You're so negative Rob, why is that?? It's scheduled for early 2005, not exactly that far off now is it? A couple other posters provided some interesting ideas as to what Pentax might actually be making. People want a "pro" solution, Pentax discusses said solution, and then people like you complain, and complain. My prediction is that neither Nikon or Canon will come out with a full frame MF format digital camera body unless Pentax has some serious success with theirs. So you can count them out of contention for now. As for the other companies, I don't think they can compete with Pentax. The only MF camera that is interesting to me at all outside of Pentax's offerings is the Mamiya 7. If there was a digital version of that camera with a digital viewfinder I would sell all my camera equipment in a heartbeat and buy that. Two things keep people from buying the 7 though, MF rolls are too cumbersome for action photography, and the viewfinder is not convenient at all. In fact, I simply don't do the type of shooting where I can afford to not have a TTL viewfinder. The 645 digital on the other hand has massive potential. It could be made smaller than it is, more in the range of a large 35mm, it could burst faster than any film MF camera, and it has a real viewfinder, unlike the Mamiya 7. Not to mention that it has a nice range of high quality Pentax 645 lenses. This could be THE camera to own if Pentax pulls out all the stops.
It's sad that Pentax gave up their 35mm dominance, but, I think it gives them a small advantage now. If they can convince people that 35mm is more for amateurs or specialized pros, and that newer, dedicated MF digital cameras are the choice for any pros whose major concern is image quality and then respectable portability, they will be sitting in a winning position, with very little investment in a dying market, i.e. the 35mm market. While the major 35mm competitors will be left with a shrinking market, and a huge investment in that market. Now, I'm not saying the 35mm market is dying, or going to die, but I think it's looking a bit more and more out of place... The increasing quality and affordability of digital P&S cameras are attacking from the low end, and the increasing affordability, and decreasing size of MF digitals will be attacking it from the high-end. People talk about FF sensors having advantages, well, what about MF sensors?? Wouldn't every 35mm shooter love to have MF quality with the same features and portability of 35mm systems?? I would. And that could happen with Pentax's new 645 digital... I'm reminded by captain Kirk's quote in the first Star Trek movie: "If you can't win a game by the rules, change the rules of the game." Or something to that effect. Basically, Pentax would have a heck of a time beating Nikon and Canon in 35mm, so what do you do?? You don't beat them at 35mm, you beat them where they have no presence. MF. Think about it, it works, it could be big. IF sensors just get bigger and cheaper as the years go by, why stop at 35mm?? MF could be the future of pro and serious amateur photography. There will always be a place for portable systems, but for those who want the UTMOST quality, MF is the promised land. -el gringo -----Original Message----- From: Rob Studdert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2004 7:22 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: Pentax is Dying? On 17 Jul 2004 at 12:08, El Gringo wrote: > And Antonio, people do know things about it, for one, it's supposed to be > out in early 2005. For another, the things I've said are straight from the > mouth of an executive at Pentax. This bothers me greatly. Sure it would be nice to have a full frame MF digi- solution but the whole concept strikes me as a severe misapplication of funds/development considering how badly their K-format kit is dragging its knuckles. Let alone the fact that by the time Pentax actually delivers such an MF-digi product to market everyone else in contention will already have products to market, we've seen it all before. Rob Studdert HURSTVILLE AUSTRALIA Tel +61-2-9554-4110 UTC(GMT) +10 Hours [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://members.ozemail.com.au/~distudio/publications/ Pentax user since 1986, PDMLer since 1998
