Pentax to unveil new 10 megapixel DSLR next week

Pentax is rollin' into PMA next week with two under-glass products still in development: a nameless 10 megapixel digital SLR shooter and the first US appearance of the long overdue 18 megapixel medium format DSLR, Pentax 645 (pictured) -- first presented back in May of 2005. We're sure to get some pics from the floor of that 10er next week. Afterall, Pentax plans to release it onto the mean streets in Autumn '06 so they'd best get crackin'.

[Via Akihabara News]

[yuppicide @ Feb 24th 2006 9:30AM]

I wonder how much optical zoom it will have tho..

[yuppicide @ Feb 24th 2006 9:31AM]

I meant the above comment if it were coming as a kit with a lens of course.

[Scoobydoo @ Feb 24th 2006 9:43AM]

I just hope this one gets a normal name. *ist was just a lame useless name. I can only assume this one will be called %bla or #gup....

[narrativium @ Feb 24th 2006 10:14AM]

yuppicide, it's an SLR. It has interchangeable lenses, so it could have as much or as little zoom as the use could want or afford.

[daevh @ Feb 24th 2006 10:29AM]

Oh man, that thing was beaten hard with the ugly stick...

[scott @ Feb 24th 2006 10:40AM]

is the lens removable? cause if it isnt, an SLR is just a paperweight without removable lenses

[Brian Short @ Feb 24th 2006 11:04AM]

Pentax makes excellent 645 cameras. If this puppy comes in under $10k then they'll sell a boatload.

[Tushar Dayal @ Feb 24th 2006 11:24AM]

agreed with number 5, that thing is ugly.

[EnhanceYourCalm @ Feb 24th 2006 12:23PM]

Sadly, 18 Mpixels is nowhere near enough to functionally equate to 645, especially for large output. The EOS 1D gives you 16.7 Mpixels right now, can be had for a decent price used, and is almost certainly quicker in the field than this model will be.

[Big E @ Feb 24th 2006 12:26PM]

The 645D has a distinctive look, but go look at the Canon 1DsMkII--it's ugly in completely different ways. Professional cameras aren't for vacationers or soccer moms and they don't need to look like a regular SLR. I'd bet it comes in at a similar price point to the 1Ds or a little cheaper but higher than the Nikon D2X. Probably street price around $6000-$6500.

The new SLR is rumored to be named the *ist D2. It's consistent with their naming strategy with the DS and DL that now have DS2 and DL2. Just ignore the "*ist" and say "D2".

[James @ Feb 24th 2006 12:34PM]

People who commented on its appearance, are you guys actually insecure about the products you buy for professional application? LMAO! You know people have become brainwashed when.....

[Jim @ Feb 24th 2006 1:07PM]

Yeah, I wouldn't want a medium format camera that looked like an iPod, nor would I want an iPod that looked like a medium format camera.

I'm on the low-end of things, with the *ist DL, but pretty happy with my choice as a hobbyist. My dad used to shoot professionally (weddings and family portraits and such) and has since moved on in careers and gave me an array of K-mount manual lenses. I shot a bit on film but the results weren't what I wanted. I've been pretty impressed with the DL, an entry level DSLR with enough manual features to let me use fully manual lenses. Aesthetics were not my concern with the purchase, where they were with my last digital camera (a point and shoot Canon S500 5MP Elph).

[Wry Cooter @ Feb 24th 2006 1:14PM]

It doesn't matter if it has fewer megapixels than a DSLR shaped like a 35mm camera, there are wedding photographers and the like, that will buy it just because it does have the same shape as their film 645, and can be used interchangeably and mindlessly with their existing flash accessories and brackets built for the typical 645 body.

The typical pro shooting a 645 is almost exclusively sellng packages of 4x5s and 8 x 10 prints, with the occasional 11 x 14 or 16 x 20. It is just going to make it easier for them to offer a DVD as well.

[Washington DC Photographer @ Feb 25th 2006 12:22AM]

That's an awfully nice camera -- and at 18MP, it's something that I think I'd enjoy!

John Harrington

[floop @ Feb 25th 2006 10:09AM]

I dont think the "medium format" title is really talking about the megapixels or even the shape of the camera. The real advantage is the physical size of the image sensor, which should give you that ultra-narrow depth of field that portrait photographers and lots of product photographers rely on. If its a full sized 120 sensor, then woohoo.