Pentax 67

[Alpacaman]

I have become very interested in this camera recently (well, the entire system, really), partially thanks to this thread here: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91732 . Anyway, how many people here use it? What do you like/hate about it? And what kinds of photography does it suit/not suit?

 

[andredossantos]

I had one for a brief spell. Moved on because I preferred the square aspect ratio and composing via ground glass/WLF. That being said I really liked it and if I didn't have to sell it in order to buy something else I wouldve kept it and continued using it when I felt the urge.

Anywy, the 6x7 is basically an oversized SLR. If you are comfortable handling a SLR than it will be simple and very intuitive once you get used to the weight.

Some people will try to tell you one can't hand hold it or it's not suited to street photography (dunno if that's your thing) but that is all nonsense. Sure, you might miss on some sharpness by not putting it on a tripod but unless your really looking you'll probably never notice.

I really liked the lenses as well.

 

[Keith]

This thread http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90895 that I started when I became somewhat gas stricken for the big Pentax has a wealth of opinions and information and some great images!

I subsequently bought a 67ii with a 105mm and 75mm lens from a member here and although I've only been able to put a couple of rolls throught it I have to say it is truly a magnificent camera! I'm hoping to get out and do some landscapes in the valley behind Brisbane in the next week or so before the current beautiful blond winter grasses get blown away!

The Pentax is very large and very heavy but if you can stretch the budget to the 67ii, which is the last model, you get a camera with superb ergonomics that seem to overcome the weight ... and AE with extremely precise matrix metering.

🙂

 

[Keith]

This was taken hand held inside using PanF+ pushed to 100 ISO ... I'm not sure what the shutter speed was because I was shooting in AE but it would have been very low as you can see by the motion blur. Certainly sharp enough though!

 

[jordanstarr]

I use the Pentax 6x7 and 67II with 45, 55, 75, 105, 165 and 200mm lenses. I used to have the 90 and 2x converter as well, but got rid of them.

I find this system to produce images just as good as my Hasselblad, but as it has 6x7 negs, they actually produce better images at 16x20, because there isn't as much cropping and enlarging that takes place. I bought this camera to do a photo documentary for 8 months, but also used by Hasselblad. I found that most of my images were used from my Pentax 67 kit. It's severely underrated in my opinion and have the 4000 dpi scans to prove it. The "mirror-slap problem" is highly exaggerated and the system if half the price. I'll keep both systems because they require different styles of shooting and produce very different images, but I use both equally and rely heavily on the Pentax 67 for phenomenal quality.

 

[Doug]

The big Pentax is a very easy camera to like, I think. Surprisingly good handling, convenient controls, etc. There are a few things to learn about 120/220 film loading if not previously experienced, but otherwise pretty similar in operation to an all-manual 35mm SLR.

I've used 6x6 TLRs and Hasselblad before, and made a point of borrowing a Mamiya RB67 that confirmed to me that I was after a camera designed for use at eye level. That was in 1976 and led to my first (used) P6x7... which has been joined by a second late-model 6x7 and more recently two P67II bodies. Yeah, I like 'em! If I were to choose one lens as an all-round champ it would be the 75mm f/2.8 AL, perhaps the last lens introduced for the system.

 

[charjohncarter]

Weight is the only negative that I have with mine. Otherwise it is first class. Wait until you see your tripod images using the 55mm f 4; here one of mine:

 

[gavinlg]

I love my old school 6x7. It's one of the first ones. It's heavy, but not uncomfortable and sits on my crumpler industry disgrace strap really well. The lenses are gorgeous, I love the ka-thunk of the shutter, and the results are always wonderful.

You can handhold it no problems if you're good, even at around 1/30th and 1/60th with the wider and normal lenses.

 

[Alpacaman]

Hmm, it really sounds like a really good camera to try out, I may have to save up for one now 😀

So a 70mm lens on this beastie would be around a 35mm equivalent?

 

[Doug]

Alpacaman, yes, about. Going by the diagonal measurement of both formats, the ratio is 2.13. So a 2.1x multiplier works on that basis, though it's hard to nail down exactly due to the different shapes of the two formats.

Pentax has offered three different 75mm lenses, which are very close to 35mm equivalent. The original was a rather large 75mm f/4.5, the second was an even larger manual-aperture shift 75mm f/4.5, and the last was a recent compact close-focusing aspheric 75mm f/2.8. Also covering this range is the shorter of the two zoom lenses, 55-100 f/4.5... a late introduction, quite large and heavy as you might imagine.

 

[bagdadchild]

The Pentax 67 is good for any type of photography if you are ready to haul all the gear along.

Close up with extension tubes:

Landscape on tripod:

Slide film with stacked ND grad filters and Polarizer:

3D-look, sharp lenses and good color:

B/W and hand-held photography:

 

[barnwulf]

I have carried around a Pentax 67 and 67II for several years shooting landscapes. The image quality is amazing. I usually printed 16X20 or 20X24 photographs and they were supurb. They were very popular with landscape photogrphers until Canon came out with the EOS 1ds MkII. The camera is heavy but I used a tripod all the time. The Pentax lenses are very very nice as well. - Jim