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..
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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Tony · 807 weeks ago
RiceHigh 110p · 807 weeks ago
I don't think Pentax should ignore that business sector neither but the reality is that those were all history of the past! For most of the time, look back too much on the past success is meaningless and that mind-set of "succession of the heritage" will only hinder the success of a company or even just hurt much.
Tony · 807 weeks ago
Of course, it is a gamble. Hoya/Pentax has already invested a lot in developing 645D. If they leave the 645 market, they will encounter total loss. Just see if they could succeed or not.
Pentax · 807 weeks ago
Relatively speaking, no. We spent much more on DSLR development. We spent more on K-7.
RiceHigh 110p · 807 weeks ago
p.s. You'd better ask the real Pentax yourself. Just don't pretend Pentax, you're not.
Pentax · 807 weeks ago
Suraki · 807 weeks ago
(Sorry for my english.)
whats new · 807 weeks ago
"I am really much puzzled........"
Not the first or the last time ;)
Philippos · 807 weeks ago
And that the PhaseOne / Mamiya user group will never expand?
Boy, what an insight for business...
If you ever expected a job offer from Hoya, you can kiss it goodbye...
This talk was done years ago when people like you wondered, "who will ever use FF DSLRs ?".
Now you complain that Pentax does not make one.
If Pentax scraps the 645D, I'm sure you will blame them for it as well.
Tony · 806 weeks ago
Barbarosa · 807 weeks ago
they are target customers, also landscapes, never enough pixels, and all that for price of good FF, that is good deal, also for future u can put much more pixels on same size of sensor than on FF
If pentax make good marketing, and warranty policy 645D will be in hand of every pro on market
imagine 30+ MP with high dynamic range and no noise at night city landscape, dream can come true
nlx · 806 weeks ago
i'm sure Pentax can make a good camera, but now in the digital medium and specially in the medium format, the software is as important as the hardware. What software wil be used with it ?
Pentax in the past and still now developed very lame software for both Mac and PC.
I'm pretty sure 95% of Pentax users don't use the Pentax soft, and just Photoshop, Lightroom or whatever.
But in the medium you need a very solid piece of software, as the other brand do (i'm thinking : Phase one and Hasseblad).
I'm very afraid about the software provided with the camera.
With no 'state of the art' soft, people will NEVER spend so much money in a useless medium format camera.
Pentax have never been able to procude a good software, why now would be any different ?
nlx · 806 weeks ago
RiceHigh 110p · 806 weeks ago