Pentax’s New Medium Format 645Z Packs a 51MP CMOS Sensor and Max ISO 204,800
It’s here. The Pentax 645Z Medium Format camera has arrived just as the rumor sites said it would, and the camera’s release date was far from the only rumor that has proven to be 100% true. In fact, we’ll have to look hard to find anything they got wrong.
Unveiled just a couple of hours ago, the 645Z looks almost identical to the 645D that came four years before it. But looks are about the only thing that hasn’t changed.
Inside you’ll find a brand new 43.8 x 32.8mm 51.4MP CMOS sensor that can handle live view, record 1080p video and crank the ISO up to 206,800… or as they would say in Spinal Tap, eleven.
On top of that you have 3fps continuous shooting, a 3.2-inch 1.037M-dot tiltable LCD, 10-frame raw buffer, SAFOX 11 phase-matching AF module with 27 sensor points (25 cross-type sensors) and 76 weather seals that make it cold-resistant, dustproof and weather-resistant.
Here’s a closer look at the camera:
In addition to the camera, Ricoh is also making 13 additional FA 645 lenses available in the US that previously were not. Those are:
- 75mm f/2.8 $839.00
- 45mm f/2.8 $1,319.00
- 150mm f/2.8(IF) $1,679.00
- 300mm f/4 ED(IF) $4,799.95
- 400mm f/5.6 EDIF $3,479.00
- 45-85mm f/4.5 $2,879.00
- 120mm f/4 MACRO $1,679.00
- 200mm f/4 (IF) $1,319.00
- 80-160mm f/4.5 $2,519.00
- 33-55mm f/4.5 AL $3,239.00
- 150-300mm f/5.6 ED $3,239.00
- 35mm f/3.5 $1,919.00
- 55-110mm f/5.6 $2,039.00
The 645Z is slated to arrive in June for the very competitive (and very leaked in advance) price of $8,500 for the body only.
Ricoh is calling this one a ‘game-changer.’ And while not everyone will agree, those specs paired with that price point certainly does make this an incredibly compelling option for anybody who has every considered taking the leap into digital medium format.
To learn more about the camera, check out the full press release over on the Ricoh Imaging press page or preorder yours now at B&H Photo.
