Excited
Both the Fringer adapter P645-GFX is now on its way from China to Stockholm - as well the lens-foot adapter which allows me to mount the camera+lens on a the tripod with better balance (It allows me to rotate the camera-lens without leaving or changing the tripod head position). Meaning; you can switch between horizontal and vertical photography, without detaching the camera+lens. Especially with the longish Pentax 645 zoom lenses - a lens foot gives a much better balance.
A wonderful combination
The special adapter, allowing me to use Pentax 645 lenses with AF on a Fujifilm GFX mediumformat camera. Plus the lens-foot enabling a better balance between camera + long lens.
I already have a "dumb" Pentax 645 to GFX adapter, sure. Yet, getting one which enables EXIF (on all types of Pentax 645 lenses, including the manual ones. That means, the image files will not only tell you what lens you used, but also the focal length you used. I am not sure about aperture and speed. I think it does register that, too. In a large archive, that type of data actually becomes important over time.
Then there are the automatic changes of focal lengths related to IS (Image stabilization). When you zoom, you change the focal length. But this far, you would have to change that manually. But that is iffy with zooms, because you can only register ... I don't know, 7 (?) different settings in the camera. And I already have other (manual) lenses registered, such as the Mitakon 65/1.4, then the Canon FD 85/1.2 L, and a couple more.
But all this will become obsolete for Pentax 645 lenses (of all kinds), as this will work automatically - and by that - enable smooth Image stabilization according to the actual focal length used.
What is there not to like ?!
Autofocus of course
The best part will be that the adapter enables AF (autofocus) between the old Pentax FA 645 lenses, and a Fujifilm GFX camera.
Kind of awesome that they can create such things like communication between totally different units; the modern Fujifilm GFX communicating with older, Pentax 645 branded AF lenses.
Since Pentax 645 lenses are mediumformat lenses, you don't have to worry about dark edges. Naturally, any adapted lens from the 80s and 90s - will not have same optical properties like new modern Fujinon GF lenses.
Pentax 645 lenses: 3 types
Yet there are still a lot of affordable, good mannered Pentax 645 lenses on the second hand market. Some of them are really worth it, i would say. As a casual companion, so to speak.
The adapter works for both manual lenses (A), then the autofocus ones (FA) and the more modern digital (DA) type of lenses from the Pentax 645 system. Especially the latter ones, had difficulties with adapters on the market. Most adapters couldn't enable any electronic communication with DA lenses, and therefore you couldn't change aperture on them. Which makes them useless.
The new Fringer adapter addresses this !
I never bought any DA lenses
simply because I never chose a digital Pentax 645 camera. And the DA lenses were forbidden expensive in the mid 2014-2019s
The digital Pentax 645D and then the CMOS based 645Z look very much like the analog Pentax 645 models from the 80s and 90s.
Especially the Pentax 645z made a lot of buzz in 2014, when it came to the market - being the first digital medium format camera, also one for a broader audience - and relatively "affordable". Plus the gorgeous 51 MP sensor in it (which Fuji later used in the GFX 50 series with some modifications). The Pentax 645z is a very well thought camera, especially given that it was developed 2012, and came to the market as early as 2014 !
Those are BIG cameras (with a mirror in it)
Obsolete camera system
Unfortunately, Ricoh seem to have given up on the system since 2017. It is considered to be dead now, albeit i believe they still sell Pentax 645 lenses new. (I am not sure). The second hand market, has plenty of lenses left (all kinds; A, FA and DA lenses)
The Pentax 645 line-up
Here the FA and DA lens lineup from Pentax for the 645 camera system. The older manual Pentax 645 A lenses are not listed here. I have three FA lenses, i had bought last year. Mainly because i really needed a Macro lens that actually WORKS for the Fujifilm GFX camera - down to 1:1 Macro.
The other two zoom i only bought because they were dirty cheap - and have relatively good performance - plus they were of longer focal length.
Otherwise I haven't looked into other Pentax 645 FA lenses. Simple because I already have native Fujifilm GF lenses - and you can't top those.
The only one of interest (but i doubt it)
for me, would be the autofocus version of the 150 mm ƒ2.8 lens. A bright portrait lens, so to speak. I have the manual version which is the Pentax 645 A 150/3.5 lens. It is tiny in relation to all other lenses...
