A couple of new cameras will soon be released from Pentax. The first is the latest in their line of rugged waterproof cameras, the w90. I’m a big fan of the W-series. They’re perfect for vacations when you may forget to empty your pockets before you dive in the ocean.
Pentax Optio W90 Camera (mud not included)
The bigger news is the countdown to the unveiling of Pentax’s flaship model, the long awaited Pentax 645D. I believe the sensor will be 1.7 times the size of a full frame 35mm sensor, but no news yet of how many megapixels, new lenses, the price, or the date of release.
Countdown to the Release of the Pentax 645D
TRAVEL 67 : Chris Willson Photography 
Do you have any idea if these cameras will float? I have a friend that went Kayaking through the yaeyama Islands near Okinawa and took pics through the entire trip only to lose his camera when he got blasted by a wave. Weather proof is cool but it would be nice if someone made one that would float too.
I think there are small floats that are designed to attached to you camera or glasses case so it won’t sink. It would probably be pretty simple to make one out of a small piece of foam and a plastic clip. Did he lose his camera while kayaking on Iriomote? I’ll look out for it next time I’m down there 🙂
This Pentax 645D is the one you talked about to me at Kamakura last year. I looked forward to your photos with this camera. Does this camera needs all new lenses?
Yes it’s the same one. It has been in development for many years. I think there will be some new lenses designed for the camera, but it should also work with older Pentax 645 lenses and with Pentax 67 lenses with a 67 to 645 adapter.
Must first wait to see the specs and the price before deciding whether I will buy one.
Here are the latest rumored specs, launch date and pricing: http://photorumors.com/2010/03/02/few-pentax-645d-updates/
They have specific floats you can get as an accessory for it. I’m really looking forward to grabbing one of these this summer. I owned a Pentax Optio W30, and it’s my favorite digital camera I’ve used to date. It broke awhile back, so I’m in need of a new one, the W90 looks like the route I’ll be taking.