The strengths of this camera is its optics, metering (AE Finder II), and design, and of course the price of the system. The lenses are as good as Zeiss lenses. I know that this is a bold thing to say. The six segmented metering system in the optional finder is incredibly accurate in most situations, and I recommend it highly. The new design is incredible over the old. It is easy to handle and not to bad to carry around. Built real solid as well. You can't beat the overall pricing for the system. Medium format camera prices have gone out of control.

Bummer is the slow sync, but I do not do a lot of artificial lighting w/ the Pentax; if I do, then it is studio work and the 30/sec is fine in a controlled enviorment. Like all medium formats it is heavy, and can way you down if you plan on a day of touring. The body redesign from the old has made holding it much easier. The grip was long over due.

I love this camera. The optics are incredible. I use this camera mainly for my own personal art work. It replaced my Hassleblad in that area. I still use the Hassleblad for my commercial gigs that require a lot of "lighting", but I find that I am using the Pentax more often in that area. Prices are much more reasonable than the others. Mainly because of the lenses. Leaf shutters are excellent, but if you don't need that sync up to 500/sec then why pay?

Customer Service

Excellent! I never have had a problem w/ the camera, though. I simply lost the little cover for the pc sync and asked them where I could get another one. They told me that a replacement was not yet available and sent me a similar one from another camera for free.

Similar Products Used:

Hassleblad 500cm (still own), Mamiya RB, variety of twin lens reflexes

I like the ease of use. This camera operates just like my first camera, a Nikon FM2.

The optics are very good. I have three pentax lenses, and all produce excellent results. Perhaps the best thing about this system is the price. Very reasonable in all areas.

In all honesty I have not had any real problems. The shutter does produce a fair amount of vibration, and is VERY loud. The vibration can be cut in half by using the mirror lockup. All lenses sync at 1/30th of a second, except for one which is a true leaf shutter lens, it syncs to 1/500th.

Awsome camera/ system if you are interested in medium format but unable/ unwilling to shell out Hasselblad or Mamiya prices for your hobby.

Similar Products Used:

None

Handles like a big 35mm.Fits much nicer your hands than the old 67.Like all the new improvements. Great for outdoor landscape work. Love the AE finder with dioptic dial.

Wish they would have increased the sync speed to 125. Would have used it more for weddings.

Great camera, would recommend it to anyone. Great format for landscapes. Only wish the sync speed were faster or they would offer more lens with a leaf shutter.

Customer Service

Never used.

Similar Products Used:

Mamiya 645

The camera is easy to master and use. Great to pack in. Strong points of this camera are its optics, metering and design. The lenses are as good.The six segmented metering system in the optional finder is incredibly accurate.I recommend it highly. The new design is a great improvement over the old. It is easy to handle and not to bad to carry around. Built solid as well, I would expect it to be around for a long time to come.

The shutter does produce vibration, and is loud. lenses sync at 1/30th of a second. Slow sync is the worst part of the camera.

I would recomend this as a great camera to start with for medium format. It is a wonderful camera to capture the beauty of Colorado. It is a great buy for the photographer who wants more then the 35mm can offer with the same functions and feel.

Similar Products Used:

Mamiya 645
Canon 35mm EOS
Minolta 35mm
Pentax 35 mm

I have recently upgraded from an older Pentax 67 body. First reason to use medium format is the tremendous sizes to which you can enlarge your negatives. Pictures
remain very sharp up to 24X30 inches.Grain is minimal and tonal gradation is remarquably smooth. The lenses I use are really good (55, 90, 200 and 300 mm SMC Pentax), very sharp and contrasty, and are reasonably priced. Film advance is vastly superior compared to the older
Pentax 67 and the batteries (2CR123) last longer than the puny PX28 of old.
Aperture-priority auto-exposure coupled with matrix-metering are a major advance in ease of handling. Film loading has to be practised to become second-nature (Open the camera back, retract the bottom spindle, break the paper band on your roll of film, insert the top end of the spool first making sure the slot matches the upper guide, push the bottom end into place and turn the roll slightly with your fingers until it falls into place, extend the film leader to the empty spool and thread it carefully and voila! it's done. It takes more time to describe it than to do it and this becomes automatic with time.)

The complete kit (one 67 II body, four lenses, accessories, film plus Manfrotto 028 tripod) weighs close to 40 pounds.

You need to use a tripod with this camera to really exploit its imaging potential (small apertures and mirror lock-up).

Viewfinder error seems to be all concentrated in the upper portion of the screen, so you have to be careful with possible intrusions in your picture.

Other than that I can find no fault with this system considering the quality and enlargeability of the resulting pictures.

The Pentax 67 II is a camera for the serious artisan who is ready to invest the time and the effort to achieve the ultimate picture. Its use requires dedication and perseverance. 35 mm photography is a breeze compared to medium format. The difference resides essentially in the degree of enlargement you pursue.

Customer Service

Never needed with this particular body.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta MD system (5 bodies including an XE-7, an XD-11 and three X-700 plus 16 lenses ranging from a 16 mm fisheye to a 500 mm RF Rokkor-X).

Pentax Z1-p with 2 FA zooms.

10 years experience with an older Pentax 67 body.

Have tried various other makes over the years (Nikon 801, Pentax P-3 and P-5, Olympus OM-1, Bronica GS-1, etc)

Cheap price lens, but provide good quality stuffs. Wide range of lens available even in secondhand market.

Heavy, makes me hesitate to carry for outdoor activity like oversea travelling.
One body and three lens at least over 3kg weight.

If you are not strong, think twice to carry P67 coz its own body weight is already over 1700g. However, the body already provide all the user friendly and necessary functions, good feeling handles, clear AE and information finder, makes me to use it without reading the I/B. The body is economic, very solid and strong, so I never don't need to handle it with care. Lens are cheap in price compared with Rollei, but provide excellent images, excellent flare control and sharpness. Handheld shooting may be a problem coz of great mirror vibration, not significant even up 200mm at 1/90sec. The body users CR123 batteries which is easily available in shops, unlike 6008 need to buy specific chargable batteries, less convenient when travelling.
In conclusion, P67II seems the best choice for 67 format outdoor photography, but still be careful with its weight.

Customer Service

reliable body, so no experience of malfunction

Similar Products Used:

Rollei 6008, Mamiya 645ro, Pentax 645N