Five years after it was first announced (beating out Paul C. Buff’s Einstein as longest camera product in development to be released so far this year), the sub-$10,000 Pentax 645 D is finally hitting shelves next month…at least in Japan.
The camera will shoot 40 MP files, and will have some interesting features out of the box, including in-Camera HDR.
The original Pentax 645 was considered an affordable entry point into Medium format shooting, and the new camera offers a new generation the chance to experience medium format.
Of course, considering the camera is tens of thousands of dollars less than, say a medium format ‘Blad, you gotta expect that some quality has been sacrificed for the cheaper price. And you’d be right. The biggest is the 33X44 mm sensor, which is to medium format what the 1.6 crop factor of, say a 50D is to a full frame pro body, and much smaller than the full-sized 41.5 x 56mm.
Still, for nearly $35,000 less than a Hasselblad CF-39, the 645D offers people the chance to discover the joys of medium format without having to take out a second mortgage.
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1 Comment at "Medium Format, “I’m Not Dead Yet!”"
Interesting… I will certainly look for it. Since I’m might change my gear by the end of the year, I will definitly compare before I choose.
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