Lea wrote -- >>>The only downside is that backs can not be switched. That never mattered to me but it may to you.<<< The Pentax has other parameters one may want to consider: Fixed prism. This lowers the cost (well, makes more profit for Pentax), but it keeps the user locked in to prism viewing (as with most 35mms), precluding the use of waist-level finders, etc. [ Removable backs are quite important, if not required, in order to practice the Zone System to its full potential, using B&W. For Ansel Adams' last decades, he used a Hasselblad to great advantage, with one back as N, one as N+1, and one as N-1. ] Having said all that, the Pentax 645 is an excellent camera with a proven record. It has seen action everywhere. I have a friend who took his to Antartica, and had nothing but praise for it. Look at the work of Robert Ketchum, who routinely takes it to remote wilderness locations and btw, produces magnificent, large prints. IMO.....the most significant shortcoming of the Pentax 645 for the average pro is its 1/60th flash synch speed. If you plan on doing a lot of outdoor fill-flash....this is a serious limitation. A leaf-shutter type camera (with their 1/500th synch) will be far more flexible, and provide more fill-reach for a given BCPS flash output. --- Luis Ps. If you look at 35mm systems, you will see that as you go up the price ladder within a given system, the flash synch speed gets faster. This is not by coincidence.
