Pentax 645Z out now....My first impressions

[thereyougo!]

I sold one of my D800s yesterday along with my Pentax 645D and 2 Canon L Macro lenses I no longer use. got around £4400 for them. And got me one of only 3 Pentax 645Z's in the UK. Am really happy with it so far - 51.4 mp 3 fps and 204k ISO not to be sneezed at on medium format, plus it has focus peaking and Highlight warnings on live view.

First thoughts on the camera are that the shutter still makes a lovely noise - a proper clunk, but is better dampened. Live View works well and with the focus peaking in live view, manual focussing (I have a few A manual focus lenses) should work very well indeed. I love the way the camera feel in the hand just as I did with the 645D - the right hand grip is nice and deep and while weighty, the camera is easy to handhold.

ISO goes up toe 204k and it is pretty horrific at that level, but with 51mp you can use NR and downsample if it really is the only way of getting the shot. Noise is well controlled and unnoticeable at 800 - at 1600 it is light years better than the 645D (although the D wasn't bad). I think this camera is going to be a goody. I love the 4 x 3 format more than the 3 x 2. While it isn't cheap, it is 15 - 25% cheaper than the 645D was at release, so very competitive. Supplies are thinly stretched across the world...






All with Pentax 645Z and Pentax FA 35 f/3.5


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Strawberries and cream plus a drop of Taittenger Brut Rosé in First Class Lounge

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Above Portsmouth

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Above Swanage:

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On Approach over the South western Mediterranean

 

[jaomul]

Enjoy

 

[thereyougo!]

Here are some at ISO 12,800. Frankly I am amazed. noise is better controlled at this level than it was at 1600 on the D


I have left a link to full size jpeg and a shot each without and then after treatment with Dfine. Both handheld in a dimly lit pub with FA 75 f/2.8 have also increased exposure by 0.55 and shadows by 35 in LR5


Double-Hop-no-NR by singingsnapper, on Flickr


Full size (though I have to say that flickr have made some changes as on my screen there was less noise than this:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/singingsnapper/14611582106/sizes/o/


with NR


Double-hop-NR by singingsnapper, on Flickr


full size


https://www.flickr.com/photos/singingsnapper/14634551945/sizes/o/

 

[Theo2]

What noise?

 

[greybeard]

This looks like the 645Z will be the goto step up in medium format. Back in the bad old days of roll film the goto for medium format was a Mamiya 645 or C330. I had a C330 with a 3 lens setup that I sold to buy my 1st computer. Big mistake I guess. Anyway, I digress, I love the look of your 645Z, how does it compare with the Nikon D800 you were using?

 

[thereyougo!]

This looks like the 645Z will be the goto step up in medium format. Back in the bad old days of roll film the goto for medium format was a Mamiya 645 or C330. I had a C330 with a 3 lens setup that I sold to buy my 1st computer. Big mistake I guess. Anyway, I digress, I love the look of your 645Z, how does it compare with the Nikon D800 you were using?

I still have a D800E which is now the back up camera. I prefer the way the 645Z handles, nice bright large viewfinder, shutter speed is a little reminiscent of my film 645N. I love the feel of the shots I am getting and most of all the native 4:3 aspect ratio which I love. It's a little slower than the Nikon, but for landscape which takes care of most of what I do, speed isn't the first thing on my mind.