Roughcollie
Member
I am thinking about buying a Pentax 645n mostly landscape work has anybody had any experience with this camera,any info would be a great help.
Nigel
Nigel
mfogiel
Veteran
Great VF, compact, as far as I can tell very reliable, including the metering. Noisy film advance and only 1/1000th max speed, but for landscape this is not an issue. Some great lenses, and possibility to adapt P67, Hasselblad and P6 lenses via adapters. Focuses precisely all the lenses I tried on it. For me it is the best buy in 645, although some might prefer Mamiya AFD, as it is still "current" and has even shorter film to flange distance for adapting other brand optics. I would particularly recommend the Hassy Planar 100/3.5 and Distagon 50/4 FLE as lenses to use with this camera for landscape.
You might do a search for photo samples in the Gallery... Use the Advanced Search and under Camera Model choose "645NII" which is the closest to the 645N. Looks like all but one of the photos are mine. Oh well... 
This is a nice camera system, very well behaved, compact, reliable. There are pluses and minuses. There are different film holders for 120 and 220 film. I feel they could have designed the film holders to convert from one to the other by flipping a lever on the holder. As it is, the 220 holders can be converted easily to 120, fortunate given the decline in 220 film availability. So, no need to pay a big premium in price for the 120 holders.
The camera feels long and narrow to me, as if it were a video camera. I prefer the shape and ergonomics of the larger P67 series, a system I feel is very easy to like. And shifting the pressure plate changes the setup for 120 or 220 film.
The P645 system has some nice varifocal lenses ... 33-55mm, 45-85mm, 55-110mm, 80-160mm and IIRC a 150-300. These are sharp and maintain a constant f/stop as the focal length changes. I would choose these as most convenient for landscape work. Also, the P67 lenses work quite well, with the adapter providing auto aperture, but of course no AF.
This is a nice camera system, very well behaved, compact, reliable. There are pluses and minuses. There are different film holders for 120 and 220 film. I feel they could have designed the film holders to convert from one to the other by flipping a lever on the holder. As it is, the 220 holders can be converted easily to 120, fortunate given the decline in 220 film availability. So, no need to pay a big premium in price for the 120 holders.
The camera feels long and narrow to me, as if it were a video camera. I prefer the shape and ergonomics of the larger P67 series, a system I feel is very easy to like. And shifting the pressure plate changes the setup for 120 or 220 film.
The P645 system has some nice varifocal lenses ... 33-55mm, 45-85mm, 55-110mm, 80-160mm and IIRC a 150-300. These are sharp and maintain a constant f/stop as the focal length changes. I would choose these as most convenient for landscape work. Also, the P67 lenses work quite well, with the adapter providing auto aperture, but of course no AF.
WJJ3
Well-known
I use one of these, although not as much as I want since my rangefinders are hogging all my shooting time.
Imaging is first rate. I shot a friend's wedding and a couple other events with the FA45~85 and 500FTZ attached with stunning results. The system is extensive enough to satisfy most needs, so if you can live with the 90º finder you really can't go wrong. After years of searching I aquired a shift adapter last year and am now happily using this camera with the P67 45MM for perspective corrected photography.
The older A lenses are great for landscape photography from a tripod. The FA45~85 is THE lens for people and events...
Happy shooting!
Imaging is first rate. I shot a friend's wedding and a couple other events with the FA45~85 and 500FTZ attached with stunning results. The system is extensive enough to satisfy most needs, so if you can live with the 90º finder you really can't go wrong. After years of searching I aquired a shift adapter last year and am now happily using this camera with the P67 45MM for perspective corrected photography.
The older A lenses are great for landscape photography from a tripod. The FA45~85 is THE lens for people and events...
Happy shooting!
Swift1
Veteran
I don't own a 645n, but I borrow one from time to time. The one I borrow has a FA 45-85 zoom, which is a great landscape lens, unless you need telephoto. I've found that this particular camera likes to over expose. They a mostly really well built cameras. The shutter speed dial fell of of this camera, and I've read of a few other cases of that same problem. I think it's an issue that affects very small amount of cameras.
If you're doing primarily landscape work, the original Pentax 645 is a really good camera, and is very inexpensive.
IMO, for landscape work, the 645n doesn't really offer much over the 645.
Here's a 645n/FA 45-85 landscape image that I made last summer.
Untitled by Daiku_San, on Flickr
If you're doing primarily landscape work, the original Pentax 645 is a really good camera, and is very inexpensive.
IMO, for landscape work, the 645n doesn't really offer much over the 645.
Here's a 645n/FA 45-85 landscape image that I made last summer.
Untitled by Daiku_San, on Flickr