The Nikon D60 and the Pentax 645Z are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in January 2008 and April 2014. Expert news, reviews and videos of the latest digital cameras, lenses, accessories, and phones. Changing focus points was also a bit of a hassle initially, since I did not understand how it worked (you have to press a button below the function/navigation buttons first), but again, it was just a matter of time until it all made sense. Home > Pentax 645Z Hands-On Review We go hands-on with the new Pentax 645Z, the most affordable medium format digital camera ever released, and post a number of sample photos. The Pentax 645z has its AF system based on that of their K3 camera, and it’s a 27 point phase detection system. This model is a Pro DSLR camera with a resolution of 51.0 MP and a … All images were shot with a Pentax-D FA 645 55mm f/2.8 AL lens, except for the foliage photos, which were shot with an older SMC Pentax-A 645 120mm f/4 macro. The in-finder exposure compensation warnings are tiny, but that's OK since you're not likely to use them. While it is easy to rotate the rear dial on the back of the camera to navigate between sub-menus, it would have been more intuitive to do it through the left-right navigation buttons. Personally, I also absolutely love my little 645 FA 33-55 mm f/4.5 zoom. Then you notice how dim it is. On this page we present a number of sample photos representing various common shooting conditions. Intro Specs Performance Usage Recommendations. //-->, Intro Specs Performance Usage Recommendations. PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels, By Nasim Mansurov 49 CommentsLast Updated On April 11, 2020. See real-world photos taken with the 645Z. Medium format sensors are still quite costly to manufacture compared to full-frame sensors, and it is certainly not easy to sell such cameras to the mass market. A digital medium format camera that at the time of its release, back in 2014, managed to bring a level of image quality that had previously only been available in the price range starting at 30 000+ USD, to the sub- 10 000 USD price range. This absolutely going to be my last camera. Announced Apr 15, 2014 . I don’t know what causes this particular problem, but Pentax should address it as soon as possible – I think that’s pretty unacceptable for such an advanced camera. LEDs for shutter and aperture encroach on your composition in the lower right of the finder. One is used to switch from AF-S (single servo) to AF-C (continuous-servo) mode, and the other is used to switch from still shooting to video shooting. With its 76 special weather seals all around the camera, I never saw any dust particles getting into the camera body. Both Your K1 and K3ii are beasts but no one I know bought one. The Pentax 645Z can go to even higher ISOs, but there is no reason to provide those crops in this review, as they look even worse. Almost one year ago, my Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) started flaring up. A digital medium format camera that at the time of its release, back in 2014, managed to bring a level of image quality that had previously only been available in the price range starting at 30 000+ USD, to the sub- 10 000 USD price range. When you use these links to get yours, it helps me keep adding reviews of this old stuff. As you have seen from the comparison above, the camera protrudes quite a bit more than a full-frame DSLR like the Nikon D810 and weighs almost twice heavier in comparison, which is a deal-breaker for me. You can find these used at these direct product links to Adorama and eBay. Updates: 08/20/14: First Shots posted! So why review the Pentax 645Z now? As a system, the Pentax 645 debuted in the mid 1980s as a medium format, 6 x 4.5cm film camera. Ricoh’s Pentax 645Z camera ups the ante when it comes to unrivaled photographic and videographic quality. Phase detection is not particularly reliable and it is a given, but I did not expect live view to be somewhat inaccurate as well. “Value” basically means “worth” and what isn’t very valuable to one, is extremely valuable to some, especially when we’re talking about a tool to make art or money. Unlike the awful menu system we see on many modern cameras (Sony, for example), the menu system on the Pentax 645Z is amazing. In 2015, the 645Z won the TIPA Award for the Best Medium Format Camera.. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a medium format sensor. When you buy a Pentax 645 setup, be sure you get one of these backs. 