Pentax 645 vs Leica S 2014

[peterv]

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Warning: speculation thread

 

These are said to be the specs of the new Pentax:

 

Pentax 645z detailed specifications | Photo Rumors

 

Earlier this week LeicaRumors came up with this:

 

New Leica S medium format camera coming at Photokina with a 40-50MP CMOS sensor and 4k video | Leica News & Rumors

 

So what do you think?

 

Me, I'm firmly in the Leica camp, slowly but steadily building my line up of CS Leica S lenses and in no rush to replace my S2-P.

I do like some of the features in the Pentax, but even if I didn't have an S-type system, the Pentax not would be on my radar due to the 1/125 max flash sync speed.

[2wk]

The Pentax is looking good. I'm wondering if they offer any leaf shutter lenses to increase that sync shutter speed. The one area I would like a camera like this, is shooting fashion and 1/125 is a no go for me as well.

[veraikon]

Warning: speculation thread

 

These are said to be the specs of the new Pentax:

at fontes:

645D-Kamera - RICOH IMAGING DEUTSCHLAND GmbH

[veraikon]

The Pentax is looking good. I'm wondering if they offer any leaf shutter lenses to increase that sync shutter speed. The one area I would like a camera like this, is shooting fashion and 1/125 is a no go for me as well.

 

imho there are two leaf shutter lenses in their lens programme. Its a question of deliverability

(Pentax doesn´t offer all lenses in all countries)

[stephan_w]

when I read reviews of the Pentax in the past, the conclusion was always that the lenses don't hold up with the camera

[mwilliamsphotography]

I think the new Pentax will attract its' share of 35mm DSLR users looking to get that MFD look and feel. The biggest complaint you hear about MFD is the staggering prices for new equipment, and the even more dramatic "fall off a cliff" depreciation. At $8,500 verses $20K to $30K, this camera mitigates that a bit : -)

 

I think it'll impact new gear sales of lower end MFD offerings to first time MFD adopters, but more importantly gut the pricing of used MFD gear to that crowd.

 

Like with any system, it all comes down to the three things IMO … the lenses, the lenses, and the lenses. Even the leaf-shutter feature of the S system requires the CS version leaf-shutter lenses.

 

Given that Sony has provided the same sensor to 3 different MFD makers, how the lenses play with that sensor will be of paramount importance. Where Leica will source their 40 to 50 meg CMOS sensor is up for speculation … but the hint is 40 to 50 … which means it is either a cut down version of the Sony sensor, or a custom one by CMOSIS. My bet is the latter.

 

For me, the biggest draw of the S was the ground-up new lens system that promises to be future proof.

 

I remain skeptical regarding the rush to CMOS, and I am unimpressed by samples from these new MFD cameras … so far. It'll be a while before all that becomes clearer.

 

In the meantime, I'd rather sink any cash I have into more CS lenses for my S2-P. Most recently added the CS45/2.8, and couldn't be happier with the performance of that lens.

 

- Marc

[peterv]

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Like with any system, it all comes down to the three things IMO … the lenses, the lenses, and the lenses.

 

Absolutely! I think the investment in my S lenses is going to be worthwhile into the distant future. They can handle a lot more sensor-resolution, no doubt. And besides that (resolution) I'm very content with the colors and the way they draw an image.

 

I remain skeptical regarding the rush to CMOS, and I am unimpressed by samples from these new MFD cameras … so far. It'll be a while before all that becomes clearer.

 

Same here, the samples I've seen on the pixel level, all look like a NEX on steroids to me. Not necessarily bad, just not as special, crisp and lively as the present S/S2. I hope a CMOSIS sensor can provide/maintain the look/feel of the present CCD.

[aboudd]

I had the Pentax 645D and it was a fine camera. There were two big issues for me. The camera was incredibly slow writing to the card, even with all options, such as noise reduction turned off. It could take up to 6 seconds for an image to appear on the LCD. I suppose if one is shooting landscapes or still life it isn't too much of a problem. The other issue was the paucity of lenses designed for the digital sensor. As Leica does with the S, Pentax kept promising lenses but didn't announce delivery dates. After about a year of that frustration I bought the S2 and three lenses and I haven't looked back.

 

Now there are more digital sensor oriented lenses for the upcoming Pentax 645Z, and with its articulating LCD (I think every camera should have one), faster buffer and 50 megapixel sensor, it will certainly be a contender. No matter how much you dress it up, it does not use Leica glass and does not have the sweet ergonomics and elegant simplicity of the S2/S Leicas. While I am frustrated by the terrible resale value of my S2-P - I would like to upgrade to the newer S - to replace my S system with the Pentax 645Z would, in my opinion, be a bonehead move. The $14,000 price savings between the Pentax and the Leica S would not make up for the loss of color fidelity, resolution and superior image quality of the Leica S and glass.

[Jeff S]

The $14,000 price savings between the Pentax and the Leica S would not make up for the loss of color fidelity, resolution and superior image quality of the Leica S and glass.

 

And you have some prints that attest to this?

 

Jeff

[xpixel]

Have you ever shoot with a Pentax 645D or Z in a studio? There is no tethering software for this cameras...

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

And you have some prints that attest to this?

 

Jeff

You killed the thread with that one Jeff :)