The difference between enlargability/quality between 645 and 6x7 formats is far less than the difference between either and 35mm, or either and 4x5.
The Pentax 6x7 is a very bulky kit to carry around and, for me, requires a very sturdy tripod. The Pentax 645 is much more suitable for hand-held work and, to me, much easier to use a modest light/ medium-weight tripod. It's doubly easy to use with a light/medium weight tripod because Pentax thoughtfully fitted both bottom and side mounting points on the body, which means that the camera can be used over the center of the tripod legs without the strength needed to flip it on its side for both portrait and landscape compositions. The design of this camera is outstanding. If you want long or wide lens selections, there's more available at lower prices for the 645 kit right now than for the 6x7. I had Hasselblad SLR and SWC, Rolleiflex TLR and SLR, Mamiya 645, Fuji RF and AF, and Zeiss Ikon Ikonta medium format cameras in the past. A year ago I got interested to use some medium format equipment again and I was loaned a P645, 4 lens kit. I found the P645 a wonderful camera in use and the lenses I've used on it are right up to snuff with the others, if not better. I particularly love the A35/3.5 and A45/2.8 lenses. (BTW: you know who you are, please get in touch as I would like to return your camera ... I've lost your shipping information. thanks) One example photo: http://homepage.mac.com/ramarren/photo/PAW6/large/39-half.jpg http://homepage.mac.com/ramarren/photo/PAW7/large/19b-half.jpg (Both with the A35/3.5.) A couple of months ago someone locally heard that I enjoyed using the P645 and offered me a 2 lens kit (A45 and A75) with two film magazines, remote release cord, case, hoods ... ie, a complete kit ... for $400. I turned it down: as much as I like using it, I simply will not use it very much at all. He then dropped the price for the kit to $200. At that price, I couldn't resist, so I now have a two lens P645 kit for when/if I feel like working with it. The only downside, and I hear ya on this, is the lack of a waist level finder. I've been considering adding a Zigview LCD finder attachment for that purpose ... or a right angle finder. The added bonus of the P645 is that if you buy a couple of these nice lenses and the P645D comes out, you will have immediate access to using them on a 22-39Mpixel digital body... Godfrey On Aug 9, 2007, at 12:46 AM, David Bliss wrote: > So I'm growing increasingly frustrated with 35mm and APS-C digital. > > Solutoin: medium format. But what? > > Hasselblad makes the sexiest gear I've ever seen. But I can't > afford it even > used. > > I like the larger negative area of the Pentax 67 -- after all, > isn't neg > area the name of the game? But I HATE the look of the camera. It > sounds like > it requires a tripod bigger than God and MLU for every shot. Flash > sync sucks > at only 1/30. No hotshoe for my level. > Pluses: waist-level finder (apparently not a great one). > > > 645: > less neg. > fixed prism -- no WL finder > > looks more like a hassy :) > data imprinting (a must) > less need for mlu/tripods/etc > focus confirm on manual lenses > uses 67 lenses > Maybe a 645D in the future -- yeah right. > > So: > > Which should I get? Is the cost in image size worth all the other > benefits > of the 645? Or should i skip MF and go straight to a 4x5 view camera? > > Or should I go to a 6x6 view camera with the idea of robbing a bank > for a > digital back? > > But only P67/P645 will play with my existing bodies... > > Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions, or tips appreciated. > > I really wanted a waist-level finder... > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
