[gubak]

Same pixel count and same image sensor size as the newly announced Mamiya MF digital. But Mamiya has 16 bit color and penatx only has 14 bit (here are the 645D specification: Pentax 645D specification ). How did pentax lose 2 bits of color if the image sensor is the same which is seems likely it is? Maybe this is how pentax is able to sell the camera for so cheap compared to Mamiya.

[ghelary]

Mamiya/Phase One uses Dalsa sensor vs Pentax (and Hasselblad) uses Kodak sensor.

Plus on CCD sensors you get analogue signal that you convert in Digital.

16bits vs 14bits don't worry me much, at the end of the day, the result is what counts.

[Vaizard]

and those 2 bit's don't cost 10.000$ more.. and won't be that much of a diff.. so they did not lose.. not many people will care for those 2 bits more.

[kevinschoenmakers]

quoting a dpreview forum post:

But strangely enough, Pentax is unable to produce 16 bit color with this same image sensor that Mamiya is able to produce. Pentax's version is only 14 bit.

The sensor is only good for about 12-13 bits anyway. 16 vs 14 is a marketing game with choice of A/D chips: 16-bit has two or more garbage bits due to sensor noise.

Pentax 645D announced [Page 1]: News Discussion Forum: Digital Photography Review

[pcarfan]

Pentax unveils 40MP 645D medium format DSLR: Digital Photography Review

[Erik]

Maybe this is how pentax is able to sell the camera for so cheap compared to Mamiya.

By not wasting money on needlessly overdoing meaningless marketing specs with no real world use? I guess, so go Pentax! Good job!

[ghelary]

Oh, I forgot to say that printer have at 8bits color depth.

6 bits of margin for color adjustements are plenty enough.

[Simian Summit]

In electronic equipment aren't the number of bits supposed to be divisible by 8?

[gazonk]

In electronic equipment aren't the number of bits supposed to be divisible by 8?

No, not even bytes were always octets (see Byte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

[elkarrde]

In electronic equipment aren't the number of bits supposed to be divisible by 8?

nope, you can have arbitrary number of bits - for example, there are a lot of smaller LCD screens (mainly on older mobile phones) capable of showing 13-bit color = 8192 colors.

[spqr]

14 bit is over 4 trillion colors, I don't think that is going to pose a problem if it is getting that full range. I doubt any human eye would be able to distinguish the difference. And, as others have noted, is the additional 2 bits that the Mamiya is getting worth twice the price? Again, I doubt it.

However, Pentax hasn't been terribly active in medium format for a while, so they have some ground to catch up. There's an investment in systems from Mamiya, Phase One, etc. that are not going to be tossed away just because Pentax has a digital version of the 645 now.

As for me, I'd love it, but that's going to be way out of my price range as an amateur unless I get very lucky in the lottery.

[le_roi_ponpon]

No shake reduction? I am quite sure the competition doesn't have it but it would have been cool.

[Gimbal]

What, no AA-batteries? Epic fail.

[Spag]

No lolcat text insert mode? Überfail!!

[Erik]

And, as others have noted, is the additional 2 bits that the Mamiya is getting worth twice the price? Again, I doubt it.

And again, even without knowing the actual signal/noise ratio, I can pretty confidently say there is no way this sensor, or the Mamiya's for that matter, delivers 16 bits of actual useful data. The two least significant bits will be filled with useless noise and clutter memory cards with no real gain.