If you’re reading this out of interest for the camera, I guess you already know it’s main characteristics, so I won’t bother with those details and get straight to my experience on using it. Actually, I got this camera primarily for astrophotography, so that’s why I went for the NII version – the mirror lock-up (MLU) option. Yes, for me, it is worth it. The mirror is big and it really clunks when taking a shot, so while using the camera with my 670 mm focal length telescope, the MLU is essential. The shutter itself makes no vibration. I can confirm this because I was autoguiding the setup with a separate camera so it showed a lot of movement when the mirror went up. For normal use, the 645 N will most likely be fine. If you want to use it with longer focal legth lenses, just make sure you have a really sturdy tripod.
But I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself. I got a really nice unit from Ebay, in great shape. I was intrigued by it’s unusual looks and the “fancy” stuff – autofocus, automatic metering and motorised film winding, things I haven’t even thought about in medium format film. Of course I first wanted to try it for some regular photos and compare it to the Rolleiflex and 6×6 format that I use very often. I must say the experience of using it was very captivating from the start.
Yes, it does look great in person, yes, it is very cool to grip it by that handle and yes, that handle is useful! Pride of ownership – 11 out of 10! I am the type of photographer that enjoys using a camera just because it’s a nice piece of gear. I’m not ashamed to admit it, often the feeling of using a camera I like gives me the motivation to start taking photos (…again?).
And so I shot through three rolls of film, Kentmere 400, Ilford Delta 400 and HP5+. It was, of course, a completely different experience than my Rolleiflex but I did not expect it would be so drastic. It does feel like an oversized SLR, but due to it’s shape the handling is a bit different. And looking through the viewfinder is much more immersive than any 35 mm format SLR. This was amplified by the fact I was using it with the 150 mm f/2.8 Takumar. I used the 6×7 version of the lens (with an adapter, it was the only lens I had) so the whole thing was very heavy. It quickly becomes hard to hold while waiting for the street scene to present itself as intended.
Shooting with 645 NII was very enjoyable and quick due to the light metering prism and auto exposure. Perhaps even too much – a few times I completely forgot I was shooting with heavy gear and 150 mm focal length so the photos turned out blurry. Viewfinder is nice and bright, very easy to focus. The focus confirmation dot in the viewfinder is nice but sometimes distracting – it takes your eye away from the center focusing microprism.
I liked the 150 mm focal length so much, I just had to get the dedicated 645 version! It’s much more covenient – smaller, lighter and has a retractable lens shade. Take a look at both, side by side, what a difference!
I really love how the camera imprints shooting information off the edge of the frame. It’s very useful and there’s a lot of information there, too. Here’s an example (I did not bother with cleaning dust and post processing, the scene lacks something to make it really interesting):
Carrying the camera around is not much different than a regural pro (D)SLR with a quality zoom lens. The body is a little heavy, but 645 prime lens I’ve got is not that much, so it kind of turns out the same as with a lighter body and heavier pro zoom lens. I definitely plan on getting the 75 mm, preferably FA (with autofocus).
Finally, here’s a selection of photos from those three rolls, all taken in Zagreb, Croatia. Notice the first photo, it seems I always take the same framing from this viewpoint Well I can’t help it, I like it so much. Notice the night photo with the streetlight and a tree in shadow – I took this from my apartment window, several seconds exposure on a tripod. Nice and sharp. Photos of fog were made with HP5+. I always enjoy walking though my city in fog, but until now I was only using the square format of my Rolleiflex. This is a very welcome change, especially as I can use a longer focal length. It really opened up a new perspective on using medium format film.
I hope you like the photos…the only thing left is to say I highly recommend this camera!
