I often need reminding that I needn’t limit my creativity because I don’t possess the fanciest tools.

While the big guns like Hasselblad and PhaseONE continue the climb to the top of Megapixel Mountain, budget minded photographers have been looking for solutions to step up to the higher resolution and dynamic range offered by medium format sensors without the price of a BMW.  Just a used BMW.

Pentax used to make excellent medium format film cameras.  I like the idea of a Pentax resurgence.  That white K-x is a sexy piece of kit, and all reviews point to it being a real performer (if only it didn’t shoot video in Motion Jpeg…).  A few months ago I took in a show by Nick Brandt, who traveled Africa for years with his Pentax 67II and somewhat unconventional techniques, to capture the golden portraits you see here. All the post was done digitally, but the character of the Pentax remains.

It seems like the company hopes to reclaim this territory with the soon to be released Pentax 645D. Its big boxy tank of a design clearly looks back at the old film 645′s, and its under $10,000 price brings it into the realm of possible, especially for someone willing to scout cheap used lenses.  It is a smart move by the company to leverage its history and past success to push its future, as we’ve seen Olympus do with the PEN. Come to think of it, a leapfrog compact/mirrorless product by Pentax would be a smart move about now as well.