[texandrews]

As reported in Pentax Rumors

There's a list of stuff from an interview by Pentax with Nippon Camera magazine. The 645 highlights are these:

New Pentax 645 medium format camera is currently under consideration.
Ricoh has no plans to kill the 645 camera line.
645 lenses development is also still ongoing, but full-frame K-mount lenses have priority.

Some here will find their ways to accentuate the negative here. I will say that considering how tight lipped Pentax is, this is very positive news.


So, take it the way you want to. I welcome Japanese speakers' takes on the actual article, if they can find it.


EDIT: Just saw that this was posted in the news and rumors forum here 4 days ago. I missed it, so maybe all of you did too.

[Sandy Hancock]

I'm certainly keeping my 645 kit for the foreseeable future....

[virusn3t]

My plan is to wait for the new 645 to be released to the plublic, that way the 645z will drop in price and make the 645D even more cheaper and maybe i can get one 645D if they hit the 1.5k average price margin (cause i will need money for one portrait lens)

[BostonUKshooter]

Well spotted!...good news at last!

[2351HD]

At this stage I am considering the sale of my 645Z, keeping all my lenses and perhaps purchasing a Fujifilm GFX-50R for use with my D-FA and FA lenses via an adapter.

I do not need more than 50mp for any of my work, but a more realistic current age lighter camera would go well.

---------- Post added 01-08-19 at 08:30 PM ----------

As reported in Pentax Rumors

There's a list of stuff from an interview by Pentax with Nippon Camera magazine. The 645 highlights are these:

New Pentax 645 medium format camera is currently under consideration.
Ricoh has no plans to kill the 645 camera line.
645 lenses development is also still ongoing, but full-frame K-mount lenses have priority.

Some here will find their ways to accentuate the negative here. I will say that considering how tight lipped Pentax is, this is very positive news.


So, take it the way you want to. I welcome Japanese speakers' takes on the actual article, if they can find it.


EDIT: Just saw that this was posted in the news and rumors forum here 4 days ago. I missed it, so maybe all of you did too.

I am not convinced that the current Pentax 645 system will continue in the form that we know it as. Also, I am not sure that I would want a full frame 645 system, as getting deep depth of field is even more difficult and lenses need to be even better quality, which Pentax's aren't really, at least not the FA lenses that are rolling around.

[JPT]

This is just a rephrasing of my summary of the article, which in itself was not word for word. I'd encourage you to read what I wrote above the rumors site.

Honestly, there was not a lot of detail about 645, but they were quite clear about its continuation.

645 is the real "flagship" for Pentax in Japan. A lot of the exhibitions in their galleries are 645 photographers. In the magazines that focus on landscape photography, Pentax 645 accounts for a significant portion of the images published.

Pentax/Ricoh have talked about the possibility of using mirrorless technology to reduce mirror shock in past interviews. They have also said they want to try to reduce the weight of the cameras. These are all comments from previous years, but they show that there are ways to evolve the system.

To be honest, I hadn't realized people were concerned about the system's continuation until I saw the tone of this thread. There is no doubt in my mind that they will come out with a new camera, probably this year. I wouldn't expect a lot of new lenses in the short term though.

Edit: I should clarify that the mirrorless comment from from many years ago, before the 645z. They were responding to a question about mirrorless technology, and they said that it is an interesting way to reduce mirror shock, and that the 645 series is where it would have the biggest impact.

[Royce Howland]

I am hopeful for the continued development of the Pentax 645 digital system, and (in vendor marketing speak) have no plans to abandon my 645Z. Whether Ricoh does or doesn't advance, or how fast, isn't particularly worrisome to me for now. In part it's because I'm relatively satisfied with what I've got, in terms of what I can do with the 645Z in the areas where it excels. Also in part it's because I recently sold off a bunch of superfluous pieces of my kit to make room in the budget for a Fuji GFX-50R, and will look very closely at the GFX-100S when it arrives. I would like to do a few things that my 645Z isn't best suited for at the moment, much of it related to equipment size & weight, lens options, and shutter shock.

For 8 years the Pentax 645 has been my go-to system, and I really don't like maintaining 2 systems. But incorporating the Fuji GFX series for its strong suits will round out what I can do while we wait to see where Ricoh will go with the 645 line.

Full frame 645 would keep me with Pentax for sure, though I don't know if they'll ever go there. Fuji almost certainly will not.

[Ed Hurst]

At this stage I am considering the sale of my 645Z, keeping all my lenses and perhaps purchasing a Fujifilm GFX-50R for use with my D-FA and FA lenses via an adapter...

Do such adaptors exist, and are they capable of operating the apertures / autofocus of the lenses...? (Aperture more important to me than autofocus)

[jspillane]

Pentax is extremely well equipped to go to 54x40, as almost all of their lenses cover the format. It is quite obvious that Fuji intends to stay with 44x33, and since they are pumping out lenses that do not scale to 54x40 I doubt they will be looking to jump 'up' in format anytime soon.

This would positioned the 645z replacement as more of a budget/field alternative to the $40k+ 54x40 Hasselblad and Phase kits. I likely wouldn't be able to afford such a camera myself, but I would be very interested in buying into the 645 system if it existed (also assuming they keep an OVF). But if they go this route, I do not expect the camera to be anywhere near as cheap as the GFX line, which will likely disappoint a lot of people.

But the issue is lenses. There is more money to be made selling lenses than bodies, and Ricoh/Pentax is not even close to keeping pace with other manufacturers in that regard. It may not matter much in practice, but it doesn't help keep them in the news. I'd love to see them drop a 'full frame' digital body with a new 75mm f2... Would definitely get some headlines!

[2351HD]

Do such adaptors exist, and are they capable of operating the apertures / autofocus of the lenses...? (Aperture more important to me than autofocus)

Ed yes these adapters exist. Both with and without aperture control from Fotodiox.

No AF though, but that’s not an issue for what I use the 645 system for anyway.

[clackers]

Ed yes these adapters exist. Both with and without aperture control from Fotodiox.

No AF though, but that’s not an issue for what I use the 645 system for anyway.

Just as well.

The Fuji gives you no increase in IQ because it's the same sensor as the 645Z, It's bulky compared to other mirrorless, and it has no PDAF!

So it will focus like a 645Z in Live View.

[cdd29]

God I wish I hadn't sold my 645z kit (had to at the time for financial reasons). I maybe inheriting a nice chunk of change (I will be getting something though not sure how much, but first have to go through all the legal crap for my folk's estate). Once all is settled and I at least have a number, I will look into another 645z, though probably used.

[2351HD]

Just as well.

The Fuji gives you no increase in IQ because it's the same sensor as the 645Z, It's bulky compared to other mirrorless, and it has no PDAF!

So it will focus like a 645Z in Live View.

Not looking for an increase in IQ, but an increase in usability and weight. The GFX-50R has electronic first curtain shutter, plus an EVF, plus it’s less than half the weight and has a 23mm lens available that takes filters.

There is a lot of positives. I’ll be testing one next week, still not sure if I’ll switch though.

And BTW I’m not looking for blazing PDAF as everything is mostly manual focus anyway.

[clackers]

And BTW I’m not looking for blazing PDAF as everything is mostly manual focus anyway.

Okay, performance aside, shelling out $7000 for no difference in image quality, HD, and how many kilograms is currently the photo gear in your travel case or backpack plus tripod, it'll be just 800 grams lighter, but as long as you're happy …

[Ed Hurst]

I can see the appeal of that 23mm lens though!