Pentax 645Z

It seems like the successor to the Pentax 645D will be announced on the 19. April 2014. Link to Ricoh-Pentax Japan:

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Most likely it be based on the new 50MP Sony sensor also found in much more expensive Hasselblad and PhaseOne digital medium format cameras.

Although these digital Pentax medium format cameras (645D + 645Z) probably will be too expensive for my budget the next few decades, I still find it exciting that Pentax shows commitment to digital medium format. For me it makes sense that Pentax have a very broad and high quality APS-C range of lenses and cameras, pluss a unique digital medium format camera system. And there is also the Pentax Q range. Is there any other camera manufacturer that has this range of cameras?

Looks very interesting and, as you say, shows remarkable commitment. I would much rather have a 645 that a full frame DSLR.

Sadly one small detail prevents it, the cash.

I too would love to one day be able to acquire a digital 645. Maybe second hand 645Ds will drop sufficiently in price, so that one day they might be within my financial range...

Me to John!

Can't afford one and to be honest would it improve the skill and talent of the person looking through the viewfinder. A rubbish image remains just that regardless of the equipment.

Do we expect it to do that though Stan? I'm not so sure that we do. There are different compelling reasons to desire a 645D or 645Z.

Unfortunately, as I expect most purchasers will be expecting their 645D cameras to earn money for them, they are more likely perhaps to add a 645Z than rush to trade in. An expanding studio might just buy some extra camera bodies, for example.

I agree: Rubbish remains rubbish, no matter how expensive equpiment. But I believe most of us are trying to improve our skills within photography, and at some point there are aspects with a digital 645 that could open up new dimensions of photographic possibilities IMHO.

and if you are using it for 'Business Purposes' you can write off the cost over several years against Tax as I did with my 6x7 outfit.

As probably the least likely person to purchase one of these I maybe shouldn't care less but I do - I am quite excited by it - like a kid aspiring to something he will never own

Of course the naysayers will emerge before the first review even gets written up but it seems positive to me

You can now put purchases up to £100,000 as expenses now, which is even better

what if the 645-z turns out to be a mirrorless 645-d with several optional adaptors for aps-c, full frame k, 645 and 6x7 lens mounts plus options for adaptors for all other lens mounts from third parties? (obviously some lenses will be cropped to use less of the sensor but still).
A K-01 on steroids?

or a fixed focal length camera with the 645-d sensor
and it gets rolled out at the same time as the 645-DII

and it's as cheap as chips!

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Best regards

Will it come in Lime Green

Hmmmm, it's now official.

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Best regards

The Pentax 645Z shares the 50MP Sony sensor with Hasselblad H5D-50c camera and Phase One IQ250 digital back. When studying the Hasselblad, I cannot help but praise Pentax for their design. The Hasselblad IMHO simply looks strange and dated in comparison:

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Another thing I noticed is that Hasselblad has the same "cropped" format (33x44), that many have been so critical towards ever since Pentax released the original 645D. "Why haven't Pentax kept the 45x60 format, but released a cropped format when going digital medium format", many complained. Hasselblad have done the very same thing, gone from analog/film format 60x60, to digital 33x44.

Also in many other ways the Pentax 645Z seems like a very interesting camera, spectacular high ISO performance, HD video, weather sealing, etc.

Hasselblad H5D-50c has a retail price of $29.000,-, which is more than three times the price of the Pentax 645Z.

Is there a big difference in price between a Nikon D800E + a high quality Nikon lens and the Pentax 645Z + standard lens?

Pentax are about to pioneer a "democratization" of digital medium format. Hasselblad and Phase One have not been within range of ordinary hobby/enthusiast photographers, being extremely expensive, the Pentax 645Z could possibly change all of this.

I hope the Pentax 645Z excels in the coming reviews and tests, it seems like a brilliant camera.

Regards
Bjørn