Pentax to offer limited edition 645D camera kit with innovative lacquer techniques developed by Sakamoto Urushi

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Pentax will offer a limited edition 645D camera kit produced to celebrate the PENTAX 645D being named Camera Grand Prix Japan 2011 Camera of the Year. This limited edition 645D camera kit features an elegant, lacquer-finished body. PENTAX is planning built-to-order production of this model with a minimum four month delivery period from the date each order is placed.
Using the innovative lacquer techniques developed by Sakamoto Urushi Manufacturing of Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Pentax has made use of the traditional art of urushi (lacquer) for the exterior of the 645D Japan camera body. This exclusive lacquer finish not only gives the camera an elegant, exquisite appearance, but also enhances the camera’s durability.
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In order to create a sense of exclusiveness and a rich depth to the coating, the process requires a number of painstaking steps, such as pasting many different types of silver leaves on a black-lacquer base — as if creating a collage of torn paper — and applying an overcoat of paint in a rich Bordeaux-wine tone. This sophisticated, meticulously handcrafted lacquer technique using natural urushi and silver leaves means that each camera body will be slightly different, ensuring the camera will be a one-of-a-kind, unique possession for the photographer.
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First announced in June 2010, the PENTAX 645D is a high-performance medium-format digital SLR camera combining super-high-resolution digital images with approximately 40 effective megapixels that offers exceptional reliability and superb operability. The camera was selected Camera GP Japan 2011 Camera of the Year” for its array of original, outstanding features including a large CCD sensor, and a dependable, dust-proof, weather-resistant body that operates in temperatures as low as –10°C.
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