Test Pentax 645D An accessible medium format DSLR? o announce a camera costing With time, cameras evolved, and The 645D sports digital SLR will have no problem card followed by the other, etc.) €10,000 as "accessible" might today the most modern models the classic form of a solid medium working with a 645D. As the overall The Raw format used is DNG, and T sound somewhat strange to (Hasselblad H and Leica S) have format camera. It ergonomics are based on highly in- images can be read directly by many photographers. The term de- abandoned the "body plus inter- is pleasing to tuitive controls, you can instantly Adobe software. Other Raw conver- serves a few explanations. Finan- changeable back" form for a solid handle and find your way around. ters (DxO and others) should very cially, it is justified because a 40 architecture that enables a more ef- comfortable to Original functions are also found use: Pentax has shortly be able to read 645D files. Mpix digital medium format cur- ficient design. This is the type of given it the very in the 645D, for example double The camera handles nicely. The rently sells for more than €15,000, construction used by Pentax. best in APS-C SLR level (front/back and right/left tilt), a grip, which seems a little uncomfor- whereas the Pentax 654D is at The "body plus separate back" ar- ergonomics. A misty landscape Use in the handheld position would be good! camera is less rapid (continuous very useful feature for shooting table at first, turns out to be very ef- Jpeg and Raw €9,900 (including VAT). But "acces- chitecture seems ideal: to moder- landscapes and architecture. But fective. The 645D is a heavy camera; Q in the Basque poses no particular problem. The At present only the 55mm lens is shooting is limited to 1.1fps), less A body of this type will chiefly be Country. Despite sible" also applies to its ease of use: nise the whole unit (for example, there are also highly advanced you need to have one hand on the 645D is not stabilised, but its weight available; other lenses should come reactive and much less versatile used in Raw format, the Jpeg mainly the bad weather as the 645D is inspired by the bran- change over from 20 to 40 Mpix), white balance settings (a Pentax tra- grip, and the other to support it un- provides sufficient inertia for out in 2011, but meanwhile you will than a top quality SLR, but the reso- making it possible to obtain an conditions, the d's APS-C SLRs, it is genuinely you just need to change the back. dition), together with optical correc- derneath, setting the focus with the rendering of the images at 1/60 s to be perfectly have to recycle the lenses designed lution is a great deal higher, as can image that can be exploited quickly. simple to operate. In practice, it is more efficient and tions (vignetting and distortion). fingers if need be. In this configura- details is excellent. sharp. The mirror, although large, for the silver halide 645 (there are be seen in large format prints. For example, at a wedding, one card The digital medium format made thus more economical to construct The upper screen provides a tion, handheld use is pleasant. If you look at the seem well enough cushioned not to some excellent ones around). At ISO 1600, the "raw" noise is can record the Raw pictures desi- print closely, you its appearance with digital backs a complete body containing elec- great deal of information, and you With a tripod, there are two ways generate blurriness. slightly higher than with a pro SLR, gned as the final images, while the even find micro- designed to be fixed to silver halide tronics and mechanics together. can thus see the number of shots of screwing it on: horizontal or verti- details in the With indoor photos, the AF fo- Q To sum up but when seen in a print, the 645D's other record Jpeg versions, so that bodies. The assembly worked, but it left on each of the two memory cal. This is a sensible ploy, as you thus distant areas, and cuses precisely even in low light. At The 645D is likely to change the high definition enables it to be at proofs can be quickly printed. The bordered on the makeshift, and Q The simplicity and effi- cards (all combinations are provided avoid any awkward positions that substance in the ISO 800, the images are excellent; at order in the small world of the digi- the same level as the DX3, and it is Jpeg fine setting is thus very useful. rendering of the comfortable use was not the chief ciency of an