See the latest news article of the British Journal of Photography (BJP), which quotes the earlier article of the PDN for a short interview with Ned Bunnell, that the 645D will probably come Spring 2010 and it is still confirmed at this moment.
The BJP has newly reported about the target price of the 645D, which is about £5000 to £6000, as learnt from "a colleague of Pentax UK". I think whilst this price is really high for average DSLR users, it is just an "entry level" price for medium format digital gear. Anyway, with that cost, we can buy a new cheap car to drive (excluding other additinal cost such as tax)!
Another new discussion about the 645D and this news has started at the DPR. People are wondering if the 645D will be available in Red, Green and Yellow etc. as what Pentax are offering for their new K-x. That is still a good idea, I think, as the 645D can penetrate the toys market and to be sold at the Toy "R" Us later on! ;-)
Well, more seriously talking, I just wonder how many units Pentax/Hoya will manage to sell for the new 645D and how this Pentax 645D business can be profitable, in view of the "low" price it is to be sold for the body and possibly not much 645 lens sales can be generated. After all, the (digital) MF market is really a small one. In fact, the film 645NII is discontinued this month and in the financial year of 09/10, only 450 units of the 645NII has been produced (previously officially and directly told here). I am afraid that the 645D will only cause additional losses to Hoya and it will yet be another burden to Pentax. Whilst Hoya's policy on Pentax these years has yet been cutting every possible cost for anything that is not necessary, e.g., recent closing down of the historical Pentax museum, and their allocated resources are really limited, I just wonder why they still waste so much time and money on such a 645D project and marketing plan which is to be likely to cause even much more money loss to them! Why? Why didn't they just use the wasted resources to make a better K-mount DSLR system (including to re-introduce a 135 Full Frame lens system) so that they could have been more competitive?? I am really much puzzled..