Anyone with Pentax 645Z?

I have been looking at the 645D, as they are getting dirt cheap on the used market. Not as advanced as the 645Z but still a solid performer.

I've hired a 645z over Christmas and whilst my thoughts on the camera will be written up in a blog post, it handles beautifully and whilst it has it's shortcomings I fully intend to bring it into my wedding workflow.

I'll still use my 1DX but the Z is actually lighter in many instances and feels more like the 5D3 in use than the large body of the 1DX. Image quality is superb and jumps all over my 1DX or 5D3.... smacks it down and sends it home. You can put that in part down to the larger MP, larger sensor and better sensor overall.

I'll be interested to see what Canon comes up with in the near future as the general speed of the 645z is the only real down side. (Image preview speed and AF speed. AF in low light is totally rubbish.

The ISO is clean right up to 12800 and you can push that 2 stops more in post. For me there's no need to worry about flash sync or their fastest lens being 2.8 - Not with such a high ISO available.

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...and here's one for you landscapers...

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Can't beat the Rez here.
2nd bride really got the advantage of medium format.
Really shinning and TFS.

Would love to hire it but I am not aware of anywhere in Australia that offers it.

I can't decide between 645z and 5dsr. I found very good deal on Pentax 645Z, but i have so many sweet L canon lenses . Most of the jobs i have are with people and about people, no landscapes. The Pentax kit include 50mm 2.8 and 33-55, so no amazing lenses.
I have no background in medium format, i can't speak about Pentax variety of lenses.

Some opinions please?

I would get Sony A7rII.

For professional use, i don't trust in one card camera. Thanks for advice!

bobbyz wrote in post #17804807
I would get Sony A7rII.

I agree and did.

I gave my brother in law my A7Rii with a Metabones IV and with my Canon 24-70 F2.8 II for my wedding, I also had a real pro who shot with a 5D3 and a number of lenses, I got all the raws in addition to the Pros jpegs, and I can tell you that the Sony Files were amazing. I set the camera up for my brother-in-law with Auto ISO, F4 and min shutter speed 1/60th and his keeper rate was unbelievably high + the colours were fantastic. We have created so many large prints for various family members from his work it is funny (I spent enormous time editing them but the quality of the files was off the charts)

Not that I wouldn't happily take a 645Z if it fell off the back of a truck - because I would.

I also have a 5DSR and use it as my main wedding camera with either 70-200 2.8II, Sigma 24-105 F4 IS, 35 F2 IS, 100L Macro, and believe it or not the 100-400II as my paparazzi wedding lens / camera - I only use IS lenses on the 5DSR.

On the A7Rii, I use the 24-70 F2.8 II in silent mode during ceremonies and the 50L, 85L & 135L for portraits (IBIS on this camera is amazing)

A7rII+metabones= 3600 usd..In my country 30% more. The IQ of Sony A7rII is very good (i had a7r with excelent IQ also) but i can't trust to use it all season, day by day in different weather conditions.
And for me, A7R II, is too expensive. For A7r i paid 800 euros second hand, that's no damage my wallet

Alveric wrote in post #17315451
5D's are 1/200. The 6D is 1/160. With some radio systems you lose an extra third of a stop; so it'd be 1/160 on the 5D and 1/125 on the 6D. That's already effectively 1 stop from the 1/250 of the top grade models. Believe me, it does make a difference.

6D is 1/180

Go into custom functions and change stop increments from 1/3 to 1/2

adned wrote in post #17804796
I can't decide between 645z and 5dsr. I found very good deal on Pentax 645Z, but i have so many sweet L canon lenses . Most of the jobs i have are with people and about people, no landscapes. The Pentax kit include 50mm 2.8 and 33-55, so no amazing lenses.
I have no background in medium format, i can't speak about Pentax variety of lenses.

Some opinions please?

I have the 645Z and 150mm 2.8, pretty killer combo for portraits. It's really up to you whether you want to stick with Canon or not, the Z does have a more detailed image despite almost the same # of pixels, as well as more DR, but how relevant it is for portraiture depends on the nature of your shoot. If you do anything remotely fashion-related, the way it renders fabrics and other fine details under flash much over the 5DS could be a big thing to consider, as they're much more defined.

You really should try to use these cameras for yourself as I can't really explain how it is with just words. One thing's for sure, even with the release of the 5DS and A7RII I don't feel the least bit of buyer's remorse with going the 645Z route. I still have my Canon and 24-70 for when I need to be on the run, but all the other stuff has been sold off.

Thank you very much for your response! I'll stay for the moment with 5DSR and MKIII, 645Z was very attractive kit, but too many cameras in my bag.

I'm confused, the OP asks about a medium format body(giant sensor) and suggestions are to get a mirrorless Sony body.


I've used the 645z, it produces beautiful images, better then any dslr I've ever used.

If I had the spare cash for the body and some lenses, I'd get one in a heartbeat over any Sony mirrorless.

Would be nice to see comparisons with 645z against A7rII. Like I mentioned I talked with a co-worker who had tried 645z and his opinion was pentax glass on that body is not great. This is from some one who has used top of the class stuff. On canon he shoots 1dx and let me try his Sony A7rII which was awes some BTW. Other concern I see is the need to use tripod for lot of situations where I would be shooting HH, even portraits.