A few years ago, I shared that I strive to use my Pentax 645N II camera system as much as possible for wild horse photography. It is an incredibly challenging endeavor, and my “keeper rate” is not particularly high. However, when everything comes together, the resulting prints are profoundly emotional and convey the precise ideas and intentions I work so diligently to achieve.
The first print I share below captures a stallion standing near the river on a cold and dark winter morning—a moment etched in my memory forever. At the time of this exposure, I had been following this stallion for nearly five years, yet I had never been able to get close enough to create an image like this. This photograph is among my best prints, as it powerfully conveys his strong and bold physical presence while showcasing the dramatic environment that defines his world.
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I have recently received many questions about my thoughts on the Pentax 645N vs. 645N II, so I decided to write this article and share the main differences.
I wish you and your family a happy, safe, healthy new year in 2025. Let’s start the new year by discussing something most people would advise is impossible or, at the very least, not a great idea! Wild horse photography using a 25-year-old medium format auto-focus camera that, by today’s standards, is a paperweight. But somehow, I keep making incredible images and silver gelatin prints… 🙂
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The Pentax 645NII camera system is ideal for my wild horse photography due to its exceptional balance of image quality, portability, and functionality. Its medium-format film delivers outstanding detail and dynamic range. Its lightweight design and built-in features like autofocus and a light meter enable quick and efficient shooting in dynamic, unpredictable environments. With the ability to use versatile telephoto lenses and shoot multiple exposures per roll, the 645NII streamlines the workflow compared to larger formats, allowing you to focus on capturing the beauty and spontaneity of wild horses in the field.
645 film (56 x 41.5mm) has 2.6 times the area of full-frame 35mm (36 x 24mm), or a 0.62 crop factor.
I am using the following lenses for my wild horse photography:
- SMC Pentax FA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] (most used lens)
- SMC Pentax-FA 645 33–55mm f/4.5 AL
- SMC Pentax-FA 645 45–85mm f/4.5
- SMC Pentax-FA 645 80–160mm f/4.5
- SMC Pentax-FA 645 150–300mm f/5.6 ED [IF]
645 to 35mm Lens Equivalent Chart
| 645 Lens | 35mm Equivalent |
| 35mm | 21mm |
| 45mm | 28mm |
| 55mm | 35mm |
| 75mm | 45mm |
| 80mm | 50mm |
| 120mm | 75mm |
| 135mm | 85mm |
| 140mm | 87mm |
| 150mm | 90mm |
| 200mm | 125mm |
| 300mm | 180mm |
| 400mm | 250mm |
| 600mm | 375mm |
645N vs. 645N II
Several people emailed me asking about the differences between the 645N and 645N II, so I created this quick summary to help illustrate the main differences.
The Pentax 645N and 645NII are both advanced medium-format SLR cameras, with the 645NII introducing several enhancements over the 645N:
Mirror Lock-Up (MLU): The 645NII features a mirror lock-up function, allowing the mirror to be raised before exposure to minimize camera shake—a valuable addition for long-exposure photography. The 645N lacks this feature.
Shutter Speed Increments: The 645NII allows shutter speed adjustments in 0.5-stop increments, providing finer control over exposure settings. The 645N offers full-stop adjustments. This feature is very important for me since I am limited to ISO 200 (HP5 film) and often work in challenging low-light conditions.
Exposure Compensation and Bracketing Steps: Both the 645N and 645NII offer 1/3 stop increments for exposure compensation and bracketing. The 645Nii additionally allows setting the increment to 1/2 stop (instead of 1/3 stop)
Custom Functions: The 645NII introduces 10 customizable functions, allowing photographers to tailor camera settings to their preferences. These functions include imprinting characters on negatives, setting shutter speed steps, and adjusting the metering timer.
Data Imprinting: Both models can imprint exposure data on the film edge; however, the 645NII offers additional information and a smaller character size for the imprinted data. I love knowing what focal length and aperture I used for each exposure.
