I test drove a new Pentax 645NII. I checked it out with one of
the zooms (equivelent to 35-70mm in Zuikodom). Gulp! Rethink
city. Does one reconsider this unit?
Improvements:
Ergonomics--feels much better and the viewfinder has "arrived".
No more centering the eye in the viewfinder optics necessary.
Good adjustable diopter--important since it isn't eyeglass
friendly. The controls are all logical and well placed. No
complaints about them.
Focus screen--Everybit as good and easy to manually focus on as
the Contax or an Olympus with Series-2 screen. The Mamiya
645AFD sucks pondwater in comparison.
Sound--quieter and smoother. Doesn't shake like the 645N did.
Also includes mirror lockup.
Optics--That zoom made my day. Big, but every bit as sharp as
you'd want in a pro medium format camera. Bokeh even said
"hello". If I went with this camera, I could get two or three
zooms and call it a day.
Battery life--beats the other 645AF cameras.
Autofocus is FAST and ACCURATE! Almost bangs into focus. Focus
assist for all older non-autofocus lenses (including those from
the 67).
Data-imprinting--Everything you ever wanted to know about the
technical details of the photograph are recorded just outside of
the frame. Much more information that the 645N provided.
Duds:
Still no film-backs. Fatal design flaw in most people's book.
I would like the flexibility to change film backs between color
and B&W or even digital.
1/60 flash sync. One can live with it, but...
Cloth shutter? Nah, couldn't be.
Switching between autofocus and manual focus is really lame.
The focus ring pops forward and backward to change modes.
Unlike the Contax, it doesn't allow simple focus override.
Manual focus did feel good, though.
Focus ring turns in the opposite direction of Zuikos--yuck!
Conclusions:
I could backpack with this rig. Lenses are reasonably priced
and TERRIFIC! Those zooms are big, but no slouches. This
camera is equally at home in the studio or in the wild. It's a
Nikon with bigger negs.
Cost. When all is said and done, I could build up a HUGE system
for a fraction of the cost of the Contax or Mamiya. The Pentax
is cheap in comparison. There are some huge used lenses
available for this camera.
Weight. The 645NII is modest in weight, even though those zooms
are portly.
Grip. It didn't bother my wrist!
The question comes down to whether or not I really need
interchangeable backs. Can I get by without it? For the price,
I can (and will) get two bodies for the price of one Mamiya
645AFD or Contax 645AF. Those bodies aren't that heavy and if
I'm going to pack two anyway, does interchangeable backs really
matter?
Why am I bringing this up on the Olympus list? Cuz if I do make
the switch, somebody is going to want my 100/2.8.
AG-Schnozz
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