k-x already old news ... time to get ready for the 645D

[monkeygod]

http://www.pdngearguide.com/gearguide/content_display/news/e3i0d52172227325f2838abf75dfaea4790

"We've started development and the plan right now is to have it released by Spring 2010," said Neil Bunnell, president of Pentax Imaging (USA) at a press event this week ...

... Specs for the camera are also pretty scarce at this point: Pentax will only say that the new model with have 30 megapixels of resolution. In March, Pentax also announced it would release a smc PENTAX-D FA645 55mm F2.8 to go with the new 645-format camera.

LOL - still have to wait a while ... and will probably be out of reach for many of us ;p

have to say though - the mockup looks pretty fugly makes it easier to resist reaching for my wallet!

 

[Tachyon]

Hmm... I wonder if it can use the exiting DA/FA lenses?

 

[creampuff]

have to say though - the mockup looks pretty fugly makes it easier to resist reaching for my wallet!

Are you even familiar, much less handled a medium format camera?
If you have, you won't find the design "fugly" at all... :sticktong

Hmm... I wonder if it can use the exiting DA/FA lenses?

Short answer is NO. The image circle would be too small to cover the larger sensor.

 

[Lomographer]

http://www.pdngearguide.com/gearguide/content_display/news/e3i0d52172227325f2838abf75dfaea4790

"We've started development and the plan right now is to have it released by Spring 2010," said Neil Bunnell, president of Pentax Imaging (USA) at a press event this week ...

... Specs for the camera are also pretty scarce at this point: Pentax will only say that the new model with have 30 megapixels of resolution. In March, Pentax also announced it would release a smc PENTAX-D FA645 55mm F2.8 to go with the new 645-format camera.

LOL - still have to wait a while ... and will probably be out of reach for many of us ;p

have to say though - the mockup looks pretty fugly makes it easier to resist reaching for my wallet!

that design is already very nice, compact. resembles on that of an SLR but a lil' bigger in size due to the larger 30x45 sensor (MF)

wow, pentax looks very competitive again.

 

[nightwolf75]

http://www.pdngearguide.com/gearguide/content_display/news/e3i0d52172227325f2838abf75dfaea4790

"We've started development and the plan right now is to have it released by Spring 2010," said Neil Bunnell, president of Pentax Imaging (USA) at a press event this week ...

... Specs for the camera are also pretty scarce at this point: Pentax will only say that the new model with have 30 megapixels of resolution. In March, Pentax also announced it would release a smc PENTAX-D FA645 55mm F2.8 to go with the new 645-format camera.

LOL - still have to wait a while ... and will probably be out of reach for many of us ;p

have to say though - the mockup looks pretty fugly makes it easier to resist reaching for my wallet!

hmm.. u obviously haven't seen the pentax 645 film MF camera b4, rite? this mock-up is based on the existing body, just with nicer curves.

 

[night86mare]

not ugly at all!

but can't afford it either.

 

[banana0ne]

30 MP?? It surely would need a supercomputer to edit those pictures

I really would say that the old 645 is way cooler with hardwood handle than this actually. At any point be prepared for the price. medium format is not for the fainted heart...

 

[monkeygod]

well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder

i've used hasselblad MF cams before - not attractive either, but to my eye, the mock up of the 645D looks a bit misshapen somehow.

in any case, lets reserve comments on looks until the real deal shows up

and yeah 30 MP will be a bigger mouthful than my laptop can handle ... mind you if i had the cash to blow on a MF rig, i suspect a powerful enough desktop wouldn't be that much more on top (relatively speaking)

 

[creampuff]

Nevermind, still got time to save for Pentax's digital medium format... maybe can sell your car, sell a kidney or eat bread and water for a year. :bigeyes:

 

[banana0ne]

645D is made with one thing in mind, to take really-really good high def pictures, and not as a fashion accessory. So looks ain't really that important as long as it is comfortable to work with. Let be k-x (which is more focused on consumers) do this job.

 

[flipfreak]

it will be important to see the price point of the camera vs the other brands in the market now as well as the sensor performance. also have to see how fast pentax comes out with lenses for the camera and compatibility with legacy 645N lenses. what is most important is the price since the camera does not allow users to have interchangeability like the other models. have to assume pentax is able to lower the cost by alot in this manner. on adorama right now, hassy and mamiya 30-40mp back cameras range from USD15k-20k. can pentax do sub 10k?

 

[alanswan]

I wouldn't really call it misshapen.
Though it looks odd somewhat.
A cross-breed between a medium format and dslr.
Gonna miss the knobs on the side.
And will they be releasing right-angle view finders too?

 

[Tachyon]

Having owned cameras from a few brands, I must say Pentax lenses are amongst the lowest priced. Buying a Complete H3DII System for S$24,000 is only the beginning. When I looked at the price of the 35-90mm zoom lens (USD7,000), I almost wanted to throw up! Therefore, I'm excited by this new offering from Pentax, if it materializes...

The Complete Mamiya 645ZDb Digital SLR System is already selling sub-USD10K at USD7,400. And that's with the Leaf 22-MP digital back included. If Pentax wants to re-enter into the game, it would need to offer sub-USD5k for the entire system, or at least match the Mamiya 645ZDb at 30-MP.

Sorry, I'm drooling already...;p

 

[flipfreak]

Having owned cameras from a few brands, I must say Pentax lenses are amongst the lowest priced. Buying a Complete H3DII System for S$24,000 is only the beginning. When I looked at the price of the 35-90mm zoom lens (USD7,000), I almost wanted to throw up! Therefore, I'm excited by this new offering from Pentax, if it materializes...

The Complete Mamiya 645ZDb Digital SLR System is already selling sub-USD10K at USD7,400. And that's with the Leaf 22-MP digital back included. If Pentax wants to re-enter into the game, it would need to offer sub-USD5k for the entire system, or at least match the Mamiya 645ZDb at 30-MP.

Sorry, I'm drooling already...;p

sub 5k will be amazing. i think serious landscape enthusiasts will be moved to try it.

 

[dnaxe]

sub 5k will be amazing. i think serious landscape enthusiasts will be moved to try it.

Hoping for sub-5k is unrealistic (looking at comparative pricing). Sub-10k USD is probably possible... But to be realistic, perhaps something like 50% of the Leica S2? (Which turns out to be around USD 10k)

 

[flipfreak]

Hoping for sub-5k is unrealistic (looking at comparative pricing). Sub-10k USD is probably possible... But to be realistic, perhaps something like 50% of the Leica S2? (Which turns out to be around USD 10k)

then it will have to go against the mamiya.

 

[dnaxe]

Well, assuming that it has a sensor the same size as 645 film that shouldn't be a problem? Or you reckon it's impossible that the sensor will be that large?

 

[creampuff]

I do hope that Pentax can have a CMOS rather than a CCD sensor (which is the norm with current digital medium format cameras).

 

[flipfreak]

Well, assuming that it has a sensor the same size as 645 film that shouldn't be a problem? Or you reckon it's impossible that the sensor will be that large?

its possible. some of the digital backs have full frames already. i am not sure about the 645D because i havent been looking hard enough for the specs. but currently, only the top of the line backs has something that is close to being a full frame sensor. is pentax able to do it? i doubt so if they want to offer a value proposition which has been their strength.

 

[dnaxe]

36*48 booo.