Pentax 645D Medium-Format Digital Camera On Track for 2010

Sept 18, 2009
By Dan Havlik, PDN's Technology Specialist

The on-again, off-again, on-again Pentax 645D medium-format digital camera is still on and slated to ship by next year, according to an official from Pentax.

"We've started development and the plan right now is to have it released by Spring 2010," said Ned Bunnell, president of Pentax Imaging (USA) at a press event this week.

Bunnell was on hand at the International Center of Photography in New York City on Wednesday to launch the Pentax K-x, a consumer digital SLR that comes in an array of colors. After the K-x launch, Bunnell fielded questions, several of which had to do with the long-awaited Pentax 645D.

"The goal is probably PMA," Bunnel told PDN Gear Guide. "Though I can't say that for certain. Right now, we're just saying Spring 2010."

Specs for the camera are also pretty scarce at this point: Pentax will only say that the new model with have 30 megapixels of resolution. In March, Pentax also announced it would release a smc PENTAX-D FA645 55mm F2.8 to go with the new 645-format camera.

"645 is our heritage," Bunnell explained. 'It's more comfortable for us. It's our niche."

Back in 2008, Pentax said it had shelved the 645D to concentrate on more profitable consumer digital SLRs. But the company changed its tune in March 2008 -- just as it was completing its merger with Hoya -- saying that the 645D was on track again.