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Today I want to continue with another comparison test using the Mamiya 645af and the Pentax 645n. And if you haven’t already checked out my last post, comparing the Mamiya 645af with the 80mm 1.9 lens vs. the Pentax 645n with the 75mm 2.8 lens, you can SEE IT HERE!
When I first got my Mamiya 645af it came along with the 80mm 2.8 lens, which has served me well! It is a beautiful lens and I have gotten great use out of it. Then when I picked up my Pentax 645n it also came along with a lens–the 75mm 2.8. Since both lenses are very similar in specs and focal distance, I wanted to see how they measured up to each other. So without further ado, here are the images from my test shots with both camera bodies & lenses, side-by-side. All images on left were taken with the Mamiya 645af with the 80mm 2.8 lens; All images on right were taken with the Pentax 645n with the 75mm 2.8 lens. I shot fuji400h for both and all film was processed by PhotoVision to keep everything as consistent as possible!
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You can see the results are very similar! In fact I really feel like the difference in depth of field and bokeh is negligible since they are so similar. To me the biggest difference was in the color rendition. The Mamiya produced images that were a bit more magenta in tint, while the Pentax produced images that were a little more green in tint. These images above have all been edited, but you can still see the difference in coloring in some of them.
Because I felt these two systems + bodies were so alike, I initially decided to stick with the Mamiya and upgrade to the 80mm 1.9 lens. But then after doing some research more into what lenses the Pentax system has to offer, I wanted to see how the Pentax 105mm 2.4 lens stacked up against the Mamiya 80mm 1.9 lens. That will be my next comparison post so stay tuned!
xo
[Images on left taken with Mamiya 645af + 80mm 2.8 lens + fuji400h + processed by PhotoVision; Images on right taken with Pentax 645n + 75mm 2.8 lens + fuji400h + processed by PhotoVision]
This is wonderful! I loved your last comparison, too! Can’t wait to see what you do with the Pentax 645n and 105 2.4 combo — that’s my go-to!
Thanks for a great comparison!
I´m looking forward to seeing the 105 2.4 against the 80 1.9. I am just about to trade a Mamiya 645 pro with 80 1.9 against a pentax 6×7 with 105 2.4. I hope that I wont regret it after seeing the comparison.
Honestly, both are great lenses! But I plan to have the next comparison up in the next few weeks!
Thanks for this.
Your plan to compare the 80mm f1.9 vs 105mm f2.4 is a fair test of bokeh/dof, as they have essentially the same linear aperture, but the compositions won’t be similar. (I am assuming you mean to test both on 645 format).
You should also compare the Mamiya 110mm f2.8 against the Pentax 105mm f2.4 – much closer focal lengths than 80mm vs 105mm and hence delivering much the same composition.
That is a good point since I am shooting both on a 645 format. But I am more concerned/interested in seeing the comparison of depth of field and bokeh between the two lenses, so it works well for my purposes. I hope to have the post up in the next few weeks!
Love these comparisons! When are you hoping to post the next? I’m looking into purchasing soon and this may sway my decision :)
Thanks for your comment! I should have my scans back from the comparison test of the 80 1.9 and 105 2.4 next week, so I plan to have the blog post up soon after that!
Love this comparison!! I’ve been contemplating purchasing a Mamiya due to the fact that it renders closley to the Contax (IMO). I’ve heard tons of complaints about not being able to focus with it though. Do you have a focusing screen? What are the keys to locking in a sharp focus when shooting wide open with it?
Can’t wait to see your comparison of the 80 1.9 v 105 2.4!
Hi Jessie! Thanks for your comment! I’ve had a lot of people ask me this exact question and it’s true, focusing was much harder when shooting wipe open. But after I did these comparison shoots I invested in a modified split-screen focusing screen which has drastically improved my precision when it comes to focusing! My last session I shot 5 rolls and only threw out 2 photos due to miss focus — so that’s pretty good, in my opinion! I found one on ebay for about $75. I hope that helps!
That’s great to hear about the focusing screen! I will have to look into that. Thank you for the tip!
[…] 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]. […]
I so appreciate this post as am thinking of transitioning to film soon. The images are stunning and I hope to attain this level soon. Looks like Pentax will be my first try- save a buck or two!!
I’m glad you found it helpful! You will love film!
Thanks for the work you’ve done!
Hello, I just bumped into your page and loved it! I specially love that you do side by side comparison of the lenses. I’d debating getting a Mamiya 645 Super and it comes with a 80mm F2.8 but I was wondering… should I hold out for a 80mm 1.9? I LOVE bokeh! So I am torn…
Thank you for your input! Cheers!!!!!
Hi Janet, the 80 2.8 is a great lens! I used it for almost a year before upgrading to the 80 1.9, and it really helped me get a feel for my Mamiya. So I would say you can’t go wrong with either! xo
Absolutely love your articles. I’m on the market to purchase a MF film camera and your website is one of the few that has great information for wedding photographers. Thank you so much!
Hi! I have a Pentax 645N and have the 105mm 2.4 lens with an adapter. I was wondering if you ever ended up doing a comparison with this lens?? I was looking for it and couldn’t find it. I have heard that this lens is coveted, but honestly, I feel like the focal length is too tight for me. I hate having to stand so far away and on wedding days, I often am limited with space and can’t get the shots I want with this lens. I am interested to see your review on this!! I know this is an older post, so I wasn’t sure if I was just missing it. Thanks!!
Hi Callie! I know this blog is from several years ago, but I was wondering what film combo you currently shoot with? And your favorites for weddings :) Thanks!
Hi! I still have all 3 systems but I shoot 99% of the time with my Mamiya 645af and the 80 2.8 lens! For several years I used the 80 1.9 lens, but I ultimately went back to the 2.8 because I really need the quick autofocus. And while I do love the Pentax and Contax, the Mamiya is a workhorse and never fails me! The Contax is finicky and seems to always need a battery change at the most inconvenient time, and the Pentax is loud and the color rendering doesn’t match as easily with my editing preferences. I hope that helps!! (I really need to update this blog post with more recent photos because these are so old but I hope they are still helpful!!)