As PePe wrote, Pentax representatives (not just this one, but Japanese ones as well) have stated that 645 is part of Pentax's plan. So, since Pentax (and the other Japanese manufacturers as well) is very tight lipped, that they have said publicly that 645 is in their plans is to me significant.
Yes, Fuji has stolen all the thunder lately---but we need to remember how. Part of that how has to do with 2 major internet review sites having buried the excellent 645Z testing results for years, and being pretty disrespectful to Pentax in general. Part of that has to do that Fuji is a major photography company , and can sling its weight around---don't forget how they nearly disappeared in the digital arena before they launched their interesting line of apsc cameras. They made a big push to come back. Pentax is a much smaller company, and Ricoh, its parent company, has done a better job than Hoya before it, but that's faint praise, and they have done much less than Fuji to shake the marketing tree. Those of us who know Pentax know how good their products are. And everyone also seems to forget a significant timing aspect: the 645D came out in 2010----and the effects of the 2008 financial crisis were still hot. The Z comes out in 2014, but still for many business and economic stability was just beginning to come back. When Fuji released their first camera 2 years after that, business was looking much better, and they were also riding the somewhat irrational mirrorless wave, plus a lot of positive buzz they had gotten about their apsc line---even though it's not really better than anyone else's, just maybe more visually attractive.
That brings me to Sandy's comments. The Z is my favorite camera, not fast becoming. And I also have an upgraded K1. I've been shooting since the '70's (really the '60's as a kid). It's my favorite camera ever, and I've had some wonderful cameras that I loved. For the exacting work that I do professionally, the Z is a fantastic camera. The K1 is a great backup---and for some things my first choice (more run and gun, or when "only" really excellent IQ is required. Sandy is right to love it. Hey, Sandy---keep trying to find that 25. I managed to scoop one up used at an "affordable" price.
So, this brings me to my final point. To surpass the Z is going to require a lot of---I don't know what. It's already one of the finest cameras that has been made. There are some tweaks I'd love to see for pro use, but they're not sexy if that's what people need to see. Video? Going to need some significant processing power for that if it's going to be any good. More MP? Well, I could use it, but again I'd also need more in-camera processing power---I don't need my Z to be rocket fast, but I'd rather it not be slower either, even the way I use it. Full Frame 645? Great, but not if I and others couldn't afford it. Part of the appeal of the Z, and why I even have it, is that it was and is "affordable", along with some many of the lenses. I could never have afforded the Fuji system---there's no used market. Just being able to have that was so important, and allowed me to build my lens collection slowly but steadily---and thanks to the marketplace here!
Last edited by texandrews; 01-11-2020 at 08:46 PM.