08/21/14: Performance results posted! The good thing is, the camera remembers it when you turn the camera on and off, so you only need to switch once. Add in how much time is saved in post by not having to colour certain highlights, sky, or X less shots required for compositing, etc.. Again, “worth” and “value” are relative terms and shouldn’t be assumed or presupposed for others. Likewise, investing $55k into a 100mp solution might seem like an expensive investment with a poor ROI outlook, however for many the benefit is the difference between a lot of work per X amount of profit vs. minimal work for no less profit. For me, shooting with a 3:2 aspect ratio yields pleasing, wide images that I am used to seeing, whereas 4:3 looks more squarish in comparison. Send your film to a lab like NCPS and have them scan it at the same time. This model is a Pro DSLR camera with a resolution of 51.0 MP and a Medium format (44 x 33 mm) sized CMOS sensor. (warm smile). It has been out for two years now and perhaps back then it was OK, but when I compare it to cameras like the Nikon D810, it is not as good, particularly in AF accuracy. Pentax 645Z in the real world. google_ad_client = "pub-9972917844935201"; The Pentax 645Z was revolutionary upon its release. Regards 67 M 200 mm f/4 67 M 200 mm f/4 67 M 55-100 mm f/4.5 (75 mm) 67 M 55-100 mm f/4.5 (55 mm) 67 M 55-100 mm f/4.5 (100 mm) 67 M* 300 mm f/4. Can cropping alone save you 15hrs. Worth exploring before committing any money on the Pentax 645 digital system. Excellent, thorough review and beautiful photographs! However, the differences are much more pronounced once you take a look at the two cameras from the top: Ouch, that’s a massive difference here – look at how big and bulky the mount area of the Pentax 645Z is. The problem with Pentax is Pentax. Pentax also made a 70mm magazine, in case you're taking your Pentax 645 on a Moon mission. I don’t know if there is a technical limitation on why Pentax does it, but I wish there was a simple switch on the side of the lens instead. I am yet to see any of them break! There are a lot of medium format lenses for Pentax 645Z and 645D, today we are showing you some of best lenses for Pentax 645Z … It is beautifully built, works as you’d expect and has many earlier-style used lenses available that work perfectly on it. How does it shoot? Our premium quality MediumFormat camera has a large 51.4 megapixel 43.8 x 32.8mm CMOS image sensor that’s 1.7x larger than that of a 35mm camera. I didn't find this much of a bother. enlarge. With the 645Z, I would occasionally get poor focus and I would have to switch to manual focusing in order to nail the focus, which was rather disappointing. Then from the iPad, directly uploading to Dropbox, and the “media library” of this blog. When it comes to camera shake, the Pentax 645Z has a dedicated Mirror Up switch on the side of the camera, which works great. Wedding photographer Nick Sparks reviews the Pentax 645z camera. Pentax 645D has the same height and width with Pentax 645Z. by Michael R. Tomkins, Zig Weidelich, and Shawn Barnett December 3, 2010; Updated October 18, 2011. While it shares its sensor with the Phase One IQ250 and Hasselblad H5Dc, it retails at less than a third of the price of these (~8500 at ~27000 USD). Especially High ISO RAW samples would be nice. I get the feeling that the 645Z is a more rugged system. Shares. However, as you may already know, resolution plays a small part in the overall image quality of any system – sensor size is a far more important part of the equation. Considering that it has not been done for two years now, I don’t think it will ever happen, which is sad. It has proven to be very reliable and so much fun to use. I support my growing family through this website. google_color_text = "000000"; Even if1 could get Velvia 50 in 70mm spools, I know of no lab which can run it without having to chop it into smaller strips. by Mike Tomkins Preview posted: 04/14/2014. I have been wanting to try the 645Z for quite some time, since I heard so many good things about it. However, the Pentax 645D changed the game back in 2010, by being the first sub-$10K medium format digital camera at launch. Pop on an f/3.5 and its worse. The Hyper Program feature is really neat. Liked: Massive resolution Relatively affordability of medium format sensor Disliked: AF isn't as fast as you might like Autofocus is limited to a tiny portion of the frame in phase-detection mode, which is kind of a given, considering the size of the sensor relative to the size of the phase-detection sensor. Not only does the latter have less resolution, but it also has smaller pixels, which gives a fairly noticeable advantage to the 645Z. When switching from landscape to portrait orientation, or vice-versa, all you have to do is dismount and remount the camera using the other