Originally posted by Fogel70 Most other (maybe all) MF manufacturer do only develop MF cameras, so all R&D cost has to be covered when they sell limited numbers of MF cameras.
Pentax has the advantage of re-using many things developed for APS-C on 645D, so they do not have as high R&D cost to be covered by 645D sales.
Mamiya and Contax(now dead, but still works with digital) both had other cameras, and the Mamiyas/Phase bodies have changed very little. The majority of the expense is the backs and because it's basically a pro only market. I'd say Pentax probably had more R&D than Mamiya does, but Mamiya probably has a better support network; I wouldn't know for sure though.
Originally posted by Fogel70 For Pentax to design a RF will probably take a big hit on R&D budget, but to implement EVF will not cost much in R&D, especially as they already has experience from live-view.
I'd be willing to pay as much as a K-5, for example. I wouldn't see it as a replacement, but an alternative for someone with an SLR that doesn't want to carry an SLR all the time. EVF is still not mature, otherwise we wouldn't still see glass penta-prisms in high end cameras. Anyway, like I said, I wouldn't make a good business man.