Pentax 645 zoom 55-110/5.6 or 45-85/4 ?

[bill_tuthill]

The older Pentax 45-85/4 seems to be a well respected lens, if

<A

HREF="http://www.spyra.com/spyra/template.jsp?section=review&equip=28">this

review</A>

can be trusted. Aside from being lighter and slower, maybe too slow,

how does optical quality of the 55-110/5.6 compare? I can't find any

such information on the web.

<P>

Background: I'm looking for a by-default vertical format camera for

calendar and magazine work, and will try this and the Fuji GA-645Zi.

Zoom lenses are more convenient than SFLs for what I do, and there are

no other 645 zooms, right?

[dermot_conlan4]

The 45-85mm is a f4.5 not f4 so it's slower than you thought but

a whole stop faster than the55-110 f5.6. What do you need? The

45-85 is wider and the 55-110 is longer. Get your hands one the

lens before you lay down any cash, the 45-85 is heavy but has a

good rep.

Pentax has five AF zooms all usable on the maual or auto focus

versions of the camera, 33-55mm f4.5, 45-85mm, 55-110mm

f5.6, 80-160mm f4.5 and coming soon 150-300mm f5.6. No

other 645 system offers such a wide range of zooms.

The P645 is a SLR and unlike the 645 rangefinders is horizontal

until of course you turn it on it's side.

[douglas_cummings]

I'd bet you'd miss the wide end more than the "long" end: The

45-85 is a great lens. Just get a cheap 150 or 200 to go w/ it.

[dave_redmann]

re: <<[T]here are no other 645 zooms, right?>>

 

Wrong, I think. Mamiya makes a 55-110mm f/4.5 for the 645AF and 645AF-D, I think. I think Contax and Hasselblad have also announced zooms for their 645 AF cameras.

[britt_park]

I have the 55-110/5.6. The image quality, at least when stopped down to f8 or f11, is indistinguishable from the SFLs I have. I find myself taking most of my pictures with it.

[bill_tuthill]

Thanks everyone! I hadn't heard new announcements,

and overlooked the Mamiya 55-110 in the B&H catalog,

so I'll have to rent at least three models before deciding.

<P>

What I want is a lightweight camera that will fit in a Pelican box.

Something like my Minolta 5 but 645. ;-)

Although heavier the Pentax with 55-110 offers focus confirm

and is faster at the long end, where needed, than the Fuji's

55-90/4.5-6.9 lens.

<PRE>

Fuji GA-645Zi P&S 55-90mm f/4.5-6.9 1/700-2sec ±3 885g $1890

Pentax 645N SLR 55-110mm f/5.6 1/1000-30s ±3 1782g $2395

 

</PRE>