Stan, thanks for a thoughtful, practical review of this camera in light of
your few months usage.
I don't see the 645Z on the horizon for me.
In fact, I'm interested in downsizing due to weight considerations. I
presently carry a K3, 300mm FA, 200 mm f4 ED macro, 70-210mm F and a 16-50mm
DA* and am constantly looking for ways to lightwn the load by leaving a lens
or 2 out of the pack if I'm pretty sure I won't need it on any particular
shoot.
You sound happy with your choice and I'm wondering if there was one
over-riding reason for you getting the 645Z?
Continue your happy shooting.
Kenneth Waller
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller
----- Original Message -----
From: "P.J. Alling" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Reflections on using the Pentax 645Z [Part 2]
The camera only weighs as much as two K-3s, the lenses however...
I'll regularly carry one body and 20-35mm, 43mm limited, 70-210mm (Vivitar
S1 2.8~4.0), and an A or M * 300 f4.0. Let's add up the weight there, .54
lbs + .34 lbs + 1.9 lbs 1.87 lbs which gives a grand total of 6.65 lbs or
a bit over 3 Kilograms. The equivalent range in lenses in the 645 system,
would weigh... Oh hell, too much work. The equivalent angle of view for
the 300mm would need a mythical 580mm on the 645Z. Closest thing
available would be a 645 A*600 f5.6, which would weight more than my
entire carry kit, (4.8 Kg), (It would cost more than my carry kit, if you
can find one). Sadly for me the allure of the 645Z lasts until I contact
my orthopedic surgeon. On the other hand if I had enough studio work or
people were banging down my doors for my landscape photos, I'd hire a
Sherpa.
On 12/8/2014 1:20 AM, Zos Xavius wrote:
Thanks for the writeup Stan. It only weights as much as 2 K-3s huh? I
carry a K-5 IIs and a K-3 with grips all the time and I don't find it
to be such a big deal really. I bet this would even fit in my domke
f-2. You really need to stop making me want one. :)
On Mon, Dec 8, 2014 at 12:57 AM, Stanley Halpin
<[email protected]> wrote:
[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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