Pentax Discontinues 645 and 67 Film Cameras

645 & 67 Film Bodies Discontinued
Digital Medium Format Promised

by John O'Keefe-Odom
AgXphoto.info

In a press release published in Japanese, Pentax announced it was discontinuing Pentax 645 NII film bodies and Pentax 67II film bodies before 2010. After this April, they plan to manufacture only 450 more 645NIIs and only 250 more 67IIs. [3]

Pentax 645 variants have been in production since at least 1984, [4] with 645Ns beginning around early 2001. [3, 5] Pentax 67 variants have been in production since 1969. [6] Pentax 67IIs were released in 1998. [7] The manufacturer cited difficulty in obtaining internal electronic parts for the older models as one of the contributing reasons for the discontinuation of these cameras. [3]

Pentax plans to release its new “Pentax 645 Digital” in 2010, a proposed 30 megapixel medium format digital camera.

The camera features an interesting seam below the eyecup and around the monitor face, implying the possibility of a removable back, but there is no word on the camera’s internal workings beyond sensor size and labels visible on function buttons. The camera was featured in a press release photo.

“ . . . exterior design is finalized. The price has not yet been set,” noted the press release published concurrent to PIE, Photo Imaging Expo 2009, a large photography equipment trade show in Tokyo, Japan. [8]

Pentax and PIE 2009

Hard on the heels of PMA, a photography equipment trade show recently hosted in Las Vegas Nevada, PIE 2009 apparently features a more prominent Pentax showing.

PMA in Vegas was reportedly a typical American tradeshow; PIE in Tokyo touts free tutorial seminars for the public, given by photography professionals, with audiences limited to 100 participants per seminar. [12]

At PMA Pentax unveiled a new lens case [9] and granted an interview between Ned Bunnell, Pentax USA President and Josh Root with Justin Serpico, both of Photo.net, a leading, internationally prominent photography website. [10]

At PIE in Tokyo, the Pentax brand sponsors 6 of the 41 talks from photography experts. [13]

One lecture associates a K20D with an Antarctic expedition. Another event showcases Pentax binoculars. Pentax provides plenty of “touchable” displays for convention visitor’s hands-on examinations, complete with on-location printing. The Pentax ad implies that a visitor to their booth inspecting the cameras and lenses could even make a sample printout.

PIE goes from 1000 until 1700 every day for four full days from 26 MAR 09 to 29 MAR 09. [11]

Endnotes and Sources:

[1] Stone, Lindy. “New Pentax Dslrs announced & 6x7II & 645II discontinued:.” March 24, 2009. [INTERNET] www.photo.net [THREAD] http://photo.net/pentax-camera-forum/00SqvW

[2] Serpico, Justin. “Pentax 645D announced (again....).” March 24, 2009. [INTERNET] www.photo.net [THREAD] http://photo.net/pentax-camera-forum/00SqwJ

[3] Hoya Corporation Pentax Imaging Systems Division. “Size film in camera "PENTAX 67II" "PENTAX 645NII" End of Announcement,” (Google translated). [INTERNET] http://www.pentax.jp/japan/news/announce/20090324.html [TRANSLATION] http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pentax.jp%2Fjapan%2Findex.php&sl=ja&tl=en

[4] Asahi Optical Company, Ltd. “Pentax 645 Operating Manual.” Asahi Optical Compay, Ltd., Japan, 1984.

[5] Fadner, W.L. “The Pentax 645N
Expanding The Telephoto Lens Line Up.” [INTERNET] www.shutterbug.com [PAGE] http://www.shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/lenses/0102sb_pentax/

[6] _______, et al. “Pentax 67.” 30 DEC 2008 [INTERNET] www.camerapeida.org [PAGE] http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Pentax_67

[7] Reichmann, Michael. “Pentax 67II.” [INTERNET] www.luminous-landscape.com [PAGE] http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/pentax67ii.shtml

[8] Hoya Corporation Pentax Imaging Systems Division. “The Photo Imaging Expo 2009, for sample only,” (Google translated). March 24, 2009. [INTERNET] http://www.pentax.jp/japan/news/2009/200907.html [TRANSLATION] http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pentax.jp%2Fjapan%2Findex.php&sl=ja&tl=en

[9] ______, Hannah and Josh Root, ed. “PMA 2009-New Pentax DA Lens Case for Limited Lenses.” March 6, 2009. [INTERNET] www.photo.net [BLOG] http://blog.photo.net/?p=3201#more-3201

[10] Root, Josh. “PMA 2009 - Pentax answers a few user questions.” March 11, 2009. [INTERNET] www.photo.net [BLOG] http://blog.photo.net/?p=4132

[11] Hoya Corporation Pentax Imaging Systems. “PIE Photo Imaging Expo 2009”. (Google translated). [INTERNET] http://209.85.133.132/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.pentax.jp/japan/info/2009camera/&prev=hp&usg=ALkJrhhmpiH_A-gg9nl75nPK8NL0pxSL8w

[12] _____. “Photo Imaging Expo.” [INTERNET] www.photimagingexpo.jp [PAGE] http://www.photoimagingexpo.com/04.html

[13] _____. “Pentax PIE Photo Imaging Expo 2009.” [INTERNET] wwww.pentax.jp [PAGE] http://www.pentax.jp/japan/info/2009camera/

Text and photos for the article
(c)John O’Keefe-Odom, AgXphoto.info.

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