We had a hunch that
Pentax was
readying a 645 Digital, and sure enough, the company has come clean with that very camera today. The May-bound 40 megapixel 645D is a medium format beast, but unlike similar options from
Hasselblad, this one won't actually destroy your hopes of sending four generations of offspring to college. Boasting a 44mm x 33mm sensor, a 3-inch rear LCD and a virtually indestructible chassis, this monster promises high res images that only pros can appreciate, and there's a pair of SD / SDHC card slots for those who love to surround themselves with options. You'll also get a newly designed 11-point AF sensor, a fresh dust removal system, 77-segment multi-pattern metering system and a battery good for around 800 images when fully charged. 'Course, with a retail price of ¥850,000 ($9,442), you'll also expect amenities like an HDR mode, dynamic range expansion and an HDMI output, all of which just so happen to be included. Oh, and if you're in the market for some new glass, there's also a 55mm F2.8 lens that'll ship alongside of this here body for the princely sum of ¥100,000 ($1,110).
posted March 9th 2010 11:38PM
Pentax? Well that was unexpected.
@Brent1700 It's been expected for a couple years. Pentax has long been a force in medium format, and the 645D has been an open secret for more than a year.
I got nothing
Can someone explain medium format to me, and more importantly why anybody cares about it?
@Brian J
Because the sensors are really, really, really, fucking big.
@Brian J
Ever wonder how they get the pictures for billboards and banners and such?
@Brian J
It's not just for shooting billboards. A high megapixel, large sensor camera like this is great for magazine shoots, landscapes printed large, fine art photography, etc.
@df1977
A majority of the major magazine shoots that you see are done with medium format digital.
@yulebellow Wouldn't an insanely highly detailed image like one from a medium format camera would be a nightmare to blow up so huge? And do billboards need such high fidelity images when you're standing at minimum 100 feet away from them/below them at all times? I don't know what cameras they use for billboards, but an image from my crappy little Kodak piece of garbage was blown up into an 8' by 10' and it looked great from a distance of 10 feet.
@Brian J
exactly, and from the distances bbs are viewed from, you need a larger format to work with. you looked at an 8X10 from 10 feet, BBs are viewed up to thousands of feet.
@Brian J
it isn't just about more resolution. These cameras offer a greater dynamic range. The D3X and 1Ds MIII cannot compared side-by-side to a medium format back.
@EM1 agree the dynamic range is insane... but the 14bit converter sorta killed the excitement for me
@Brian J: Bigger sensor = less noise = higher quality images, assuming you also match it with good quality optics. At the moment, there still no substitute for simply letting more light in.
@Brian J
Because the sensors are big.
Because it used to be that all "professional photographers" had medium format cameras.
Because if you got into the Brooks Institute of Photography, you had to go out and buy a medium format to bring to school with you.
Because for commercial photography, you really do need the larger sensors.
Because Pentax used to make medium format film cameras and its about time they got back into it.
Because its more affordable than many of the others around which is a good thing.
Forget 1080p, I want to see some 4k on this beast!
It's not all just about resolution and dynamic range.
Big sensors are great for stuff like fashion or product photography because you can use longer lenses, yet still maintain a wide field of view.
Longer lenses mean less distortion and nicer looking perspective.
It's all about the look.
I'll buy it in a couple years when the price drops to $799.00 and they're selling them at Target.
@PorkchopFlavoredCupcake
feel free to hold your breath.
@c w j
No need to encourage him to commit suicide ;)
@c w j
ha.
Truth be told, the cost will likely never drop below $5,000. But I would like to rent one of these for a weekend gig.
@PorkchopFlavoredCupcake the cost is currently $1100...
@neogr0wl
that's the price for just the lens bro
@PorkchopFlavoredCupcake - 799? Better you bash some dweeb landscape photographer over the head while he traipse around the woods alone looking for that next great Ansel Adams type shot. Saying...
@Streetfights
I made a bet when this was announced that it would cost "Eleventy Hundred Dollars". I was kinda right, until you corrected that other guy. :(
makin my K20d feel dated
I don't like the name 645D. The sensor is 44x33mm, not 60x45mm.
@grantyale
It's a brand history thing.
Take that Nikanonmamiyasselblad!
@c w j Just like E-Pen is not half-frame but quarter-frame...
It will be interesting how well this compares to this Hasselblad counterpart.
@imGoingNameless
From what ive seen of hasselblad, it IS a cut above this (inbuilt correction of lens aberrations, slightly larger sensor..etc...)
But this is a very decent kit.
Pentax used to make good affordable 645s for film, so they are not total nubies.
I think this also targets the high end full frame DSLRs. For studio work i would spend the extra 2 grand and get this pentax.
@choco
FYI - The K-7 has built-in correction for lens aberrations, so if it is built on a similar code base, I would expect this has it too.
honestly......i want thia, just so i can go out and shoot(camera wise) the entire world.
Lets just say they took their time in developing this camera.
Wait... this cost $1,110??? Did engadget left out a zero?
@seraphan Ignore me... i read it wrongly... $1.100 is only for the lens..
Drooling quite badly over here. Better start selling a kidney or two.
It's price is pretty affordable for a medium format body, but it's still too much for me. Still, good job Pentax.
GJ Pentax! Now you need to make a full frame DSLR in the kx body. STAT! My awesome M42, K, and KA, glass is crying for digital justice. Oh and how about a interchangeable focusing screens?
Would be great if it had swappable backs instead of a fixed sensor. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing what the image quality is like!
Man, this would be amazing for portraits and fine art work. At 200 a sitting, it only takes 55 customers to pay for this kit at 11,000 dollars.
That's not too bad. I can do that in a month or two if I try hard. Now, I'm gonna need a 4000 dollar PC to chug through these RAW files...
@ChaoticLimbs
i'd be interested in seeing what you produce already. I'm an enthusiast looking to get serious, and some inspiration cant hurt! send link or dot com plz kthx bye
stupid comment system!!!
$10k+ cheaper than the Mamiya and Leica competition, which apparently use the same sensor, w/ a weather-sealed lens & body.
Hell yes.
@ChaoticLimbs
i'd be interested in seeing what you produce already. I'm an enthusiast looking to get serious, and some inspiration cant hurt! send link or dot com plz kthx bye
I love you Pentax. Now please release a K7-2 with the Sony sensor. My K10d is looking long in the tooth, and the Kx sensor is just too good to languish in the entry-level.
Pentaxian for life.