# Pentax 645Z Medium Format camera review by The Camera Store



## drjlo (Aug 2, 2014)

A very detailed, thoughtful review of the interesting Pentax 645Z, with comparisons to Nikon D810 even and a serious effort to look into video capabilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oT-fnHHTFs


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## RLPhoto (Aug 2, 2014)

I liked the 645Z but its the lens lineup that kept me from buying one.


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## moreorless (Aug 6, 2014)

RLPhoto said:


> I liked the 645Z but the its the lens lineup that kept me from buying one.



They have just released a 28-45mm wideangle zoom with IS but its priced at the same kind of level as the 25mm.

If there looking to really exploit the low light/shallow DOF potential of the camera I'd say they need to put out a lens with at least F/2.


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## RLPhoto (Aug 6, 2014)

moreorless said:


> RLPhoto said:
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> 
> > I liked the 645Z but the its the lens lineup that kept me from buying one.
> ...


They needed some LS primes.


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## moreorless (Aug 6, 2014)

RLPhoto said:


> moreorless said:
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> 
> > RLPhoto said:
> ...



There is an older 75mm F/2.8 with a leaf shutter I believe but they do clearly lag behind something like the S2.

At present the Pentax 645 system seems to be aimed much more at Landscape/Macro users.


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## RLPhoto (Aug 6, 2014)

moreorless said:


> RLPhoto said:
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> > moreorless said:
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It's a really nice camera for the money but I ended up going with Hasselblad. Pentax would have had me all aboard too.


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## l_d_allan (Aug 7, 2014)

*Could CaNikon with Sony 50 mpx MF Exmr be much smaller than 645z? Accept ff lens*

Also smaller than Leica S2?

And perhaps the hypothetical EMF mount could accept EF lenses directly? The image circle from EF primes might appear like a true 8mm fish-eye, but obviously be rectilinear. 

My understanding of the existing T/S lenses is that they have the image circle of MF lenses. 

Those T/S lenses could have T/S removed, have the EMF mount, with AF and maybe IS. Those could be the initial primes for the hypothetical Canon MF.


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## Busted Knuckles (Aug 7, 2014)

Is there not a flange distance issue w/ EF TS lenses?


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## moreorless (Aug 7, 2014)

Busted Knuckles said:


> Is there not a flange distance issue w/ EF TS lenses?



There is actually a Russian company that's designed a camera specifically for the Canon T/S lenses if I remember correctly although its not an SLR. When you look at the focal lengths I can understand why, the 17mm is wider than any native medium format lens I know of.

The talk about the Leica S does I'd say show you the problem Pentax have with there digital 44x33mm system, its still using a 645 flange distance that's I'd guess about 20mm longer than it needs to be resulting in a massive(I'd guess partly empty) box infront of the camera. They would IMHO have been smarter to go with a smaller flange distance like Leica and just make an adapter for the older lenses.


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