When Ricoh made the recent announcement that it had discontinued all current Pentax DSLR lineups for an “entirely new” digital SLR concept, the company also announced that this new mystery camera, potentially cameras, would allow more people to “enjoy the act of taking pictures itself”.
To me, this wording sounds like the DSLR die-hard manufacturer is cooking up something beginner-friendly. Not only that, while the Pentax parent company didn't state anything about medium format in the announcement, it also gave me these vibes.
Now I don’t know about you, but when I think about the “act of taking photos” and enjoying the “process of photography” itself – also written on the announcement – I think about old-school photography.
And I don’t just mean shooting on film and spending time in the darkroom. I also mean the whole idea of crafting a photo, you know, being completely immersed in the moment, instead of firing off a handful of frames in just a few seconds.
Of course, just like a full-frame Sony Alpha or Canon EOS, a digital medium-format camera can do that. But, to me, this sensor format, which is geared toward blowing up images as high-quality prints, is all about encouraging a slower pace of photography, one that can be appreciated by all.
Admittedly, I’m primarily going by gut instinct here. But I don’t think it’s a complete long shot when you also consider that medium-format sales have flourished in recent years. Take Fujifilm and Hasselblad, the two main medium-format players, as prime examples.
The former captured and continues to hold a big slice of the medium-format market since entering it with the GFX 50S in 2017. Meanwhile, Hasselblad has seen record revenues since being taken over by DJI that same year.
Since then its revenues have consistently grown, leading to an all-time high of $325.9 million (approximately £244 million / AU$458 million) in 2025, thanks to new releases, including the highly successful 100MP X2D II 100C.
There is, however, an obvious elephant in the room: Ricoh has previously released DSLR medium-format cameras. These came in the form of the Pentax 645D, released in 2010 with a price tag of $9,999, and the Pentax 645Z, which came out four years later for slightly less at $8,499.
Although, I would still consider a super-easy-to-use and cheap medium-format Pentax – perhaps with some kind of built-in smartphone control too – as being a “new concept”.
And I think it could capture a whole range of less experienced enthusiasts who don’t want to pay the typical medium-format mega bucks, but who want the true photographic experience.
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