Self-Timer Delay: The 645NII provides a customizable self-timer delay, allowing users to set the delay time to 12 seconds or 2 seconds, whereas the 645N has a fixed delay time.
Metering Timer Duration: The 645NII allows users to set the metering timer duration to 10, 20, or 30 seconds, offering flexibility in exposure measurement.
Finish and Aesthetics: The 645NII features a new exterior finish, providing a different tactile feel and appearance compared to the 645N. I find the 645N II feels better in my hands in the field.
While both cameras share core functionalities, the 645NII offers additional features and refinements that enhance user control and customization. These may or may not be important for your scenario, but now you know the main differences and can make an informed decision.
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One of my bigger regrets of recent years is selling off my Pentax 645 (manual focus) kit. Some of my favorite shots were made with that camera and the 45, 75 and 150mm lenses I had for it. As much as I’m leaning into 4×5 these days, the Pentax was hard to beat for more dynamic situations. Like the shot of Bear Mountain near Tehachapi, California which was taken hanging out the passenger window of a rental car at 60mph in a situation where stopping wasn’t an option. It’s one of my favorite images I’ve ever taken, in fact, and made a quite lovely 11×14 print (and I could go larger, but at the time didn’t have any means to in the darkroom).
It would have been a difficult shot to catch with most other film cameras larger than 35mm and as much as I enjoy my Canon New F-1, the Pentax 645 kit was neither significantly larger nor heavier than the equivalent motor-driven F-1, but the negative was so much bigger.
Also shot an air show with it; having several inserts all pre-loaded made film changing a breeze, it’s actually faster than rewinding and reloading on a 35mm camera.
Hi Paul, thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. We have all sold things and later regretted it… I have done that quite a few times. Maybe consider waching for another 645 in the future. I had originally bought the 645N when it was brand new and then I sold it a few years ago and replaced with with the NII and kept all the same lenses. The differences were not that significant for my use case, but I was thinking about longevity with the NII being newer. Stay in touch.
Tim, thanks for sharing this post about how you use a MF camera in the field. I seem to recall at some point you were using a 35mm for the horse images (an F6 perhaps?), but I can certainly understand why the MF would yield an enhanced experience. Did you do this handheld or on a tripod? I have a Hassy 500CM and have had some success with photographing live subjects on the move, but your camera has the advantage of AF. Regarding the development, you omitted the development time for the developer you chose. I have been experimenting with FA-1027 with HP5 and to my eye the negatives and prints are a bit smoother in tonal changes than D76. Never tried the HC110. What do you think?
Hi Marvin, you are correct on the F6. I still have it and use it at times. I always have it with me in the field with the longer 600mm F4 prime lens because that is not an option with the 645 system. I am doing handheld on both systems. I keep a monopod with me and try and use it if possible, but it is rare that I get the opportunity. I mostly use it as a hiking pole. The AF on the 645 NII was the deciding factor for the wild horses. I have used my Pentax 67II for the horses, but the keeper rate is much higher with the 645 and the AF. I have really tried to simplify development with all of my formats and I use HC110-B about 90% of the time except for X-Ray film where I use D-23 1+3. I will use D-23 divided if I were using FP4 in a high contrast scene, but that is not very often that happens. I use HP5 for those scenarios, but every once in a while I will have used up all my sheets and the only choice I have is FP4.
WHEN in the my youth I told my great uncle Albert (a pretty serious shutterbug) that my dream was to own a Kowa 6, he snorted and and announced that I should “wait a couple years and then I could pick up a used one for five bucks and a half pint of Kentucky bourbon”. I remained unconvinced that medium format was a thing of the past, and it’s still my go-to, sixty years after I was running my Yashica-D shutter hot on the high school yearbook staff. (I still have it, and many others)…but no Pentax. Now you have me looking on Ebay again.
Hi, thanks for reading and commenting. I appreciate it. I think if you end up with a Pentax 645N or the NII, you will be very happy.