[creampuff]

Both of my earlier statements here were based on what Ned Said on another forum 23 months ago. Second link has his quote from elsewhere.

You tell me whats the magic price point for Pentax That Requires Them to ignore the planet less Japan Home Market? Its got to be $20,000, not something silly like $3,000 to $5,000 but you tell me, I'm just going by what Ned said.

Given the on/off/on status of the digital 645 project, who can rely on something that was said almost two years given that the technology and market situations have changed? Two years is a long time in consumer electronics.

That you have made mention on numerous occasions here on PentaxForums the many camera systems you have (but strangely you have posted no photos either of your gear or images taken with your cameras), I'll concede you are probably a better authority of all things price related.

As for me, I frankly have no idea what is the "magic price point" that you refer to and even if I did have an inkling, I won't go around making up or throwing up figures that I can't back up.

[ryan s]

I would s**t myself if it were $3-5k. $15+ is pretty much a given, at least in my opinion.

This is very disappointed news. Since the 645D is telegramed more than 4 year ago and finally come to release (despite the bad economic). And this is still no hint of FF. I don't think we will see a Pentax FF body in two years.

Without the prospect of FF in the future, there is not much in the K mount that interest me.

My condolences.

Oh whoops...you're still here. My bad

[Ratmagiclady]

This is very disappointed news. Since the 645D is telegramed more than 4 year ago and finally come to release (despite the bad economic). And this is still no hint of FF. I don't think we will see a Pentax FF body in two years.

Without the prospect of FF in the future, there is not much in the K mount that interest me.

Frankly, if you planned your 'upgrade path' such that your photographic life would be over if Pentax didn't come out with a full frame toot-sweet, that's ...kinda not Pentax's fault. (Frankly, the K20d *was* my upgrade path, till I managed to jump here. It was still the best for me I could have expected to be able to get used in a few years. So, me, I feel ahead of the game. We'll see if I come to need better.)

The 645D, though, is really a whole different project, and I don't really think it bears on the product cycle. If anything, it's a reassuring sign Hoya isn't planning on turning the brand into some amateurey cash cow they can run into the ground.

I, for one, don't plan on crying if I find myself looking for a place to drop several grand on a FF system. Besides. I already have one. It's called *film.*

[jmbradd]

Medium format is in my "upgrade path" but digital medium format is not, simply because a 645n, a lens or two and plenty of film/developing/scanning (I'm in the fortunate position of having free access to a really nice scanner) is probably about a 10th the price a 645d would be and likely better quality.

How about a new medium format film body with some more advanced features? Thats more appealing to me but its nice to see they're doing something!

[SteveM]

This is very disappointed news. Since the 645D is telegramed more than 4 year ago and finally come to release (despite the bad economic). And this is still no hint of FF. I don't think we will see a Pentax FF body in two years.

Without the prospect of FF in the future, there is not much in the K mount that interest me.

A pro camera might not make a lot of $ directly, but it legitimizes the consumer models. Hopefully this move will make Pentax, like it was before, a force in the industry. Perhaps this will provide the revenue through the consumer models to make new options (like FF) possible.

[vinzer]

I will eat my shorts if Pentax ever makes a functional 645D, much less ships it.

Will you post it on YouTube? Kidding.

HOYA.."Big fish in a little pond" . Just the way they like it.

This Hoya snippet still doesn't feel right to me as a consumer, but perfectly understandable if I was a Hoya investor.

Hasselblad and Mamiya both have "645" digital bodies available here in the US for well under $20K.

These are all IN-STOCK, not special order, and available in the US:
Hasselblad H2F Digital Body - $3,250
Mamiya 645ZDb 645AFD III with 80mm Lens, 22 MP Digital Back - $10,999 and free shipping
Mamiya DL28 645AFD III, Sekor 80mm f/2.8D Lens, 28MP Leaf Aptus-II Digital Back - $14,999
Hasselblad H3D-31II, 31 MP, 80mm f/2.8 HC AF Lens - $17,995 and free shipping

It doesn't seem to fit "Pentax" for them to bust out on the 645 digital scene priced above the competition. And I don't buy the "won't be sold in the US" schtick either. If Pentax really does launch a "645D" it may not hit the Jersey shore immediately but it'll get there sooner than later.

It doesn't seem to fit the pre-Hoya Pentax, but I would think Hoya will initially price it higher than the competition, which is probably why they want to use Japan as a test bed first for the 645D, and then make a decision if they're gonna release it elsewhere.

This is very disappointed news. Since the 645D is telegramed more than 4 year ago and finally come to release (despite the bad economic). And this is still no hint of FF. I don't think we will see a Pentax FF body in two years.

