First Pentax MF

Pentax 645D (2010)

Pentax 645D (2010) by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

In 2010, after several years of waiting, Pentax's digital medium format is finally available.
The Pentax 645D is equipped with the magnificent 40 MP Kodak CCD sensor.
The great strength of the 645D is to be very versatile and easy to handle, it can be used both outdoors and indoors.
And what about the pleasure of looking in such a beautiful viewfinder!

Pentax 645D (2010)
40 MP sensor (7264 x 5440)
Price: $9,400 USD
(with a multiplication factor of 0.79)
MF (44 x 33mm) CCD
200-1000 (100-1600) ISO

See My Little History of DSLR/ML

Hi,

So much better than the 16 MP Kodak Pro Back one could hang onto a Contax or Mamiya or Hasselblad 645 which preceded the Pentax.

I know. I had a Kodak Pro Back on a Contax 645 and now have a Pentax 645D.

Currituck Lighthouse, Corolla Beach, NC with the P645D

Stan

Great camera! I have the next model 645Z. Another great feature is using the same lens mount and lenses as the 645 film cameras. Even Pentax 6×7 lenses work seamlessly with an adapter. The viewfinder is amazing.
Thanks for sharing,
barondla

It is true that the viewfinder is incredible, a real pleasure to use 😍 👍

Hi,

I should add a 645Z for the CMOS over CCD. I think that might be useful as a general purpose camera as opposed to the way I use the 645D only in daylight and on a tripod.

Stan

I had 645N film cameras. Were the viewfinders the same between the film and digital cameras?

Rich

Personally, I can't confirm, I've never had to handle a 645N film camera.

But see here it might interest you: Numérique vintage (format moyen): Pentax 645D.

Hi,

I don't have the film version, but the focusing screens from the film go into the digital. I've seen where other P645D and Z users have done so.

So, I'll say I Think So....

Stan

To all lovers of CCD sensors

I have here a comparison between the only Canon EOS-1D equipped with a CCD and the Pentax 645D

Just here: www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72177720308541118

Canon EOS-1D (2001) / Pentax 645D (2010) by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

Between the Canon EOS-1D (2001) and the Pentax 645D (2010)

Canon EOS-1D (2001)
4 MP APS-H CCD ( 2464 x 1648 )
Price: $6,000 USD
Photos taken with the Canon EF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 USM
(with a multiplication factor of 1.3)
200-1600 (100-3200) ISO

 __________________

Pentax 645D (2010)
40 MP MF CCD (7264 x 5440 )
Price: $9,400 USD
Photos were taken with the Pentax FA 645 120mm f/4 Macro
and the Pentax-D FA 645 55mm f/2.8
(with a multiplication factor of 0.8 )
200-1000 (100-1600) ISO

50%

Canon EOS-1D (2001) 50% / Pentax 645D (2010) 50% by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

Prorata

Canon EOS-1D (2001) 100% / Pentax 645D (2010) 30% Prorata by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

23 examples here

Here are the comparisons made to date with my 645D

Pentax 645D (2010) / Nikon D600 (2012)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157716717060401
MF 40 MP / FF 24 MP

Pentax 645D (2010) / Nikon D500 (2016)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157716705417432
20 MP / 40 MP

Pentax 645D (2010) / Pentax Q (2011)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157716800757806
Pentax Extreme

Canon EOS-5D (2005) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157716937306083
FF 12 MP / MF 40 MP

Nikon D3s (2009) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157716852325631
FF/MF 2009-2010

Olympus E-10 (2000) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157717048751803
4 MP / 40 MP

Pentax 645D (2010) / Sigma sd Quattro H (2016-17)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157717212477666
25 MP / 40 MP

Pentax 645D (2010) / Pentax K-01 (2012)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157717589728133
Pentax / Pentax

Olympus E-P1 (2009) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157718069044231
micro 4/3 / MF

Olympus E-1 (2003) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157718212739438
4/3 MF

Pentax 645D (2010) / Nikon 1 J5 (2015)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157719047163289
CX / MF

Pentax 645D (2010) / Fujifilm X-Pro1 (2012)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157719178290415
Covid Collection

Pentax 645D (2010) / Pentax K-5 (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157719507229848
Pentax 2010

Nikon D40 (2006) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157719559439557
APS-C / MF (CCD)

Enjoy 😎

Interesting comparison between 645D and Q! I shoot both formats. The Q obviously wins by a landslide. The 645D/Z can't even get the background in focus :).
Thanks for sharing all your work,
barondla

We often forget to mention the advantages of small format over MF or FF, in macro photography for example, where micro 4/3 is much more advantageous than FF. etc

Next

Pentax 645D (2010) / Olympus OM-D E-M1 MkII (2016)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157719989890974
20-40-50 MP

Kodak DCS Pro 14n (2003) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157720071808920
BIG

Pentax 645D (2010) / Nikon D810 (2014)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157720176320620
40/36 MP

Kodak DCS 200 (1992) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72177720298431427
Kodak / Pentax 18 years apart

Minolta RD-3000 (1999) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72177720300239873
Macro lenses

Kodak DCS 460 (1995) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72177720302943643
15 years Kodak CCD

Pentax 645D (2010) / Fujifilm X-T5 (2022)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72177720304341711
40 MP !

Canon EOS-1D (2001) / Pentax 645D (2010)
www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72177720308541118
4/40 CCD sensor

Canon EOS-1D (2001) / Pentax 645D (2010) by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

Wow! The Canon is huge. To be fair, the 645 is a much deeper camera. Still, the Canon's ratio of format to camera size is pretty poor. It may be approaching the king of inefficiency, the film based Kodak Disc camera :). Enjoying your posts.
Thanks for sharing,
barondla

I don't know about that. I'm doing a lot of negative scanning with the GFX 100S and the Rodie 105/5.6 HR macro. I don't see how going to a smaller, lower resolution sensor would help.

I'm also working on setting up a Zeiss narrowband stepper lens from the 80s for 10:1 work. Assuming I don't run into any problems, I don't see how a smaller, lower res sensor would improve things.

Compare the Canon EOS-1D with the catastrophic results obtained with the "Kodak disc cameras of the 80s".
It's an insult to the Canon EOS that has made so many photographs so happy! 👎

A little serious please, I was talking about macro photography, and every photographer knows very well the difficulty in obtaining an acceptable depth. and it is easier to obtain a greater depth of chap with a µ4/3 than with an FF (The pros and cons go both ways)

And you come to talk to me about the reproduction of two-dimensional objects (negative scanning) !!
And why not architectural photography or astronomy?

Personally, I prefer to use the equipment that seems best suited to the situation.
It's up to you to photograph a flight of swallows with your GFX 100S if you like.

When I do macro work, I stack, either with a Cognisys rail or focus bracketing.