plate – no need to try to align with the ball-head dip for vertical compositions. Share. The buttons on the camera are super intuitive – Ricoh engineers certainly put a lot of thought into that, which is nice. If such a massive camera as the 645Z has a tilting screen, there is no reason why it should be absent from cameras like the Nikon D810 and D5…. Discuss in the Pentax SLR Talk forum. Still, the 645Z comes out on top here, as expected. Pentax 645Z Review Although the Pentax 645Z medium format DSLR has been out for a few years, I only had a chance to try it out earlier this year, during my trip to Death Valley. Interestingly, despite all the noise, the D810 seems to retain detail and dynamic range a little better. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on a full frame (D850) and a medium format (645Z) sensor. Exposure compensation only in full stops. As some say, the camera is “built like a tank” and I can certainly attest to it – I did manage to drop it on the ground while hiking (the camera took a pretty moderate hit on its side and back). Ricoh put all the function buttons to the right of the LCD, as seen below: Certainly a bit different compared to anything Nikon, but not too bad. A note on testing methodology and lens choices: All cameras were shot raw and processed through ACR CS5.5, because this is what I normally use in my workflow. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Dioptometric control. 645-format 35mm Lens Equivalent Focal Length Chart 14 May 2009 . Pentax 645z with 45-85mm f/4.5 @ ISO 100. Now add the length of a lens, and you will see why the Pentax 645Z gets so large so quickly. Autofocus. Sadly, Nikon does not understand this and it continues to use its useless memory bank feature on its high-end DSLRs like Nikon D810. Although the Pentax 645Z medium format DSLR has been out for a few years, I only had a chance to try it out earlier this year, during my trip to Death Valley. It helps me keep adding reviews of this old stuff when you use these links to get yours, Thanks! That’s what makes the new mirrorless medium format offerings so much more attractive in comparison – they do not have such drastic size and weight differences. News Reviews Articles Buying Guides Sample Images Videos Cameras Lenses Phones Printers Forums Galleries Challenges. Plus, why would you want to lose all that resolution? when you get your goodies. Meter range runs down to 1 second wide-open at ISO 100, below which the display blinks while indicating slower exposures. Welcome to the Pentax Lens Review Database | Pentax Lens Series Overview: If you are looking for Pentax lens reviews or technical specifications, you've come to the right place!This is a comprehensive database of user reviews of Pentax interchangeable SLR lenses, complete with information on every Pentax lens ever produced from K-mount (digital and film) to mirrorless to medium format. Share. The film counter is semi-retarded: when your roll is done, it will read 16 (120) or 30 (220) and the Pentax 645 hangs up until you unload it. I used the Pentax 645z LCD screen to review my images, I copied the pictures I liked from SD CARD 1 to SD CARD 2, then I stuck the SD card 2 to my iPad SD card reader to my iPad, then I imported the pictures to my iPad (using the default Apple “Photos” app). Besides myself, I personally know of 1 other photographer in Melbourne using this system. The biggest help is to use these links to Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Calumet, Ritz, J&R and Links to the original images and processed RAW images are provided for download as indicated. All images were shot with a Pentax-D FA 645 55mm f/2.8 AL lens, except for the foliage photos, which were shot with an older SMC Pentax-A 645 120mm f/4 macro. Vertical cloth focal-plane, 1/1,000 to 15 seconds, bulb. And sadly, I have seen the same behavior on the Pentax K-1 as well. The newer lenses do not use the push-pull ring and focus much faster. Pentax should be whipped for not making the 55mm f/2.8 a leaf shutter lens, or at least offering such a variant. Pentax 645z buy in India from authorised distributor, avail a demonstration, latest medium format digital back / camera featuring 51.4 mp CMOS sensor. Take a look at the below image: When looking at both from the front, the size differences are pretty negligible – as you can see, the D810 is only slightly shorter in comparison. Now that amateurs have abandoned film, these Pentax 645s are almost being given away. Although the mirror mechanism certainly does add quite a bit of vibration during operation, the shutter can often be a bigger cause of vibrations, particularly at certain shutter speeds. The only thing missing is a direct “real-world” comparison of the two formats with downloadable Raw files. Color profiling has been left to Adobe’s defaults. 