Like many photographers, I aspire to make better images and an
important part of that process is the camera and
lens equipment.
I have always been interested in Medium Format photography but to date
the cost of the camera/lens digital systems remains very steep and out with my
budget.
Its nice
to
dream but I think we are heading in the right direction.
Pentax have bravely brought out a digital version of their 'Film' 645
medium format camera, the Pentax 645D DSLR.
This
is a digital camera that is bringing down the cost of 'Medium
Format'
Digital Technology.
Today, as Canon and Nikon 35mm 'Full Frame' Sensor DSLR Professional cameras are starting to climb towards the £5K plus
mark for the body only...............the Pentax 645D is now sub £10K and
that includes a
Pentax 55mm F2.8 AL [IF] SDM AW lens.
This lens gives a focal length equivalent to 43.5mm in the 35mm
full-frame format, so it is very similar to the field of view of the
human eye.
It is inevitable giving the larger size of the MF digital sensor in
relation to the 35mm sensor that these technologies will meet in the
middle and hopefully with a price that suits the semi-pro as well as the
professional photographer?
The weight and size will have to come down as well but its a start and
the Pentax 645D is a serious bit of kit.
The 645D
Basic
Specifications
-
* 40 MP CCD sensor
* PENTAX PRIME II Imaging Engine
* New SAFOX IX+ autofocus system
* 77-segment metering
* 14-bit A/D converter
* Weather resistant
* Dual SD/SDHC card slots
The 645D's 44x33mm CCD image sensor is 1.7 times larger than a 36mm x 24mm 'Full Frame' 35mm sensor.
I am impressed with the ruggedness of the Pentax 645D camera - please see the
field video and a more in-depth video link below.
Another link to a good in-depth video review -
PhotoRadar
Landscape Photography
Imagine that you want a camera specifically for landscape
photography.............you have dreamed of owning a 'Medium Format'
camera and would prefer it over 35mm 'full frame' and you don't mind the
extra weight as you will be taking along a tripod and a mixture of
'prime' lenses. It has to be weatherproof (within limits) but because of
the cost of MF (up until now) a 'future' Canon 1Ds MKIV 35mm 'Full Frame
Sensor DSLR is probably the camera of final choice?
Landscape & Other Photography
Only a few years ago and even today, a 'Medium Format' digital camera
was a 'professionals' camera of choice for landscape photography. Many
of those professionals were actually starting to move down to Canon and
Nikon for 35mm solutions, cheaper, lighter and slightly more compact but
much more 'flexible' for other types of photography as well. Price drove
many photographers down the 35mm route as it was perceived that the
image quality was relatively close to medium format. The problem today
is that the pixel numbers on the 35mm sensor are starting to get a bit
crowded and a lot less in actual pixel size.
Human Nature + Costs
It is human nature to desire the ultimate camera as I outlined in the
first paragraph and even although I will be printing average size
images, never the less, my desire for higher image quality
remains..............its the technology versus the cost that makes me
move further down to 35mm 'Full Frame', APS-C, Micro 4/3rds and compact
sensor solutions. Instead of a single camera, I purchase different
cameras for the different areas of my photography.
I would like to think
that Pentax have started the 'ball rolling' and now perhaps Canon and
Nikon amongst others will expand their 35mm technology to MF? From what
I have read so far, Pentax have not produced a 35mm 'Full Frame' Digital
Sensor DSLR; their jump is from a APS-C 1.5x crop sensor digital camera
straight to digital Medium Format.
I have listed the
Retailers (links) in the UK for the 645D Camera -
