[gazonk]

The automatic translators have a hard time with the presumably formal/polite Japanese in this announcement, but I think they say that release is delayed from May 20th to June 11th because customer demand has exceeded expectations:

??????????????PENTAX 645D????????????????PENTAX

[wlachan]

Not a bad news I guess. It is funny how they miscalculated the market demand so often.

[dangie]

Or even funnier..(not).. how they miscalculate release dates so often.

[thibs]

You both are so funny indeed.

[wlachan]

Nothing wrong to be funny.

[lithos]

Not a bad news I guess. It is funny how they miscalculated the market demand so often.

It wouldn't be Pentax if they didn't misunderstand the consumers a little bit.

"Meh, it's a 40 megapixel medium format camera that sells for less than a Nikon D3x. No one's gonna want this thing."

[RMabo]

I believe a bit of clarification is needed.
Pentax has pushed forward the release date - when the camera will be out in the shops - because they needs time making more 645D's so they builds up an inventory, a stock, to meet the demand. It is in production!

Same thing happened with the K10D and the DA Star 16-50 by the way...

[gazonk]

I believe a bit of clarification is needed.
Pentax has pushed forward the release date - when the camera will be out in the shops - because they needs time making more 645D's so they builds up an inventory, a stock, to meet the demand. It is in production!

Sure it's in production - after all we're talking about a delay of only 3 weeks.

[omega leader]

3 weeks will give them an additional production of about 375 units (500/month).

I don't really see how this will help. Unless they production rate is significantly higher than initial stated.

[ogl]

3 weeks will give them an additional production of about 375 units (500/month).

I don't really see how this will help. Unless they production rate is significantly higher than initial stated.

Pentax could start to produce 645D from December, 2009, for example.

[Pål Jensen]

3 weeks will give them an additional production of about 375 units (500/month).

I don't really see how this will help. Unless they production rate is significantly higher than initial stated.

My guess is that the 500 units a month were conservative numbers; a worst case scenario number to be on the safe side. Pentax may have doubled the volume...

[ghelary]

My guess is that the 500 units a month were conservative numbers; a worst case scenario number to be on the safe side. Pentax may have doubled the volume...

That would be very good news. The higher the number of 645D sold, the more effort Hoya/Pentax will put in the system. I think everybody here would like to see things like a CMOS 645D or 60Mpx FF 645D.

The downside of it would be that it would push further in the future a 35mm "FF" DSLR. (I don't really care personnaly, if I can get get an "affordable" digital MF)

Guillaume

[Blue]

Sure it's in production - after all we're talking about a delay of only 3 weeks.

3 weeks plus 3 years does make this short delay seem trivial.

Edit: They may be going back through assembled units and updating firmware, waiting on kit lenses or something.

[Samsungian]

3 years late ? Make that 5 years 2 months late

Some 62 months has passed since 645D was first announced...


Here's the March 15th 2005 645D Pentax USA announcement


Pentax 645 Digital, 18.6 megapixel: Digital Photography Review

[Blue]

3 years late ? Make that 5 years 2 months late

Some 62 months has passed since 645D was first announced...


Here's the March 15th 2005 645D Pentax USA announcement


Pentax 645 Digital, 18.6 megapixel: Digital Photography Review

Notice, I didn't say unveiling of the 645D. That was just the unveiling of the prototype. Over the past 50 years, Asahi/Pentax has unveiled interesting proto types that never went into production, both cameras and lenses. The trend under Hoya is to not show prototypes. Given the fast pace of todays R&D, that's probably a good strategy.