5. It is completely compatible with all Pentax 645 film backs and 645 lenses, both manual and auto focus. As a landscape photographer, I have been wondering for quite some time about what medium format cameras have to offer when compared to full-frame cameras and the Pentax 645Z gave me this opportunity. After a bit of – drought, it’s review bonanza week: at the opposite ends of the spectrum. I think 645Z is the camera made for the photographer like you, who shot landscapes. The scene was stunning and mesmerizing – something I had never previously witnessed at Zabriskie Point after going there so many times before, all with failed attempts. And if one wants to return to Program Mode, the green button on the back of the camera does it. The biggest help is when you use any of these links when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. It's tough to turn on the meter if a cable release is threaded into the shutter release. Buy on Amazon.com . However, for those who want to have the best image quality and do not mind the much higher price premium, medium format cameras certainly do have an edge over full-frame cameras. The Pentax 645Z pretty much took most of the bag due to its bulk, making it hard to close the bag, so I ended up either taking out the D810 or the 645Z and carrying one of the two in my hands to make it easier. Although you can use your right hand to hold the camera when walking around, due to the weight and the size of the camera, I would recommend to support it with the left hand as well. It is very intuitive and the placement of options makes sense. Custom images (similar to Picture Controls) are only applicable to JPEG images anyway, whereas flash is not something this camera has in the first place (and by the way, the Pentax 645Z might not be the ideal candidate for flash use, since it is limited to 1/125 flash sync speed, which is a pity). But, I am quite sure Pentax 645Z will excel in build quality as it is solid and weather sealed. If you need to lock an exposure, you revert to manual mode and pray, because the manual meter only reads go full stops. It is great to see more competition in this relatively new market today, but we must not forget that Pentax was the company that pioneered the idea of somewhat affordable medium format cameras in the first place. How big is the difference between the Pentax 645Z and the Nikon D810? Do the same for EV, which adjusts exposure compensation, but only in full stops. First, I did not want to put so much weight on my neck (which started to hurt rather quickly) and second, I did not want the strap to cause extra vibrations when shooting in windy conditions from my tripod. The rear of the Pentax 645Z is also very well thought through. I found out quickly that it was best to get the camera on a sturdy tripod – my Gitzo traveler with its tiny feet and a small RRS BH-25 ball-head wasn’t good enough to handle this camera anymore, so I had to switch to my Gitzo Systematic with the RRS BH-55 ball-head instead. This is an upgraded model that Pentax released to replace their older product 645D. Press MODE or ISO and UP-DOWN to adjust. The Nikon D810’s flange distance of 46.50mm is pretty small in comparison – look where the mount starts and compare where it starts on the 645Z (which is right under the Pentax logo, with a flange distance of 70.87mm). Since both cameras are absolutely amazing at low ISOs all the way to ISO 800, I decided to skip those and concentrate at ISO 1600 and higher. When it comes to build quality, Ricoh usually does not disappoint and the Pentax 645Z is not an exception. Thanks! I found no advantage in purchasing a DSLR (for my particular work) and continued with film until the much anticipated Pentax 645D arrived. Gavin Cato. Let’s take a look at the below illustration: First of all, let’s get one fact straight – unlike “APS-C” and “full-frame”, “medium format” does not strictly define one particular size of sensor. Here is how the two cameras compare side by side when shooting at ISO 1600 (Left: Pentax 645Z, Right: Nikon D810): As you can see, the Nikon D810 does look much worse compared to the Pentax 645Z at ISO 1600 – the differences are pretty clear already. In fact, the Nikon D810 is actually slightly taller, thanks to its protruded top that hosts the pentaprism and the flash unit. The top LCD comes from a 1984 digital watch, and so does the dim LCD illuminator. Today Pentax announced its first medium-format digital camera. document.write("
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