Today I was invited to see the new Rico Pentax 645DZ.

It was a demonstration held by the local Pentax agents C.R. Kennedy in Melbourne.

It showed the new camera with 4 new lenses. There was also a fashion photographer including model.

I have to say, the camera was very good looking, but the model was even better.

The demonstration was to photograph the model with settings fro 100ASA to 128000 ASA. The lower ASA settings with a Studio light and the higher settings with just the interior hall light.

The results just blew me away. This camera is something else.

A sensor with 51Mp and the sensor size 1.7 times larger than a FF sensor.

It handled very similar to a Standard DSLR, just better.
The layout of the controls is very similar to the K5 and K3.
Even the battery is the same as the K5, K3.

They had a special going for $11000.- with the kit-lens.

I would have bought one on the spot, but i was about 10980 dollars short.
So I had to postpone it. I spend the 20 Dollars on a Lotto ticked instead

Regards, Horst

So it does, and of course most or all of the latest Pentax lenses do.

The earlier Macro lenses did not come with a lens hood, because I suppose Pentax thought there was no need for it, because the lens elements where very far set back.
However this was completely nullified when using a filter.
Suddenly there was a glass surface right on front of the objective and exposed to all the cross and other rays.

AN extra lens hood was then needed.

All in all: A lens hood never does any harm, It can only improve the picture quality.

Regards, Horst

John, you are saying, that the actual image of a portrait looks exactly the same when taken with a 100mm lens on a 35mm film camera and a 70mm lens on an APS-C camera?

Regards, Horst

John did not say, that the 50mm lens with an APS-C camera is the same as a 75mm lens with a Film (FF) sensor.

Else there would have been no need with a FF to have the longer focal length and just crop it.

The perspective is different between the 2 original focal length , 50mm vs75mm.
AS I said the nose looks bigger with a 50mm lens than with a 75mm length no matter if it is a FF or APS-C sensor.
Of course the "Yes" answer was a bit hard to understand because it was a question with 2 answers.

The same as asking is it green or red and saying "yes"

Regards, Horst

This would of course then suggest, that it would be also sensible to stick with the 70 to 135mm lenses with APS-C. and not use a 50mm lens if you used a 75mm lens before.

Regards, Horst

Yes what?

Regards, Horst

The question is, why in the film era was a 70 to 100mm lens considered ideal for portrait photography?
Was it because the perspective this lenses gave for example the right size nose? Not to big bust with shorter, or to flat bust with longer lenses,
or was it just the distance from the object the photographer had to be , not to crowd the object to much?

Regards, Horst

I would stick with the 2 lenses you have.

The wider the zooming ratio, the more problematic the lens gets.

i personally think, the 18-55mm is under rated, just because it is a kit-lens.

I think it is a very good lens, optically and mechanically.

I do not recomend the Tamron 28-200mm lens, I have one and I don't think it's so great.

Regards, Horst

Mike-P wrote:


Wow, what a statement.

Let me give you a few examples of my Pentax lenses and lenses for Pentax by other makers.

1.)DA 40mm f2.8 with lens hood
2.)Fa 77mm f1.8 with lens hood
3.)FA 31mm f1.8 with lens hood
4.)DA 18-55mm Kit lens with lens hood
5.)FA 35mm f2 with lens hood
6.)Super Takumar 35mm f2 with lens hood
7.)Super Takumar 55mm f1.8 with lens hood
8.)Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 with lens hood
9.)Pentax SMC-A 28mm f2.8 with lens hood

10.) Sigma AF 70 - 210mm with lens hood
11.)Tamron SP AF 24-135mm with lens hood
12.)Tamfon AF28-200 with lens hood
13.)Promaster Spectrum AF 28 -200mm with lens hood

All this lenses came with lens hood supplied by the manufacturer.

My other lenses some I am not sure of, because I bought them secondhand and I don't know if they came originally with a lens hood.
Example Pentax-F 50mm f1.4. and Pentax-A 50mm f1.4

So your statement above may not be quite correct.
I agree, that some Pentax and other early brands where not supplied with lens hoods. but all the current lenses I believe are.

Ah, I forgot my Pentax FA 50mm f2.8, A 50mm f2.8 and 100mm f2.8 macro lenses dis not come with a lens hood, because the lens elements are so far back in the body, that the body acts as a lens hood.

Regards, Horst

MrB wrote:

You are quite right of course.
however no matter how and what sort of coating you use, there is still glass in an lens-objective with plenty of surfaces.
Compared to a nothing, this is still a murky state of affairs.

so flair is still possible, especially when light strikes it at certain angles.
As you said the test was not completely fair, because I changed the angle a bit.

So this will also proof that flair is possible.
I don't believe that the lens manufacturers include a lens hood just because it may look nice, but because they are aware of the problem of flare.

Regards, Horst