[continued from a previous “Part 1” due to excess verbosity and PDML limits on
size of posting.]
Part 2: What is it like to use it (and is it worth the price?)
In the above listing of some “positive” and “negative” observations on the
645Z, I think there are more “-“ items than “+” items. But don’t think of this
as a math problem where too many negatives must swamp the positives. I have
tried to be thorough and somewhat picky, trying to give fair warning of
possible “issues” to any who might be thinking of making the step to a 645z.
But what isn’t accounted for above is the experience of using the camera and
the experience of looking at the images later on a good monitor. In short, I
have no regrets about making this purchase. I have some regrets about having
sold many of my most favorite K-mount lenses in order to finance the purchase,
but I am happy with the resulting two-format system and the set of lenses I
have for each system.
Shooting with the 645z is a lot like shooting with any Pentax DSLR of the last
few years. Just bigger and better. Coming from the K-5 series or K-3, you would
be ready to go within a few minutes of taking the camera out of the box. And
your spare K-3 battery would already be charged so you wouldn’t need to wait
for the 645z battery charging process! Turn it on, wander through the menus to
tweak some of the settings away from default to your preferred style, and fire
away.
The first thing you may notice is that the whisper-quiet K-3 shutter is not
included with the 645z. Shutter release is accompanied by a subtle but definite
“thunk.” Not loud enough to disturb, but you’ll know for example when the self
timer has done its thing and the shutter has been triggered.
The second thing you may notice, when you pull the card out, and dump those
first images into your processing tool of choice, is that the images don’t seem
that spectacularly different or better than you were getting with the K-3.
Several things going on here. First, the K-3 is pretty darn good! Second, you
may well not see the advantages of the larger file until you go beyond that
first RAW-to-jpg-to-screen translation. Third, you probably rushed out and
tried some handheld shots. On this last point, at the risk of repeating my
self, note that this is a large heavy camera. Even if you can handhold a K-3
with no problem, you probably can’t with this camera, not without practice
anyway. And oh by the way, don’t forget that there is no SR to provide a safety
net.
So, go online, order one or two plates from Really Right Stuff.
Carrying a tripod is a nuisance. Over the last two-three years I have come to
use a tripod for a majority of my shots with the K-5, K-5ii, K-3 and now the
645z. I still find it a pain, especially when traveling. One thing that I like
about the 645z is that it encourages me to be more deliberate in my shooting,
to carry the tripod, to use the tripod. To frame and consider and reframe. To
review on the LCD. To use the Liveview. To experiment with alternate f-stops
and ISO for variations in DOF. A lot of this is due to the nice large bright
large viewfinder and (tilting) LCD which make composition and review much
easier for my aging eyes.
On my recent trip I alternated, using both the K-3 and the 645z. (And sometimes
the WG-III.) I seldom carried both; I usually took the 645z and then usually my
tripod as well. But when we went on a catamaran to go snorkeling, I took the
K-3 (and WG-III for underwater). When I got up early to go on deck to see the
sunrise, that was with the K-3. If I was sitting poolside working on my laptop,
the K-3 or WG-III was along. But if I was in a taxi off to see the Winston
Churchill painting locale and some of the Madeira sea-cliffs near Funchal, I
had the 645z and tripod. So, the 645z was my formal dress camera, the K-3 was
my casual camera, and the WG-III was my informal/leisurewear camera. I suspect
that that usage pattern will continue.
I’ve gone on long enough. Except that I haven’t directly answered the key
question: is the increased resolution etc. worth it? Worth the expense, worth
the need to switch to a new set of lenses, a new set of working habits? And I
can’t answer that question because so much depends on your own cost-benefit
factors. Only you know how big a financial sacrifice you can cope with, and how
willing you are to try new things. Only you know what you are trying to do now
with your photography and where you might want to take it in the future. FWIW,
in terms of broad categories of photography, I would expect the 645z to be an
ideal tool for scenic shots, maybe for studio work. Nature shots, especially
macro but probably not so much birds and other small fast-moving distant
wildlife. Good for situations where you set up on a tripod, deliberately and
carefully compose and shoot. If you do decide to buy one, don’t expect to find
mine on the used-camera market anytime soon.
stan
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