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Competition for 645D?

ZaphodB
Posted 02/06/2007 - 17:46 Link
No, sadly not a competition to win one...

http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/06/01/mamiya.645afd.ii.combo/

Just saw that on another forum. Seems Mamiya are also trying to make digital medium format more affordable (I use that word loosely). But $10,000 for body, back and lens - the only news of price I've heard about the Pentax 645D is from Benjikan saying that it will be three zeroes rather than four, but presumably a high three zeroes and I don't know which currency he was using.

Now assuming the 645D is not dead, cancelled or whatever - assuming that because Chris of SRS says so, and if SRS can't get the blood of information out of the stone of Pentax then no one can - but does this seem like some fairly direct competition? Good or bad for Pentax?
Do you know where your towel is?
Mannesty
Posted 02/06/2007 - 21:39 Link
Competition is always healthy, mostly for the consumer. It'd be no fun at all watching a one horse race.
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
ZaphodB
Posted 02/06/2007 - 22:16 Link
Mannesty wrote:
Competition is always healthy, mostly for the consumer. It'd be no fun at all watching a one horse race.

Oh I'd agree in most situations, like for example if Pentax and Nikon went the way of Minolta and for dSLRs we were all left with a choice of Canon or Canon... that's one race I definitely wouldn't want to watch... but here what concerns me is that Pentax is not yet established in digital medium format, so the risk is higher. Also slightly concerned that Mamiya are announcing this package while Pentax won't even confirm that the 645D is still happening.
Do you know where your towel is?
Mannesty
Posted 03/06/2007 - 12:25 Link
Irrespective of what the future may hold now that Pentax is part of Hoya. It's entirely possible that Pentax have been waiting for other manufacturers to 'show their cards' before committing a shed load of money to manufacture a product that may have no future.

Realistically, are pro's really going to switch from their 'blads with Phase One digital backs, to Pentax's first MF offering? Personally, I doubt it.
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream

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