The camera was expected to be launched for a while now

Apr 15, 2014 06:23 GMT  ·  By

As we told you yesterday, the official announcement for the new Pentax 645Z was expected to arrive at the beginning of this week. And right on schedule, the camera is now official.

A successor to the popular medium-format Pentax 645D digital and Pentax 645 film cameras, the Pentax 645Z arrives with the same 44x33-milimeter sensor like its predecessor. However, there’s a difference, as Ricoh has replaced the CCD with a CMOS.

The resolution has been bumped as well, from 40 megapixels to 51 megapixels. Thus, the camera is capable of capturing 14-bit raw in PEF and DNG formats in addition to the standard TIFF and JPEG.

Due to the sensor change, the camera’s speeds increases, allowing users to shoot up to 3 frames per second (up from 1.1fps) with maximum shutter speed of 1/4,000 of a second.

Furthermore, the Pentax 645Z will also be offering full HD video capture in 25p, 25p, 30p, 50i or 60i frame rates in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (.MOV).

And then there’s the 4K function. Previous rumors claimed the camera would be able to shoot traditional video at this resolution, but as it turns out, this is not the case. Users won’t be able to shoot 4K video, but can create time lapse videos in camera in 4K.

These creations will be saved in AVI format using Motion JPG compression and can go as far as 1 minute in length.

Another enhancement users will probably notice is in the sensitivity department that has been greatly increased. Compared to the predecessor, the 645D that had a top ISO of 1600, the 645Z goes as far as ISO 204800.

If you’re wondering about the aesthetic features of the new camera, the body of the Pentax 645Z is made of magnesium-alloy frame with a diecast aluminum chassis. Ricoh is providing protection against cold, dust and the nasty elements by coating the camera with 76 weather seals.

Compared to the predecessor, the camera’s display is a tag larger at 3.2-inches and has an LCD with a resolution of 1,037,000 dots.

Another important aspect to mention is that Ricoh has made the 645Z compatible with the Wi-Fi-enabled Flucard SD cards.

This compatibility will allow users to release the shutter from a web-browser-enabled device, but also see a live-view from the camera or browse/download pictures.

Anyway, if you’re interested in the new Pentax you should know the body will arrive in June, but you better start saving up soon, because the camera will sell for a hefty $8,499 / €6,152.

However, consider the fact that another camera from the medium-format category, the Hasselblad H5D-50c is selling for a price thrice as big.  

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