Contax 645 with Kodak DCS Pro Back 645MP-1 Battery Grip and 80mm f/2 Planar LensThe first 30 minutes with a new camera are for me the most telling. Things which later become familiar and routine are fresh and sometimes confusing. But it's during this initial familiarization period that one discovers whatworksand what doesn't, and one develops a sense of how well the camera will suit ones needs. In the case of the Contax 645 I knew right away that I had found a tool with which I would be comfortable and productive.

This is a review of the Contax 645. But not a traditional review. The camera has been on the market for some 4 years and is now well establish among both pros and serious amateurs alike. But the world of film is fading fast, so why review a film camera? The answer is because though medium format film has been eclipsed of late by high-end 35mm digital, there are several medium format digital backs of16-22 Megapixelscoming to market that are reasserting medium format's sup...