-skick-auktion_96869635, and I wonder if this is a camera to spend my money on? or is it better to save more and go for a Hasselblad 500 C/M?

///Anders S

 

[Mark Fisher]

I had a Pentax and loved the image quality, hated the push button interface. I also found that I really preferred the square anyway (I have a mamiya c220 before) I now have the Hasselblad and couldn't be happier. The Pentax is an incredible bargain for the quality and features you get if you like the format and the ergonomics.

 

[Pupfish]

The Pentax 645 system can be one of the best used values (if not the best) in medium format. The lenses are all very good to excellent. But if my currency calculator is correct and that's the Swedish Krona in the auction, it seems like they're asking much money even at the lower limit of the bid. If you're patient you should be able to find the much better P645N for less than the upper limit amount.

Consider too that the original P645 is a camera that could be 25 years old, and may have seen extensive use by a professional wedding photographer.

 

[brofkand]

I tried the Pentax system and found the viewfinder to be extremely dim. I also didn't like the push-button interface as Mark said.

I'm sure it is an excellent camera. If you can get a good deal, go for it! I went for a Mamiya m645 1000s for not much more money and I am extremely happy. The advantage to the Pentax is it is an all-in-one design. The advantage to the Mamiya is you can start barebones and add on power winders, new prisms, etc as you grow as a photographer.


The price you linked to is around $300 USD, which seems a tad high. KEH has them for less, but with shipping to Sweden it may be too expensive. For $300 you should be able to get an excellent Mamiya kit (I did).

 

[yurihuta]

Anders,

This is a great system for medium format. There are a few things to be aware of though. The film backs do not have darkslides, so you can't change films mid-roll, unless you 'waste' the unused film and press a button to advance to the end of the roll (not a big deal for me). Also, the lenses do not have shutters in them, so the flash synchronization speed is 1/60th of a second on most lenses, although they have two lenses with shutters in them for high flash speed synching (not a big deal for me, I shoot available light outdoors or with studio strobes). Living with those 'limitations' has not held me back. I would opt for the newer 645N version, as it has numerous improvements that make it very attractive. There is the gorgeous, very bright new viewfinder. It has a dual zone, six segment matrix meter, or you can switch to spot metering or the old average metering setting. No more push buttons like the original 645, it has those big, beautiful dials.

645N offers autofocus with the FA lenses. Manual focus, but with focus confirmation (green light only or green light with audible sound) with the plentiful A series lenses. You have your pick of lenses from 35mm to 600mm. Some fast glass with several lenses having a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and some really nice zooms -- 33-55mm, 45-85mm, 80-160mm, 150-300mm. A stunning 120mm macro - 1:1 magnification without the need for extension tubes or bellows (both of which are available as accessories).

120 or 220 film backs as well as a Polaroid and 70mm bulk film back. Exposure and other data can be optionally imprinted on the film, outside of the actual picture frame - nice and handy.

While there are well used examples out there, this is still a very popular series with enthusiast photographers and so there are a lot of very nice copies out there. Pentax still services the 645N and 645NII bodies. I bought one with a damaged shutter for $100 and had the whole shutter assembly replaced and the rest of the camera clean, lubricated and adjusted back to factory settings for under $300 - a brand new looking and functioning camera for under $400!

 

[yurihuta]

Shipping to Sweden is not bad at all. I have sold some gear and shipped to Sweden for very reasonable rates. I am not sure of what (if any) import duties Sweden imposes on used camera gear.

 

[narsuitus]

"What have you to say about Pentax 645?"

Choosing between the Hasselblad 500C and the Pentax 645 would be difficult for me because I like them both. The $100 price difference between the two bodies that I want (645N and black 500CM) is not significant. The price difference between the lenses that I need, however, is significant.

Hasselblad (used and in excellent condition)
$ 500 black 500CM body with waist level finder
$ 700 black 50mm f/4 wide-angle lens
$ 465 black 80mm f/2.8 normal lens
$ 400 black 150mm f/4 telephoto lens
-------
$2065 Total

Pentax (used and in excellent condition)
$ 600 645N body with eye-level finder
$ 400 45mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens
$ 300 75mm f/2.8 normal lens
$ 180 150mm f/3.5 telephoto lens
-------
$1480 Total

If I only needed the camera for studio work, I would pick the 6 x 6cm square format of the Hasselblad to the 6 x 4.5cm rectangular format of the Pentax because the square format allows me to shoot without worrying about portrait or landscape orientation. Also, for studio work, I prefer the standard waist level finder of the Hasselblad to the standard eyelevel finder of the Pentax.

If I only needed the camera for field work, I would pick the Pentax because in the field, it is easier for me to capture action shots with the standard eyelevel finder of the Pentax. Plus, an Alaskan landscape/wildlife/aerial photographer, who uses a pair of Pentax cameras, convinced me that the Pentax can withstand the constant use and abuse of field work; and if damaged, the body repair cost and lens replacement cost of the Pentax are less than the Hasselblad.

However, since I would use the camera for both studio and field work, I would be happy with either.

 

[AndersPS]

Thank you all for your reply´s. I know there´s a big diffrens in price, but I´m gonna save money. And if I save enough I think I should buy them both

 

[bagdad child]

Anders,

FFordes in Inverness, Scotland, is a well-reputed shop which stocks a lot of used medium format gear. Prices are fair and they sell over the internet. All of their used gear is guaranteed for six months parts and labour.

Dead Link Removed

If you buy from a well reputed dealer you will less likely have any unpleasant surprises which may occur on ebay. I have bought stuff off ebay and of course there are many good deals to be made but always be extra careful.

 

[frdrx]

The Pentax 645 is a maintenance-free camera. I don't know to what extent can this be said about Hasselblads.

 

[wiltw]

Consider too that the original P645 is a camera that could be 25 years old, and may have seen extensive use by a professional wedding photographer.

Not likely! The Pentax 645 is a focal plane shutter camera, while bodies like Hasselblad and Bronica were far superior for usage with electronic flash via their in-lens leaf shutters. Most pros shot weddings with Hassy or Bronica.

While the P645 had a few leaf shutter lenses, the use of those lenses would lose any ambient light meter automation of the shutter speed, because there was no link between the meter in the body and the shutter in the lens, unlike Bronica's. So synchro-sun flash fill outdoors was too inconvenient with P645 compared to the native leaf shutter lens cameras

 

[Alan W]

I've never used a hasselblad but I do have a pentax 645 and a 645n.I love the modular design of these cameras.Darkslide is not an issue for me-I was used to shooting 36 exposures without one before I got the 645!Batteries are AA's which are available everywhere.These are two of my most used cameras and it seems I always end up taking one of the two,it may be because of the size-not that much bigger or heavier than a 35mm.

 

[pentaxuser]

Can someone clear up something for me here. When you hold the P645N in the horizontal( landscape ) position is the negative also produced in the landscape position. I may have misunderstood what I have read eslewhere but it seems that the normal horizontal shots in fact come out as portrait i.e. the neg is 6 high and 4.5 wide so in fact to shoot landscape you end up holding the camera in portrait mode which seems counter intuitive.

This would put me off as most of my shots are landscape and holding the camera in the portrait position for say 90% or more of my shots would feel awkward.

Thanks

pentaxuser(35mm only in case you wonder why a pentaxuser needs to ask such a question

 

[Alan W]

What you see in the viewfinder is what you get on the negative.On the pentax 645 there are two tripod screw attachments one on the bottom for"landscape" and one on the side for "portrait".

 

[AndersPS]

Thank you all for your answers!