Today I want to share another comparison test using the Mamiya 645af and the Pentax 645n. And if you haven’t already checked out my last two posts, you can do so HERE [Mamiya 645af + 80mm 1.9 vs. Pentax 645n + 75mm 2.8] and HERE [Mamiya 645af + 80 2.8 vs. Pentax 645n + 75 2.8].

For my third comparison, I wanted to look at the Mamiya 645af with the 80 1.9 lens compared to the Pentax 645n with the 105 2.4 lens. I should say that the 105 2.4 is made for the Pentax 67 bodies so it requires an adapter to work on the 645n, but it really is easy to handle and the extra bulk didn’t bother me much. It’s a manual lens, just like the Mamiya 80 1.9, but since I shoot manual most of the time anyways, this didn’t bother me either. An obvious difference that you’ll see from the photos below is the focal distance. Most of the time I tried to stand in the exact same spot to shoot my subject, in order to give a good idea of what the two lenses look like from the same distance. Occasionally I changed it up and either moved in closer or stepped further back but for the most part these side-by-side shots below were taken one after the other without moving.

All shots on the left were taken with the Mamiya 645af + 80 1.9 (and shot wide open at 1.9) // All shots on the right were taken with the Pentax 645n + 105 2.4 (and shot wide open at 2.4). I used Fuji 400h for both and all film was processed & scanned by PhotoVision.

So what do you think? I was pretty amazed at how close the results were! The 105 definitely makes for beautiful portraits as it allows you to focus closer in on your subject. I personally think the 80 is a more general-use focal length, but I also really like the compression of the 105 when taking a close-up shot. The colors of the straight scans were almost an exact match and were very easy to match in post. I think both set ups and lenses have their place, but I have to say that focusing with the Pentax 645n and both (manual) lenses I’ve used with it so far is much easier than focusing with the mamiya 645af and the 80 1.9 (manual) lens. I’ve actually had a lot of people ask me about this specifically, so I thought I’d add that after taking my last two comparison tests, I invested in a modified split-screen focusing screen. I got it off Ebay and put it in myself, and it really has made focusing much more precise when shooting wide open at 1.9! To be completely honest, it took a while for me to get used to the new screen but the first time using it I shot 5 rolls and only had to throw out 2 images due to missed focusing. So I’d say that’s pretty good! It’s made me much more confident when shooting that lens wide open, so if you’re an 80 1.9 user, I definitely recommend it!

I hope you found this series helpful! Ultimately the best way to decide which system is right for you is to go out and shoot! Not only is seeing the results helpful, but also being able to hold the camera in your hand so you get a feel for each system. That way you can really learn what works best for you and your shooting style! I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of my 3 comparison tests, so if you have any comments or personal experiences with these camera bodies & lenses, please let me know in the comments below!

xo

[All images on left taken with a Mamiya 645af + 80 1.9 lens + Fuji 400h + s/d by PhotoVision; all images on right taken with a Pentax 645n + 105 2.4 + Fuji 400h + s/d by PhotoVision]

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