ray_tan Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Hi Everyone, I am planning to purchase a 645 autofocus camera and has shortlisted 2. They are the Mamiya 645AFD and the Pentax 645NII. Does anyone have any experience with these 2 cameras? I have heard about the Mamiya 645AF's film flatness problem, has this problem been solved in the new Mamiya 645AFD? Which camera focuses faster in various light condition? Which camera consistently produces extremely tack sharp and contrasty images? I shoot street(people), architecture and nature most of the time. Thank you very very much for all inputs!! Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I read a review recently which compared these exact two cameras and the conclusion was that the Pentax was better in most respects except that it would not accept digital backs. Whether this is a problem or not depends on your future plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward_c._nemergut Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I'm not sure where all this "film flatness" garbage came from. The film flateness "problem" with the Mamiya 645AF is not unique to that camera, but really inherant in ANY reverse-loading MF camera. Even then, the problem only emerges when a single roll is shot over an extended period of time (ie several days)--long enough for the film to be come "bent" under to rollers. As this is not a problem for professionals who go through a roll very quickly, almost all of those who reort this "problem" are not professionals and will admit to leaving a half-shot roll in the camera for several days. Film flatness aside, I believe both cameras have their advantages. The Pentax is definately cheaper and practically speaking, just as good. In my opinion, the Mamiya and it's ability to take multiple film backs (and digital backs) maes it a clear winner for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garvey_p Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Steak or lobster--which one is better? IOW, these are two fine cameras you've picked out. The kits cost many thousands each, so it comes down to a matter of preference. Get them both in your hands and decide which feels like your camera. You won't know until you do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britt_park Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I think there are 3 issues for you to resolve: 1) What can I afford? I just priced comparable 3 lens systems at Adorama and the P645NII comes in at about $1800 less than a M645AF. Additional lenses are significantly less for the Pentax line. 2) Do I need interchangable backs? If you need it you'll most likely have to go with Mamiya. Keep in mind that a second body and film insert for the P645NII is about the difference in price between the Pentax and Mamiya 3 lens systems. 3.) What feels right to me? Only you can answer that. Now I'll reveal my prejudice. I went for the Pentax system with two bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas_cummings Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Tons of inexpensive barely used stuff for the Pentax on Ebay. I switched from Mamiya some years ago. Interesting is how different they feel in your hands. The Mamiya 's grip is more forward- I prefer the Pentax's balance. But you're stuck if you want to have different backs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimvanson Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 The deciding factor for me was I can see the complete p645n viewing screen, The Mamiya's viewfinder was inferior to my eyes...jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray_tan Posted March 13, 2003 Author Share Posted March 13, 2003 What about the lens quality and image quality of the 2 brands? I did not notice the aperture ring on the Mamiya 645AFD lenses, do we change the aperture by sliding the dials on the camera body? Is this like the Hasselblad H1? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward_c._nemergut Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Yes: AV is changed with dials on the camera body (just like modern Nikon, Canon, and Minolta 35 mm systems). The Mamiya website features a Popular Photography study comparing the Mamiya and Contax (Zeiss) lenses. Despite the favorable review of the Mamiya lenses, I consider (even as a Mamiya user) Mamiya and Pentax (and Contax) to be essentially the equal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irving_greines Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I chose the Pentax over the Mamiya. Here's what I found decisive: 1. I found the Pentax had a more compact, better balanced feel. I felt the prism on the Mamiya was too big and bulky. The difference in handling between the two was the major deciding factor. Pentax won big here. 2. A less important decision-maker for me (albeit one that definitely factored in) was the traditional dials on the Pentax. I like an old fashioned shutter dial and aperture ring; I don't like the fact that Mamiya's lenses had no aperture ring. I do miss interchangeable backs, but the two features discussed above were more important to me. I figured that if I needed to change rolls immediately, I'd lose some film. Important, but not the end of the earth and not as costly as buying a new back. (Moreover, there are past posts on this forum that explain how you can change inserts on the Pentax while only losing a few frames; never tried it.) Finally, the lenses. I use all manual lenses on the Pentax, as I don't particularly care for AF. I find the lenses wonderful. The 120 macro is unbelievably good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 The film flatness problems with the Mamiya 645 AF are real and severe. My findings are documented elsewhere in this forum and are not quite as described by Edward C. Nemergut in his earlier post in this thread. I suspect that he has not actually used the camera. When shooting a roll of film that has sat in the camera for as little as 10-15 minutes the "second" frame is unsharp across the middle and often fit only for the bin. I know several other people who have the camera and all report this problem. However there is a ray of hope. Mamiya have produced a 15 exposure back (not sure of the availability of this) rather than the standard 16 exposure and it seems that the problem has gone away thanks to different spacing of the transport rollers. This means that the curl of the film now coincides with the gap between frames rather than the middle of a frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roberto_lins Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 Last Friday I had the opportunity to handhold both cameras side by side in the professional imaging 2003 here in Zurich. While the Mamiya looks nicer than the Pentax, IMO, and has the possibilities of exchanging the backs, it's not as quiet as the Pentax model and the Mamiya AF was *really* disapointing. Another feature in the Pentax is the option of one or three-point AF, while the Mamiya uses only the central point. Maybe not a big deal for many, but I'd look at a 645 SLR AF to replace the 35mm SLR AF. Otherwise, I'd rather go with a 6x6 or 6x7 SLR. If you want portability, the RF645 is a great kit! But remember that's a RF, so not for everyone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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