Pentax 645 digital axed

Not really much of a surprise but Pentax 645 digital project appears to have

been axed.

 

Posted on the dubious landscape:

 

"Pentax, struggling to survive as an independant company, according to Japanese

wire services, has announced that its 645 digital camera project has been deep-

sixed. This just shortly after a working pre-production camera was finally

shown at a recent Tokyo equipment show."

 

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/whatsnew/

 

If true, another sad day for MF. AFter this and mamiya's ZD, MF digital looks

to be more difficult than many companies imagine.

Pentax have made no official statement that they will axe the 645D. On the contrary they have denied the reports in the original press article. Incidentally that article did not mention the 645D but that Pentax will drop medium format. Medium format is film and Pentax still offer a complete line-up of MF cameras and lenses.

So far the whole thing is just an unsubstantiated rumor.

"MF digital looks to be more difficult than many companies imagine."

 

it isn't that making the backs themselves is difficult, Phase One, Imacon, and Jenoptik have been doign it successfully for years usign CCD chips from Dalsa and Kodak.

 

What is difficult is making money on the backs, especially on a system dedicated to only one camera. As a business concern medium format sales has been stagnant for a couple of years.

Let me just add that the official info is that Pentax will be screening out 20 projects not closely connected to their core business. DSLR's are their core business. They will make more emphasis on the high end.

<I>If true, another sad day for MF. AFter this and mamiya's ZD</I><P>

 

I thought the Mamiya ZD is, and has been for some time, on sale in Japan? Anyone?<P>

 

<I>Pentax still offer a complete line-up of MF cameras and lenses.</I><P>

 

Didn't Pentax discontinue its 67 SLR some time ago? Leaving at most maybe the 645nII?

Pentax have/will be pulling out from the manufacturing of film cameras.

All formats!

 

They will continue to produce digital equipment and I look forward to seeing their 31.8 mp MF camera.

"Didn't Pentax discontinue its 67 SLR some time ago? Leaving at most maybe the 645nII?"

 

 

No. Only in Europe due to some EU regulations. If you go to Pentax Japan web page, you'll see they still offer the complete medium format line-up; cameras and lenses.

Doesn't matter if Pentax hasn't said anything officially. After all, they have failed to explicate a plan superior to Hoya's, and a spokesman said that while cuts were planned they weren't going to be publicly discussed at present. Meanwhile, Nikkei quoted an anonymous yet "official" source saying that the 645D project is abandoned.

"Meanwhile, Nikkei quoted an anonymous yet "official" source saying that the 645D project is abandoned."

 

 

The original Nikkei report said nothing about the 645D. Quotes from it mentioned the 645D but the original report said MF. In addition, this report has been denied by Pentax included the info that Pentax would sell their headquarters. If this wasn't enough, the whole scheme this was a part of (Pentax surviving on its own) has been dropped in favour of a buyout by Hoya. As it is now, Pentax will just get a new owner and continue like before.

The dropping of the 645D is an unsubstantiated rumor.

I assume that the economics for the P645D were penned in the black and not planned as a loss leader. This is still probably true. Because keeping up the inventory in parts and the production capabilities for the legacy P645 and P67 film camera makes less and less sense as time goes on, this should be the first on the chopping block. If there is a market niche for a 645 digital, then Pentax should exploit it.

We'll see what eventually happens, but I suspect that the extremist fans will only see silverlinings no matter what.