[babywriter]

I ran across this article today:

This is why the Pentax 645Z DxOMark score of 101 was never published: Digital Photography Review

Interesting - it sounds like DxOMark is circling back to medium format reviews, and that the 645Z review will be a good one.

[Adam]

Nice to know the real reason for why the score wasn't published

[LensBeginner]

Nice to know the real reason for why the score wasn't published

if it's the real reason, because it still smells like Bos taurus manure...

[Adam]

if it's the real reason, because it still smells like Bos taurus manure...

In either case, they're a day late because we're probably going to see the 645Z's successor soon. 3.5 years into the product cycle now!

Adam
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[LensBeginner]

In either case, they're a day late because we're probably going to see the 645Z's successor soon. 3.5 years into the product cycle now!

That's why I think they released it now, it's almost harmless for the competitors.

[biz-engineer]

Wondering if we are all naive to some degree. DXO run a business and have to pay people. 645z got not time because in business everything is a matter of priority and what pays more gets priority 1.

[LensBeginner]

Wondering if we are all naive to some degree. DXO run a business and have to pay people. 645z got not time because in business everything is a matter of priority and what pays more gets priority 1.

That's not entirely true, because they alloted the time and resources to test it, they even had a final score.

What I don't condone is not being straightforward about it. Just say it, yes, we get money from the brands we review. People would still ignore that and read them.

There still are people thinking that a speedbooster can somehow create light from, I don't know, black matter, dark magic, unobtanium... so why wonder about people's naivety...

[Paul the Sunman]

In either case, they're a day late because we're probably going to see the 645Z's successor soon. 3.5 years into the product cycle now!

Wow, that's confidence Adam! What makes you so sure Pentax will continue the 645 family? Recent much more compact mirrorless MF makes me wonder whether the large Pentax 645 model has a future.

In any case, which sensor would they have access to?

[Adam]

Wow, that's confidence Adam! What makes you so sure Pentax will continue the 645 family? Recent much more compact mirrorless MF makes me wonder whether the large Pentax 645 model has a future.

In any case, which sensor would they have access to?

Those would be questions for them to answer. But remember that Fuji are the guys playing catch-up, whereas Pentax pioneered the whole cheap MF idea and reception-wise they're definitely doing great.

[clickclick]

After reading the above two posts, I can't help but wonder if there is significance to Adorama advertising what looks like a closeout on the 645Z Advantage Platinum Program:

Pentax 645Z Advantage Platinum Program RICOHPENTAXADV

[leekil]

Well, this recent price drop is the second significant drop for the camera; aren't there usually just the one? Maybe that is being interpreted (by Adorama as well as anyone else) as a sign that it is being replaced.

[biz-engineer]

The same camera retested a few years later should now score more than 101, caused by DXO scores being tied to the USD.

[JPT]

I think DXO score can be a useful reference, even if their importance is overstated. However, they can’t be of use to anyone if they aren’t published, so this has me questioning their judgement and ethics.

The other thing that I thought was ridiculous was a previous case when they stated they were testing the sensor performance itself, so multi-shot modes like Olympus and Pentax were not measured. But when it came to measuring their own camera, the DXO One, they reported the single shot and multi-shot modes to make it look like it was as good as competitors’ APS-C models.

[swanlefitte]

Can someone explain how the sigma 18-35 can have a t score of: 1.8 on d90, 2 on d5300, and 2.3 on d500, and d200 1.9? Is this cell walls?

[fredralphfred]

Wow, that's confidence Adam! What makes you so sure Pentax will continue the 645 family? Recent much more compact mirrorless MF makes me wonder whether the large Pentax 645 model has a future.

In any case, which sensor would they have access to?

If anything, more MF models (compact or not) would mean more sensor availability. Where does everyone else get their sensor? Most manufacturers that make sensors (even if they also make cameras) sell the sensors separately because it's so expensive to develop them. And I think that Pentax has a much better chance than most for the same reason I liked the K-mount system when I purchased my first SLR in 2008 -- a well-established line of lenses and excellent compatibility with vintage glass. Plus, as many folks have mentioned with other mirrorless systems, much of the size advantage goes away when you get away from "normal" focal lengths because they can't make the lenses any smaller. Not to mention that MF glass is bigger to begin with.

I think Pentax's chances to sell mirror-based systems are better in MF because shooters there are more likely to employ tripods than 35mm format shooters. Also, the 645z just looks more impressive to many non-camera-savvy customers than the Hasselblad or Fuji bodies.