I've long wanted a medium format camera. Earlier this year before buying my Pentax K3 III I seriously considered a couple options for medium format digital camera. Unfortunately, each option I looked ultimately wound up being well outside my budget once lenses were factored into the equation. Since last year I've been getting more into film photography. First by putting a few rolls through the trusty old K1000. Then a roll through the Spotmatic SP. Things really started to take off after I acquired a couple Pentax SuperProgram (Super-A) cameras late last summer. I've experimented with a few different types of film. Kodak Porta 160, Ektar 100, and Gold 400. One of the things I really like about shooting film is the look can be changed substantially just based on the film you choose. The experience with the35mm film cameras (and Ektar 100 film in particular) it got me thinking..."would medium format film be a viable alternative to digital?".
I haven't developed film myself since high school. But over the past 30 years, and the resurgent interest in film, developer kits have become simpler to use and more readily available. I'm not ready to go down that rabbit hole just yet, but I plan to dedicate part of August to learning how. In the mean time I did recently acquire an original Pentax 645 camera, I've been working the past month to get it back up and running. And teach myself how to use it.
The Pentax 645 was released the same year as my much loved SuperProgram (1983). And has some vague similarities. For example most of the settings are controlled by a pair of buttons rather than dials. Even the 645 lenses share the "A" series designation. The 645 body likewise has similar modes available (Tv, Av, P, M, B) and they work somewhat similarly to SuperProgram. A combination of body settings and the aperture ring.
My 645 copy was missing a few things. No lens was included, so I picked up a SMC Pentax-A 645 55mm f2.8 lens (roughly equivalent to a 35mm lens on full frame). I also have a Pentax-A 645 150mm f3.5 lens on it's way from Japan. It was also missing the battery holder. Probably the biggest issue with the original 645 happens to be the battery holder. The original holder took six "AA" size batteries, and was made out of a fairly brittle plastic. Because the original 645 doesn't fully power off using the on-off switch (the switch jut controls the shutter button, an admittedly odd decision) you have to remove the battery holder to fully deactivate the camera. This frequently led to the battery holders being lost or damaged (dropped) for this model. Pentax made two more 645 models (645N and 645NII) that redesigned the battery holder and eliminated this problem. Still, my camera needed a replacement. And as I found OEM battery holders for the original 645 can cost more than the camera itself. I found an ebay seller who is 3D printing replacements that use a pair of 9V batteries instead of the original 6AAs. The price was about half the cost of an OEM holder. I've tested this extensively and I'm happy to report that the 3D printed holder works really well.
One of the other oddities of the Pentax 645 is that the shutter does not fire with out a film holder and film loaded. Unlike other 645 and medium format cameras the 645 doesn't use a film back. The holders have to be loaded with 120 film and are then loaded into the camera. Once loaded, you can't swap the back mid-roll. What you have is what you've got until all 15 exposures are exhausted. So just to test that this camera worked meant buying a lens, a battery holder, and film. It was a bit of a gamble. But all told I only have about $250 tied up in this rig. Compared to what a medium format digital camera and lens would cost (add a "0"...and then some) it wasn't terrible. Thankfully everything appears to be working.
I've put 5 rolls of film through the Pentax 645 so far. I just sent them out to The Darkroom this week to be developed. I've opted for their "Super Scan" resolution this time. It costs extra, but hopefully I'll be ready to try home developing before putting too many more rolls of film through the camera.
I haven't developed film myself since high school. But over the past 30 years, and the resurgent interest in film, developer kits have become simpler to use and more readily available. I'm not ready to go down that rabbit hole just yet, but I plan to dedicate part of August to learning how. In the mean time I did recently acquire an original Pentax 645 camera, I've been working the past month to get it back up and running. And teach myself how to use it.
The Pentax 645 was released the same year as my much loved SuperProgram (1983). And has some vague similarities. For example most of the settings are controlled by a pair of buttons rather than dials. Even the 645 lenses share the "A" series designation. The 645 body likewise has similar modes available (Tv, Av, P, M, B) and they work somewhat similarly to SuperProgram. A combination of body settings and the aperture ring.
My 645 copy was missing a few things. No lens was included, so I picked up a SMC Pentax-A 645 55mm f2.8 lens (roughly equivalent to a 35mm lens on full frame). I also have a Pentax-A 645 150mm f3.5 lens on it's way from Japan. It was also missing the battery holder. Probably the biggest issue with the original 645 happens to be the battery holder. The original holder took six "AA" size batteries, and was made out of a fairly brittle plastic. Because the original 645 doesn't fully power off using the on-off switch (the switch jut controls the shutter button, an admittedly odd decision) you have to remove the battery holder to fully deactivate the camera. This frequently led to the battery holders being lost or damaged (dropped) for this model. Pentax made two more 645 models (645N and 645NII) that redesigned the battery holder and eliminated this problem. Still, my camera needed a replacement. And as I found OEM battery holders for the original 645 can cost more than the camera itself. I found an ebay seller who is 3D printing replacements that use a pair of 9V batteries instead of the original 6AAs. The price was about half the cost of an OEM holder. I've tested this extensively and I'm happy to report that the 3D printed holder works really well.
One of the other oddities of the Pentax 645 is that the shutter does not fire with out a film holder and film loaded. Unlike other 645 and medium format cameras the 645 doesn't use a film back. The holders have to be loaded with 120 film and are then loaded into the camera. Once loaded, you can't swap the back mid-roll. What you have is what you've got until all 15 exposures are exhausted. So just to test that this camera worked meant buying a lens, a battery holder, and film. It was a bit of a gamble. But all told I only have about $250 tied up in this rig. Compared to what a medium format digital camera and lens would cost (add a "0"...and then some) it wasn't terrible. Thankfully everything appears to be working.
I've put 5 rolls of film through the Pentax 645 so far. I just sent them out to The Darkroom this week to be developed. I've opted for their "Super Scan" resolution this time. It costs extra, but hopefully I'll be ready to try home developing before putting too many more rolls of film through the camera.
