rumor: Pentax 645D Price: $6500 USD

[smoody]

take it for what it's worth, but I hope it's worth its weight in gold...

http://photorumors.com/2010/01/07/pentax-e...d-price-rumors/

[Lacunapratum]

Great news!

[DanielStone]

is that sensor mentioned in the article the same model as the one in the P45+ back from P1?

Pentax has some nice M/F glass too. Just wish that this release could include a 6x7 version too, in their 67II body. damn, that would be sweet!

-Dan

[klane]

I thought it was supposed to be the p40+ sensor?

[pschefz]

somehow this reminds me of the whole ZD fiasco....i hope this turns out to be a contender...and at that price it really could be....

[erick.boileau]

if it is a P45+like  sensor  (with long exposure and Weather sealed) it could be my camera !!

[EricWHiss]

Something tells me the p40+ or p45+ type sensor isn't going into a $6500 camera, but I've been wrong before for example, I never would have predicted America would re-elect "W"    

[erick.boileau]

then a P25+  

[klane]

Yeah, 40 or 45 is unlikely, I guess the 31mp kodak sensor seems much more logical. It's nice to see something new! (ok newish)

[BJL]

is that sensor mentioned in the article the same model as the one in the P45+ back from P1?

I would bet that it uses this new Kodak 40MP one, in the same 44x33mm format that Pentax has been talking about all along but now with the new, improved 6 micron TrueSense pixels:
http://www.kodak.com:80/global/plugins/acr...ductSummary.pdf
If so, it might the first camera using that new Kodak sensor.

Pentax 67 lenses should be usable through the Pentax 645-to-67 adaptor; I se no point putting such a small sensor in an actual 67 body.

[smoody]

I read part of an interview with Pentax's CEO (President? Chairman? someone important) who said that they are focusing all of the effort on the 645D now and it'll be the next camera they ship. Makes perfect sense from a business perspective -- I believe it will be easier to sell a med format camera priced at the same price point as high-end DSLRs than it would be to try to get into the high-end DSLR market and the ensuing feature race. With med format, they can have fewer features, focus on low ISO performance, and have zero competition at that price point, if that is indeed the price point.

[DanielStone]

so if you're looking at this camera seriously,

start buying Pentax 645 lenses RIGHT NOW. cause we all know, when the system ships, and if its good, prices will sky-rocket!

Pentax 67 lenses should be usable through the Pentax 645-to-67 adaptor; I se no point putting such a small sensor in an actual 67 body.

naw, I was thinkin a 6x7 sensor baby! no futzing with 645 anymore, bring out the big guns! 40mp, 6x7 sized sensor(with sensor+ type pixel binning), so making a 10mp 6x7 sensor with ISO 1600? yum.....


will it happen(even in the next few years?), NO... unfortunately... but there would be a 100% chance I would buy it though, even if iso 800 was the highest I could go clean with little or no noise.

but personally, I'd prefer a 6x7 back for my RZ.

-Dan

[Nemo]

More hints.

http://valentinsama.blogspot.com/2010/02/p...d-ahora-si.html

[pcunite]

I have standardized on Canon but I would integrate MFD into my business tomorrow if I could get:

* ISO 200 (binning if necessary)
* Canon 1DM3 LCD screen (yeah I want the 5DII screen but beggars can't be choosy)
* LiveView on the LCD screen. (I will only manually focus)
* 35mm and 50mm prime equivalent. f2.8 in the MFD versions would be fine.

I don't care about megapixels, or shot speed or AF points or anything else because I have already banked on Canon. This is a tripod camera I am talking about here. Funny thing is that no matter what they price these new MFD offerings at... $6K or $60K they have not made my camera...

[smoody]

latest photos (rumored):

http://photorumors.com/2010/02/16/pentax-6...-final-version/

they look a lot like the photos of the prototype cameras.

[fredjeang]

Could it be true this time??!!
Everybody in E-bay for the lenses while they still are bargains.

And they kept the green button!...

Fred.

[BernardLanguillier]

Yeah, 40 or 45 is unlikely, I guess the 31mp kodak sensor seems much more logical. It's nice to see something new! (ok newish)

The rumors in Japan point to around 40MP. Just everybody knows that Canon and Nikon will release soon 30+ megapixels cameras, except for some Pentax 645 film shooters, nobdy would go for the 645D at only 30MP.

If the price point is right, this could be an interesting entry for landscape. It remains to be seen how battery life in cold weather is going to be and whether life view is part of the deal... I'll probably stick to my d3x for now.

Cheers,
Bernard

[archivue]

"nobdy would go for the 645D at only 30MP."

i've bought a 22MP back 6 months after my Canon 22MP... the canon takes dust !

[fredjeang]

..yep, but 22MP was the first rumor and would be quite "disapointing" at this time. I think Bernard is right.

[EricWHiss]

The rumors in Japan point to around 40MP. Just everybody knows that Canon and Nikon will release soon 30+ megapixels cameras, except for some Pentax 645 film shooters, nobdy would go for the 645D at only 30MP.

If the price point is right, this could be an interesting entry for landscape. It remains to be seen how battery life in cold weather is going to be and whether life view is part of the deal... I'll probably stick to my d3x for now.

Cheers,
Bernard

The problem with a 30mp DSLR is that it will suffer from diffraction effects much sooner.  If you like to shoot stopped down for big DOF this will be a problem, and even at equal or less pixels the MF solution will be better and cameras like the pentax could still be an attractive solution.  Don't worry Bernard you could still stitch to your hearts content with any MF camera.