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Does autofocus really work in a medium-format SLR camera?
From its inception, the Pentax 645 has never been a derivative design. While other SLR makers using this format have based their cameras on the Hasselblad concept-a basic box with interchangeable film magazines on the back and switchable finders on top-Pentax aimed at something more akin to an upsized 35mm SLR with a fixed eye-level pentaprism (using a Keplerian telescopic finder to provide a bright viewing image while getting the eyepiece sufficiently far back for comfortable viewing), interchangeable film inserts rather than magazines with darkslides, integral handgrip, and a vertical-run, cloth focal-plane shutter.
Given this innovative thrust, and Pentax's long experience in making both autofocus 35mm SLRs and manual-focus mediumformat SLRs in both 6x4.5 and 6x7 sizes, it hardly comes as a surprise that this company would produce the world's first autofocus medium-format SLR, the Pentax 645N. What is astounding is just how well Pentax has integrated autofocus into the basic Pentax 645 body while preserving its appealing character, at the same time significantly upgrading its controls and general ergonomics. Unlike most other "first of its kind" cameras, the 645N, has few, if any, rough edges, and if its AF system could magically be removed, it would still be a noticeably improved camera compared to the current manual-focus Pentax 645, which remains in the line. When we first reported on the Pentax 645N back in January'98 ("First Look," page 37) we provided a detailed point-by-point comparison between the manual-focus Pentax 645 and the new autofocus 645N. Rather than repeat that material here, suffice it to say that, in addition to autofocus, the improvements in the 645N are: large, easy-toread-and-set, top-mounted shutter-speed and exposure-compensation dials; meter pattern and autobracketing controls in place of the 645's computer-style input buttons (and no autobracketing); more (and more legible) in-finder readouts; and a more comfortable handgrip. As you would expect, lenses are interchangeable between the two models. Of course, autofocus Pentax-FA lenses must be manually focused on the Pentax 645, and manual-focus A-series Pentax lenses won't autofocus on the 645N, but they will provide focus confirmation via the focus-OK icon in the finder. Separate film inserts for 120, 220, and 70mm film are interchangeable between the two cameras.
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