The FA (autofocus) version would make another great (both smaller and lighter) telephoto portrait lens, equivalent of 120 mm lens on a fullframe camera. It costs around 500 €, plus important and Swedish tax - you end up around 650-700 €. Meh... I don't think my love for that lens is great enough to buy one.
I can also argue, that the Fujinon GF 110/2 already fits the bill of being a simply superb portrait lens. Therefore, I highly doubt that I would go for a Pentax 645 FA 150/2.8 lens. It seems really unnecessary when i think about it.
When at home in the 'studio'
I have plenty of (older, manual) alternatives, given that I can use Pentax 6x7 lenses. Even Mamiya Sekor RZ67 lenses nowadays !! (The Mamiya APO Sekor Z 210/4.5 is divine in that regard; as a tight portrait lens). Yet, even the other lenses fare very well in the studio for portraits; both lenses from Mamiya RZ as well Pentax 6x7.
So jeezaz, i am drowning in lenses *LOL*
While when I only go "out and about" in the city... I just take one lens with me. The Fujifilm GF 110 mm ƒ2 fits the bill perfectly as a "portrait on the go lens".
Even the Pentax 645 FA 80-160 mm ƒ 4.5 could do that (in theory, i haven't tested portraits with it yet. Wrong i did a short test on Sal - see image below). The Pentax 645 FA 80-160mm zoom is sharper at the short end, but needs to be stopped down at the long end of 160mm). Albeit, for portraiture, this might not be an issue.
That's it.
More isn't really better or merrier.
Sal
I made just a few images with Sal at the balcony last year - testing the Pentax 645 FA 80-160mm ƒ4.5 lens on the Fujifilm GFX camera at the 80mm setting (equivalent to 63 mm on fullframe). It worked well at wide open aperture, and the fine details of his eyebrows and hair, are sharp, while the background still shows pleasant blur, especially in areas where the background is far way.
What I didn't like with the Zoom was that it all felt shaky; Not easy to set the sharpness manually without the whole setup in my hands was shaking. Here, i believe the new Finger Pentax645 to GFX adapter, will greatly help by enabling better Image stabilization "on-the-fly", as well setting the focus point automatically. It means less shaking, because I will not be fiddling around with the focus point - at high magnification.
With the 150-300/5.6 zoom, this was even worse - and there was no joy for me in it. (Unless i would use a tripod). But here, i was locked up using horizontal images. The new adapter, allows me to turn around the lens+camera, without moving it on the tripod. Now THAT is something i love - and makes tripod work fun.
Facit:
So yes, even a slower zoom at ƒ4.5 can do fine portraits on mediumformat. It is not unreasonable. What i haven't tested yet, was the 160 mm focal length for portraiture.
Is there any equivalent in the Fujinon GF line up ?
Yes, there is: The Fujinon GF 100-200mm ƒ 5.6 R LM OIS WR zoom (it has built-in Image stabilization). Unfortunately I have heard that some people had strange problems with it mechanically; parts of the lens front would come apart. The second hand prices are very reasonable, down to just 1200 €
Why would you use adapted lenses ?!
Of course, using a native Fujinon lens is almost always to prefer, especially when the price is reasonable second hand, no doubt. Using adapted lenses is perhaps a mix of "sport", curiosity - and sometimes deliberately - because older lensed can have interesting characters; the way they "draw" a picture.
I often find this character comes out much more, when you do "Black & White" images. Here a lens inherent character shows off much better - compared to when you use color.
Example of the Noctilux-M 50/1
A "Mandler" Leica Noctilux-M 50/1 in color mode often feels... BORING. More often than not, it gives color images taken at ƒ1 a degraded character - without actually showing the uniqueness in that lens' rendering style.
BUT: in Black & white - can show that special magic. Which still needs skills to come forth. Not every motive and lighting situations will reveal that character "by default" - because it doesn't.
In situations where the motive has depth as well some highlights in otherwise not so well lit environment - a unique rendering style seem to pull though. Here I show some classic examples I often refer to; showing Daniel on a ferry between Tallinn, Estonia and Stockholm.
The environment had strong spot lights - yet the Noctilux seem to "compress" them by rendering highlights in a favorable way - giving the whole atmosphere a very special character. A kind of glow, which i sometimes seen in old fashioned Hollywood portraits. While not exactly the same - but there is something going on in the rendering style of this Noctilux lens.
At least that's how i feel / trying to put finger on it. |