Without the prospect of FF in the future, there is not much in the K mount that interest me.

Well, at least we all have an idea (albeit a shaky one) of what Hoya intends to do.

The 645D, though, is really a whole different project, and I don't really think it bears on the product cycle. If anything, it's a reassuring sign Hoya isn't planning on turning the brand into some amateurey cash cow they can run into the ground.

It certainly signals an end to Pentax being the bang for the buck brand, at least until people force Hoya to lower product prices by voting with their wallets.

I'll give Hoya the benefit of the doubt, though, and wait and see what the pricing on the 645D will be. Not because I'll buy one, though, more for speculative purposes on future product announcements.

[vinzer]

A pro camera might not make a lot of $ directly, but it legitimizes the consumer models. Hopefully this move will make Pentax, like it was before, a force in the industry. Perhaps this will provide the revenue through the consumer models to make new options (like FF) possible.

I will agree with you on the prestige factor, but the high-end models, even with huge profit margins, wouldn't rake in as much money compared to entry-level models, which is where the action's really at.

That Pentax won't even make it available in the US, bad sales and all, makes me question about how much of a force they want to be. Surely it won't hurt to keep those 200 units in stock in the odd chance that someone does want to buy one. Worst case scenario, they have to ship back those units to Japan. Not such a big deal, if you ask me.

People can say what they want about Americans, but for much of the world, what's good for Americans becomes good for other nationalities also, or at least they'd take a good look at the product Americans are raving about.

[Ratmagiclady]

It certainly signals an end to Pentax being the bang for the buck brand, at least until people force Hoya to lower product prices by voting with their wallets.

I guess that'll have to wait till we *actually* find out how many bucks and how much *bang,* though, right?

Actually, I just don't think that's the point of a 'prestige model.'

A 'popularized' digital MF camera, though, certainly could lead to something. Where'd these pro-standard Mamiya digitals come from? A model back from my 1000s. They weren't cheap at the time, either. Though compared to a Hassie...

[Jasvox]

I still think it's a niche item and NOT a platform or prototype for a mass produced camera to be released, at an affordable cost anytime soon, if ever.

This camera is what it is, and not something they are going to release early next year, and then turn around and find them for $799 online by Christmas...ever. Besides that, its huge, not portable....It's a niche camera for niche photography needs.

I am not bitter, just trying to keep perspective here. Give me a K10/20D size DSLR with some improvements from the current line up and THAT will excite me Real world stuff.

Jason

[Rorschach]

Excellent news! Looks like the 67 --> 645 adapter was a good buy after all However, if the price for a 645D will be around 10000-15000 euros, I will buy a film scanner and happily continue using my film 6x7 until used 645D units are available at a price that I can afford...maybe 5 to ten years from now.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

I still think it's a niche item and NOT a platform or prototype for a mass produced camera to be released, at an affordable cost anytime soon, if ever.

This camera is what it is, and not something they are going to release early next year, and then turn around and find them for $799 online by Christmas...ever. Besides that, its huge, not portable....It's a niche camera for niche photography needs.

I am not bitter, just trying to keep perspective here. Give me a K10/20D size DSLR with some improvements from the current line up and THAT will excite me Real world stuff.

Jason

The Pentax 645 cameras are actually quite portable, more so than for example the Hasselblad's, but you might not carry as many lenses in your bag as you would with a (D)SLR.

I don't think this will compete that much with the DSLRs in terms of R&D since they did so much work on the 645D before, question is more about production capacity.

[thibs]

Will you post it on YouTube? Kidding.

They already produced a working 645D and showed it at a show (forgot which ones) where one of those girls was taking pictures and showing the back of the camera (and yes the screen was showing the picture just taken).

So in fact, he can already eats his shirts but somehow I doubt it, probably will find any lame excuse not to eat it

[Elton]

This is fantastic news if true! A 645D is defenately in my upgrade path somewhere in the next couple of years...

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

They already produced a working 645D and showed it at a show (forgot which ones) where one of those girls was taking pictures and showing the back of the camera (and yes the screen was showing the picture just taken).

So in fact, he can already eats his shirts but somehow I doubt it, probably will find any lame excuse not to eat it

Realy looking forward to the release of that video!
It could be something similar to when Charlie Chapling eat his shoes in "Goldfever" (though it was fake shoes made in black licorise if I remember correctly).

[ewalk]

This is fantastic news if true! A 645D is defenately in my upgrade path somewhere in the next couple of years...

I gotta admit, it's a tempting possibility to have both a flexible APS-C system that can use FF and crop lenses along with a full-fledged dMF system...