Lenses for Pentax 645NII

[peter_gale]

I am wondering if anyone has used the SMC Pentax-FA 645 35-55mm/f4.5

zoom lens on a Pentax 645 NII (or other Pentax 645's) and would be

able to provide an assessment as to how it rates in terms of both its

optical qualities (e.g. edge to edge definition, flare, etc.) and its

build qualities (e.g. plastic vs. metal components in construction;

moving parts, etc.).

 

Also, has anyone used the SMC Pentax-FA 645 80-160mm/f4.5 zoom and

compared it to results using fixed focal length lenses such as the SMC

Pentax-FA 645 150mm/f2.8 (IF)and/or the SMC Pentax-FA 645 200mm/f4

(IF) lenses in terms of their optical performances.

 

Thanks very much in advance for your responses.

 

Peter Gale

Toronto

[bob_cook]

Peter - no direct comparison to fixed focal length lenses, but I am very

pleased with the performance of my 80 - 160 on my 645N. Sharp, great color,

and just the right contrast for my tastes.

[raymond_petty1]

I have only used primes on my Pentax but I can tell you anecdotally that I have seen very positive reports in the past from users of the 2 zoom lenses that you mention. Enough that if I really needed the convenience of either of those zooms I wouldn't hesitate.

[john_macpherson]

Have not used the 33-55 but do own the 45-85 AF and the MF

80-160. Both zooms are optically superb, edge definition is

excellent, colour and contrast superb. Both are overly capable of

repro quality images, and with a 2x converter on the 80-160,

stopped down and tripoded, the results are (predictably) a wee

bit softer but still of repro quality. Direct comparisons with

FFLL's? No - not with 645 lenses, but have compared the two

645 zooms to SMC P67 FFLLs - the 105 and 200 on the P645n

using the 67 to 645 adaptor and the results were......(predictably)

that the 67 lenses were not so good......or is it that the 645

lenses are just SO much better??? Anyway, you wont be

disappointed by P645 zooms.

<P>

www.john-macpherson-photography.com

<P>

[raymond_valois]

Hi Peter ...

 

Ditto on John MacPhersen's response. I haven't used extenders. I use the AF 45mm, AF 75mm and AF 80-160mm. I do many of the wedding formals with the zoom as well as the AF 75mm. Absolutely no way you can tell which lens took which shot at 8x10 through to 16x20 enlargements.

 

You won't be disappointed.

 

Ray

[p_l_jensen]

The Pentax FA 33-55/4,5 zoom lens is sharper than the FA 45/2.8 at apertures from F:4,5-11. It is softer in the corners and in the center of the image when focused at infinity at wide apertures. Its plane of focus is a sphere. When shooting 3D subjects this effect is negligible. It is optimised for the wide setting; optical quality deteriorates slightly towards the 55mm setting. Flare control is exceptional as usual for Pentax lenses. It is mostly made of plastic but of the real high quality sort. In fact, the lens tube is far more solid than other plastic lens tubes I�ve seen. It weights only 580g. Incidentally, a Pentax 645NII body with the 33-55, 55-110 and 150-300 weights a full kilogram less than a high end Canon or Nikon 35mm system with pro grade zoom lenses covering a similar focal length range! So much for bulky and heavy medium format gear!

[peder_mansson]

I agree with the positive reports on the above lenses. I use the non-AF 80-160 with 500 FTZ flash and fill-in flash for portraits. Great results, particularly in B/W with a light green filter. I have other, shorter lenses too but am currently considering a 300 or 400mm lens. There are several to choose from, new and s/h but I have not yet made up my mind. I get some terrific results from my Canon L lenses in this category, but living in the Swiss Alps I often encounter very distant views where my current 645Nii setup falls short. Anybody have any suggestions on which long lens to get? 1,4 or 2x converter?

[peder_mansson]

I ended up buying the 300mm f/4 ED(IF) and the corresponding 1,4 converter. This combo hangs onto the 645Nii body with its RRS QR plates and a sturdy 1325? Gitzo tripod. The 16x20 prints are incredibly sharp!! My intial concern about the lack of tripod collar proved totally false. I suppose that Pentax would have provided one, had their tests shown such a requirement.