Today Pentax announced the release of the Pentax 645D after teasing us for over four years with the possibility. I think by now everyone had all but given up on the idea of it actually ever happening.One may be tempted to say "so what", Pentax is a small player in the market and there are other digital medium format players out there already and they are a small high end niche market for pro studio photographers, wiht more money than business sense.
But this would ignore some key points about this release.
The price point and quality is squarely aimed at the current full frame digital SLR user and the current medium format film user who cannot put togehter $20 000 to $30 000 for any of the current medium format digital back systems.
Pentax is a significant and long player in the medium format film market, with many pro photographers still actively using their 645 film cameras and lenses. They have a significant range of excellent glass in the medium format range and it can be picked up on the second hand market for relatively cheap. This release plays to their strength and has a ready market in a group of intensely loyal users who have as of yet not switched to full frame digital. These pro's want the quality of medium format but view the cost point of digital backs and the limitations of tethered shooting as hurdles to the switch to digital. Both of these are solved in the 645D and brings it in a familiar package for 645 film users.
Their product brings the superior quality of the digital back medium format world in a portable package that can be used without being tethered to a computer in a studio. It is a compact package and falls in the in the key sub $10000 price range (within a year probably sub $8000). Outdoor photographers who wish for the quality of a digital back can now have one that is usable for landscape, outdoor portrait, photo journalism etc at a fraction of the price.
Pentax is bringing this to market at a price point within striking distance of the current crop of pro grade digital 35mmm format SLR's produced by Nikon and Canon. They have leapfrogged the intensely competitive fullframe Pro market with a far superior product that until now was the preserve of the few and that was previously too limited in its application to be viable. And the main competition in the fullframe market has nothing to compete with them. Canon and Nokin would be wise to sit up and take a good look at this one.
Just look at the competition and its pricing for bodies only:
Canon 1Ds M3 21mp: $6 114
Nikon D3x 24.5mp : $7 469
Pentax 645D 40mp : $9 900 (estimated release price)
Hasselblad H3D 39mp: $21 995
Mamiya DM40 40mp: $21 990
Leica S2-P 37.5mp : $27 995
Once the lenses are added the price difference between the Canon/Nikon and Pentax shrink significantly.
The real benefit to us all may be how this will change the market and migrate high end technology down faster.
