Pentax 645 vs Mamiya 645 Pro

I have narrowed my search for a medium format camera down to these two,
but now I am at a wall...The Pentax seems less expensive for lenses and
have more of a variety, but the Mamiya seems highly rated...I guess my
question really is, is there a reason to buy the mamiya for more money,
or is the pentax just as good of a camera and system?

JR

From: JR lid

I have narrowed my search for a medium format camera down to these two,
but now I am at a wall...The Pentax seems less expensive for lenses and
have more of a variety, but the Mamiya seems highly rated...I guess my
question really is, is there a reason to buy the mamiya for more money,
or is the pentax just as good of a camera and system?

I think there are three reasons to favor the Mamiya system ...

1) If you think you'll go digital eventually Mamiya is already there and
Pentax doesn't seem to have a clear migration path. For three years we've
heard rumors of a Pentax digital solution but so far it's just talk, while
several companies offer digital backs for Mamiya systems already.

2) If you need interchangeable backs for Polaroids or changing film types
mid-roll get the Mamiya.

3) If you do a lot of studio or flash work Mamiya is better because the lenses
sync with flash at much higher speeds. The Pentax is limited to 1/60th sec
except for a couple of limited leaf shutter lenses.

If none of these are important to you and the way you work then the Pentax is
"just as good of a camera" at a much lower cost.

BTW I have a couple of Pentax 645 bodies and seven lenses from 35 mm to 300 mm,
and also own two Mamiya 6x7 bodies with 5 lenses so I'm not blindly loyal to
either brand per se. Both systems do a fine job for me.

Also, if you decide on Mamiya you might look at purchasing the lenses from
overseas to avoid the exorbitantly high markup of Mamiya USA. I bought a
couple of lenses from Robert White in England and saved about 40%. I think
you'll want to buy the body with a US warranty though just in case you have
hassles getting it repaired.

Bill

"Bill Hilton" wrote:

I think there are three reasons to favor the Mamiya system ...

1) If you think you'll go digital eventually Mamiya is already there and
Pentax doesn't seem to have a clear migration path. For three years we've
heard rumors of a Pentax digital solution but so far it's just talk, while
several companies offer digital backs for Mamiya systems already.

If you can afford a digital back, you can afford a whole new system (at one
point, one of the digital backs came with a free Mamiya 645 AFD). And this
isn't going to change in ten years, so it's irrelevant.

2) If you need interchangeable backs for Polaroids or changing film types
mid-roll get the Mamiya.

Yes. And since 220 film stays flatter in these cameras, this is not
insignificant.

3) If you do a lot of studio or flash work Mamiya is better because the
lenses
sync with flash at much higher speeds. The Pentax is limited to 1/60th
sec
except for a couple of limited leaf shutter lenses.

No: Mamiya is also a focal plane shutter camera with only a couple of leaf
shutter lenses...

BTW I have a couple of Pentax 645 bodies and seven lenses from 35 mm to
300 mm,
and also own two Mamiya 6x7 bodies with 5 lenses so I'm not blindly loyal
to
either brand per se. Both systems do a fine job for me.

Pentax seems to be the camera of choice among Japanese landscape types: I
see very little such work with Mamiya. I don't know why.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 08:56:18 -0800, JR wrote:

I have narrowed my search for a medium format camera down to these two,
but now I am at a wall...The Pentax seems less expensive for lenses and
have more of a variety, but the Mamiya seems highly rated...I guess my
question really is, is there a reason to buy the mamiya for more money,
or is the pentax just as good of a camera and system?


Comparing Mamiya 645E to the "old" Pentax 645...

I prefer the latter simply from an ergonomic point of view.
It's heavier, but I actually like the grip for handling and
of course for hand-holding the camera. I actively dislike
the light metering display on the Mamiya.

I can't say I've noticed a difference between them in
terms of their (normal) lenses.


rafe b.
http://www.terrapinphoto.com

"Bill Hilton" wrote:

3) If you do a lot of studio or flash work Mamiya is better because
the lenses sync with flash at much higher speeds. The Pentax is
limited to 1/60th sec except for a couple of limited leaf shutter lenses.

From: "David J. Littleboy"

No: Mamiya is also a focal plane shutter camera with only a couple of leaf
shutter lenses...

Sorry, I dropped the ball on that one ... was thinking of the 6x7 cm Mamiya
systems ...

"Bill Hilton" wrote:

1) If you think you'll go digital eventually Mamiya is already there and
Pentax doesn't seem to have a clear migration path.

From: "David J. Littleboy"

If you can afford a digital back, you can afford a whole new system (at one
point, one of the digital backs came with a free Mamiya 645 AFD). And this
isn't going to change in ten years, so it's irrelevant.

It's definitely not irrelevant to me. I've been happy with my Pentax 645
system, which I first bought into 14 years ago, but if I were buying a new 645
system today I wouldn't buy Pentax again. Instead I'd get either the Hassy H1
or the Mamiya due mainly to the lack of digital support for the Pentax line.

Bill

see Danny Gonzalez's hands-on pro's evaluations and pros/cons on MF
cameras at http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/gindex.html for reviews and notes

hth bobm
--
************************************************** *********************
* Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 *
********************Standard Disclaimers Apply*************************

Are you planning to shoot action? If the subjects are going to be
movin', then you have a reason to lean towards the Pentax.

We shoot action sports and wanted to see if we could get some of those
same images on MF. Believe me, we spent a LOT of time last year
comparing the AF capabilities of 645 Pentax vs Contax vs Mamiya (we did
not consider the HBlad 645). And we had no bias for any system, and
didn't particularly care about price.

Our conclusion was that for AF, especially dynamic AF, Pentax was
quicker to focus, and stayed locked on compared to the other two.

Good luck in your deliberations

paul

JR wrote:
I have narrowed my search for a medium format camera down to these two,

I agree with Paul's assessment. In wedding coverage, which includes only a
modest amount of action, but represents most of my experience with Pentax
645, my partner and I almost never miss a shot due to failing autofocus.
The Pentax 645 is not as fast as the Nikon F5, but it's done a great job for
us.

Interchangeable backs would be nice, but our work habits limit us to one
film, one exposure setting, one lab - all in the name of predictable
results.

You might want to take a quick look at eBay to see the availability of
bodies and accessories if you want to build a system with backup equipment.

"paul easton" wrote in message
...
Are you planning to shoot action? If the subjects are going to be
movin', then you have a reason to lean towards the Pentax.

We shoot action sports and wanted to see if we could get some of those
same images on MF. Believe me, we spent a LOT of time last year
comparing the AF capabilities of 645 Pentax vs Contax vs Mamiya (we did
not consider the HBlad 645). And we had no bias for any system, and
didn't particularly care about price.

Our conclusion was that for AF, especially dynamic AF, Pentax was
quicker to focus, and stayed locked on compared to the other two.

Good luck in your deliberations

paul

JR wrote:
I have narrowed my search for a medium format camera down to these two,