[glass]

The biggest problem I have with the 645z is to do with live view magnification for critical focusing. On the 645z, it takes an age to move the square around the screen and zoom in. The User Interface operation changes between manual focus and auto focus modes, which is a problem on a lens like the 45mm. The ergonimics of the Fuji in this regard are very good - the whole system is designed around live view focusing and it is so fast to move around the screen and select 100% view, either on the rear display or the EVF.

[photoptimist]

I can't help but think that mixed reviews for MILC MF will help Pentax sell even more 645 systems. If the buzz around Fuji & Hasselblad gets non-MF photographers thinking about going MF but then these cameras don't delight everyone who tries them, some of those non-MF photographers will inevitably look at the 645Z.

The blackout issue is going to be tough to fix. It's extremely hard to have both fast pixel read rates and high DR especially on a physically large sensor. A reflex mirror can pop back to give a view of the scene much more quickly than the sensor can spew out 50 megapixels. BSI can help solve the issue but I doubt know when/if Sony will be making a BSI sensor in MF.

[Winder]

I can't help but think that mixed reviews for MILC MF will help Pentax sell even more 645 systems. If the buzz around Fuji & Hasselblad gets non-MF photographers thinking about going MF but then these cameras don't delight everyone who tries them, some of those non-MF photographers will inevitably look at the 645Z.

The blackout issue is going to be tough to fix. It's extremely hard to have both fast pixel read rates and high DR especially on a physically large sensor. A reflex mirror can pop back to give a view of the scene much more quickly than the sensor can spew out 50 megapixels. BSI can help solve the issue but I doubt know when/if Sony will be making a BSI sensor in MF.

I think the Ricoh 645 is going to be just fine. The Fuji GFX and Hassy are both slow and 1st generation products. They have limited room to really grow compared to the 645z which could go with a full sized 645 sensor and or add pixel shift. Ricoh had better get busy though. Fuji has a history of rapid success with marketing and Ricoh doesn't.

[itshimitis]

The biggest problem I have with the 645z is to do with live view magnification for critical focusing. On the 645z, it takes an age to move the square around the screen and zoom in. The User Interface operation changes between manual focus and auto focus modes, which is a problem on a lens like the 45mm. The ergonimics of the Fuji in this regard are very good - the whole system is designed around live view focusing and it is so fast to move around the screen and select 100% view, either on the rear display or the EVF.

As someone who only uses my Z on a tripod maybe 20% of the time at the very most, I hardly ever use Live View. If it is on a tripod, I might use live View to better use the levelling feature, but I will turn it back off before firing the shutter as I find on LV there can be considerable shutter shock. This is where electronic front curtain would be a boon in the next iteration of the 645. I get great use out of the batteries. With something like the Fuji where Live View is always 'on' there is massive battery drain.