Pentax 645Z Medium Format DSLR Camera

2019-04-03T05:39:48

Not only is the sensor in this camera the same as a Phase One, Hasselblad or Fuji 50mp MF camera, it is robust, extremely water resistant, nice in the hand, easy to use, good AF but has a good variety of legacy glass, readily available. The big, big let-down with this camera is merely computer software. If you don't shoot tethered, you will absolutely love this thing, it really is lovely (comparing MF with MF that is, not 35mm). If you do shoot tethered, as I do, every day, it is a royal PIA! Capture One, it seems, will never support it for obvious reasons. Lightroom is really the only other feasible option but it is notoriously slow, unpredictable and offers a serious hair-pulling experience. The native Pentax capture software, I believe, has to be purchased separately at a significant price. I love this camera, but I want to sell it, purely for the lack of tethering support. I don't think Pentax really understand what they have made. It could have been a proper game-changer.

Dan S.

2018-07-23T22:47:51

This is a bomb camera. I wanted one for a few years before finally pulling the trigger. Previously, I had a D810 and a pretty full kit (24-70, 70-200, and 35/50/85 primes) which gave me plenty of resolution and speed but I always had the 645Z on my mind. I didn’t sell my kit because I still had a perceived use for a faster DSLR which the 645 doesn’t really satisfy but for everything else, it KILLS. Images are outstanding. You wouldn’t think that you could improve upon the higher resolution DSLRs when you haven’t seen evidence for yourself but the images have a different quality. The camera is a joy to shoot with. Even with its size it’s really fun and makes you feel more thoughtful about what your shooting. The only drawback, again, is that it doesn’t have that lightning fast and zippy autofocus the sports cameras tend to have but zero regrets with this purchase.

SEAN L.

2016-09-06T06:52:46

The gap in capabilities between the 35mm format and the 645z's cropped 645 format isn't huge, but it does make a difference. The larger format needs both longer focal lengths and less final magnification to produce an equivalent image as with a 35mm format. The result is that the depth of field is thinner, but the focus plane is sharper. That combination can be subtly very pleasing in a lot of situations. I very rarely need the 50 megapixels, but the other attributes of medium format are useful to any photographer. The tremendous dynamic range and rich tonality of the 645z's sensor makes it a joy for landscapes and portraits. The autofocus is solid, but manual focus with live view magnification is the best way to nail perfect focus with static subjects. The weather sealing is a nice touch too. The large secondary market of well-kept 645 lenses from Japan makes it surprisingly easy to expand your lens library too. Almost nobody needs this camera, but I'm really glad I have it.

Michael S.

2015-11-18T05:54:46

Let me first say that this camera produces absolutely amazing images. With that said, is this camera for everyone? No way! but what Pentax has done is given photographers a viable option for medium format. The quality and value of the Pentax system is undeniable, especially compared to its peers. I'll leave the arguing about what system/sensor is better to the forum trolls. (If you have any doubt, rent one and make your own conclusions) The 645Z is the camera I've always dreamed of owning and now I do. Luscious files, great handling and an incredible value.

ANDREW F.

2015-03-30T21:00:00

I'm mainly a landscape shooter. This is my first digital medium format camera and I couldn't be happier. Dynamic range is excellent and weather sealing makes it a go anytime camera. For those rare times I'm not on a tripod, the high ISO performance means I can easily stay at shutter speeds that eliminate shake. With an adapter I can use my 67 lenses, which are still pretty inexpensive.

John

2014-11-05T19:00:00

The quality and build of this camera is amazing, the resolution and dynamic range are also something incredible. The only thing I have to complain about is the auto gain on the live view that can not be turned off, hopefully they will fix that in a firmware update

VICTOR W.

2014-10-08T21:00:00

I bought the Pentax 645Z on Adorama about 18 days ago. And I took the camera to Vancouver this past weekend to shoot the Seaplanes on the Bay downtown. I have also owned the Pentax 645D. The biggest improvement over the 645D is that the 645Z reads to the card much faster. After you take a photo with the 645Z, you can see the image on the screen on the back of the camera a lot quicker than you could with the 645D. This gives you quick feedback to let you know if you need to make adjustments before you take your next shots. In this regard, the 645D was slow to show you the image. And the new 645Z shows you the image fast. The image quality on the 645Z is amazing with a strong 3D look that you only get from a large medium format sensor. I can see the difference in image quality and the 3D look on the 645Z verses the 645D. The new 645Z takes a better quality photo. The larger sensor really shows a difference. I would recommend setting the 645Z (and the 645D) to autofocus just usually the AF button on the back of the camera and not using the shutter button for the autofocus. You can change this easily. See the manual. This allows you to set the focus on what you want and then compose the photo. And when you hit the shutter button, it does not reset the focus. It leaves the focus set on the object that you set it on when you earlier hit the AF button on the back of the camera. I love my new 645Z. It is a big improvement over the 645D that I used to own. On both the 645Z and the 645D, I used the 55MM weather sealed lens. The 645D is still a good camera. It is just slow to show you the image on the back of the camera after you take a shot. But the new low $4995 price is a bargain for the quality images the 645D can produce. The 645D is good. But the 645Z is great.

Tom L.