On Sun, 10 Mar 2002, Bruce Dayton wrote: > Second question: Are you planning to use 35mm along with MF or just > MF? Here the 645 has the big advantage. It is quite possible to drop > 35mm altogether and just use the 645. There are a few cases where > 35mm is better, but not many. The 645n(II) is much like using a ZX-5n > with a big negative. It does also have data imprinting, but feature > set is similar.
I think Bruce is onto something really important here. Are you looking to replace or supplement your 35mm system for most of your photography? If you're looking to get out of 35mm altogether, or for most of your photography, then the 645 is a good choice. It's cheaper to use than a 67, since you can get more shots on a roll, so it's more versatile in some ways as an all-round camera. If you like the automation of a 35mm camera but just want a larger neg, the 645 would be perfect. OTOH, if you want to still use your 35mm system frequently, then you'll have to ask yourself if the neg of the 645 will be *that* much larger to justify spending that much on a MedF system. Thinking about it a different way, you'll probably notice an improvement shooting MedF ISO 400 film at f2.8 over 35mm ISO 100 film at 1.4 (same exposure), but will it really be better enough to justify using both systems? That's where a 67 comes in handy. I use my 35mm when the ability to shoot quickly and inexpensively is more important than maximizing image quality, and I use my 67 when the latter is more important than the former. If I had to pick only one system, 645 would be a good compromise, but by using both I don't have to compromise either factor. The only exception would be if I *needed* AF and other automation, but wanted a larger neg than 35mm... that's when I would use the 645N. As long as negative size is more important than automation to me, I'll stick with my 67. Probably the best advice you can have is to go into a store that carries both systems and play with them. See how they handle, see how they feel, see which one you prefer. Ask if you can buy a couple rolls of 120 film and run one through each camera in or around the store. You can get a decent feel for how well they handle by dry-firing them, but I find that nothing really makes you think about how easy the camera is to use like actually using it. :) Try to find a good local store that can offer the cameras to you at a reasonable price (even if it's not the lowest around), as long as they're willing and able to let you spend as much time with the cameras as you want before you buy, and to give you whatever assistance you need while playing... and then buy from them. Have fun! Brother Chris - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
