i would like to hear experience with pentax 645N and quality of its lenses

-- stan s (LLL7691@aol.com), July 04, 1999

Answers

It's a superb camera if you want an oversize 35mm (by which I mean a camera that is as almost as easy and convenient to use as a 35mm SLR. The autofocus is excellent, although not as good as my EOS1N. Film is a bit fiddly to use. 75mm lens (the only 1 I have) is first class. I use it for weddings and for photography kids, because of its ease & spped of use. However, I do have reservations. 1. It has a non-interchangeable film back 2. For the same reason, you can't use Polaroids 3. You can't change the pentaprism for a waist-level finder. In short, it is a very good camera for amateur use but very limited when it comes to professional use. Hope this helps.

-- Garry Edwards (creativephoto60@hotmail.com), February 12, 2000.

I have and use the 645N with the 35mm, 45-85mm and 80-160mm lens. Although a little slow for low light, I find the lens excellent, but limited in focal length, requiring changes during a wedding shoot. (Kind of reminds me of my old 43mmX 86mm NIKON. Excellent, but limited. The Pentax flash-on-camera virtually eliminates background shadows! (Not so when installed on a frame.) The auto-focus is too slow for catching people walking toward you if they are closer than 25 ft. Sure, I would think a 45-300 would sell to every wedding photographer. They desperately need tubes for macro. They desperately need something in the 500mm range. I find that Kodak Portra 400 VC (slightly overexposed) and Kodak Portra 400 B/W (c-41)with a "G" filter to be about all I want or need. It'll go up to 20" X 24" with no trouble. I'll be trying some Fuji 800, since I'm told it is quite forgiving in mixed-temperature light and it is a TRUE 800. (As opposed to Kodak's habit of over-rating.) Got my toys in a Pelican case, and I sleep better for it. Oh, yes, of note. When shooting Black faces, this camera does not require adjustment to get detail. A BIG PLUS. Regarding the back-swapping. Any profesional lab can print your color negatives on B/W paper. Slides were excellent. BIG PLUS. When shooting a line-up of portraits, your can be through with 20 people before your HASSY friend gets through with 5. It's like professional-size point-and-shoot. Gimme a buzz if there's anything else. Well, that's about it.

-- Marion Patton George, Jr. (Pat) (MPGeorg@ci.birmingham.al.us), April 22, 2002.