APS-C SLR for: Jpeg on one side, Raw on the might make the equipment uns- ISO 1600, grain is visible but with an tal medium format. Firstly the ca- very slightly better than the EOD- Purists will regret that the 645D forests in the concern of these systems. Anyone who has already used a other; duplicate cards, use of one table. agreeable "substance". mera is 50-80% cheaper than its di- IDS Mark III. only delivers 14-bit Raw images, background. The box shows a detail The Raw files are DNG, and can rect competitors; secondly, Pentax So two questions remain: do I The Pentax 645D in detail… while certain digital backs provide at 100%, where thus be read by Lightroom: this is has succeeded in designing a have €11,000 to spend on a camera, 16-bits. But rather than bemoaning each sheep is extremely convenient for users. No model that is easy and pleasant to and do I often do large prints? perfectly visible. ◗ SD cards ◗ "SLR" style ergonomics ◗ Battery pack ◗ Control panel theoretical characteristics, you need need to seek out a "home-made" use. Pascal Miele to look at what the sensors actually Raw converter of dubious practica- Up until now, only pros who ▼ Surprisingly, although the 645D is the most With the 645D, Pentax uses studied The 645D's battery pack is an 1840mAh The data display LCD screen is very wide. deliver: as Thierry Legault explained COMPATIBLE LENS - Pentax 645. lity and efficiency. make their equipment pay or well- ▼ professional of models with plenty of space, ergonomics (menus and function buttons ) model. It would be wise to have a back-up There is a great deal of information but in C.I. no. 322, no model has 14 bits SENSOR - CCD 40 Mpix - 44 x 33 Pentax has opted for the SD rather than the taken directly from APS-C SLRs. An excellent battery on hand if you want to be really everything is perfectly legible. The "INFO" The only problem with the Raw off amateurs could treat themselves mm - ISO 100 to 1.600 - Prime II CF format. In practice, this poses no problem. idea: the camera is simple and quick to use, autonomous. The camera has normal button gives you other information on the of exploitable information, so 16 files is that the image takes a long to a digital back. Others could only Processor - Dust removal : vibration. It is even a plus with laptops that only have and we are a long way from the labyrinthine consumption, but this type of body is rear screen. The photographer can easily find bits are unrealistic! time to be displayed on the screen: fantasise about them, or turn to se- ▼ IMAGE - 5.440 x 7.264 - Jpeg (5 an SD card reader. systems usually found with medium formats. generally used by experts, who consume a out how the camera is configured. almost 11 seconds. The camera is cond-hand equipment. sizes, 3 qualities), Raw (DNG) lot of images! Q In the field very quick at taking another photo Given the performances and ▼ AUTOFOCUS - SAFOX IX - 11 points I mainly used the 645D to shoot (around 1 second) but if you need prices of medium format equip- including 9 cross-type. ▼ landscapes, in the handheld posi- to check the shot taken, you will ment three or four years ago, a METERING - matrix metering (77 tion and on a tripod, and then in- segments), centre-weighted or Spot. have to wait. Canon 5D Mark II or a Sony Alpha ▼ doors in order to check the AF and SHUTTER - 30 s at 1/4.000 s - B - For studio work, a flash connec- 850 often represented a far better Synchro X 1/125 s. the quality of the high ISO sensitivi- tion is provided and the synchroni- choice! But with the 645D, the ad- ▼ VIEWFINDER - 98% coverage, ties. The 645D is in its element with sation is carried out at 1/125 s. The mission ticket is not much higher magnification x 0.62 (55 mm lens). landscape photography on a tripod: flash jack is not very well positio- than for the cameras offered by ▼ SCREEN - 7.6 cm LCD – 921,000 dots focusing is precise, the lens very ned, and if you are taking a vertical Canon or Nikon with the 1Ds Mark ▼ SIZE - 156 x 117 x 120 - 1,482 g good, and the sensor's 40 Mpix thus shot it risks falling off…a radio III or D3X, and the image quality is ▼ -9.999€body; 10.999€(55 mm). deliver a very high quality image. control placed on the flash socket considerably better. It's true that the 146 Chasseur d’Images - n° 329 - Décembre 2010 Chasseur d’Images - n° 329 - Décembre 2010 147 In the lab Pentax 645D Test Center ◗ Sharpness ◗ Smoothing ◗ Grain Images ◗ Details ◗ White balance 10,00 10 10 C.I.