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Pentax become second victim of European legislation

Pentax 645NII and 67II medium format film cameras will both be discontinued, as well as a number of film and digital compact models.

26 Mar 2006 11:09PM by ePHOTOzine | Industry News

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Pentax become second victim of European legislation

The Europe-wide ban on the use of lead solder in electronic components has claimed its second victim. Pentax will cease to sell it's medium format film cameras in Europe in preparation for the legislation coming into force on 1st July.

This legislation has already caused the Hasselblad XPan to meet its end due to its lead solder content. Lead is one of several hazardous substances outlawed by the regulations because it is considered to be harmful to the environment when disposed of.

Pentax will be releasing a full list of affected products in the near future. Whether the products will simply be unavailable in Europe, or if production will end completely, has not yet been made clear.

Pentax's planned launch of a digital 645 medium format camera will still go ahead unaffected.

Pentax have released a statement concerning the circumstances which forced the end of these cameras here

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Comments

foxybrown 17 368

26 Mar 2006 11:57PM

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what a load of bo110ck5, this EU ligislation is a pile if sh!t. is lead in cameras totally destroying our environment?

go after cars and heavy industry. those are the real culprits, not joe bloggs with his tiny camera.

people dont throw away cameras every day, cant the [email protected] see that? who makes these stupid laws - their heads must be screwed after centuries of inbreeding.

Just Jas Plus

20 26.4k 1

26 Mar 2006 11:57PM

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This ban has been a long time coming into effect.

Alternative soldering methods - lead free solder - have been available for some time.

Forward thinking should have directed effort towards approved soldering process.

jas

mad-dogs 20 2.2k

26 Mar 2006 11:58PM

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I would think the additives in food present more danger to health than solder with lead content.

I gave up eating solder years ago!

foxybrown 17 368

27 Mar 2006 12:00AM

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with this cold spring, i think we ought to pollute the earth with lead, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphure CFC's and everything else.

hopefully give global warming a kick start and get a warmer climate in this country!

mad-dogs 20 2.2k

27 Mar 2006 12:04AM

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I would think the additives in food present more danger to health than solder with lead content.

I gave up eating solder years ago!

mattw 18 5.2k 10

27 Mar 2006 12:37AM

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Does anyone get the impression that Pentax read the press release by Hasselblad the other day and thought 'That's a good idea! We too can use this excse to kill off some of our popular but loss making camera's....'

It's a real shame, but if these camera's were making a profit, then a solution would be found.

Mattw

monstersnowman 17 1.7k 1

27 Mar 2006 2:16AM

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OK I am not disagreeing with the sense behind their ban but I think the EU would be far more useful in reducing the ridiculously over-the-top packaging that surrounds and srangles every product we buy .. from biscuits to Bratz dolls ... how much packaging goes into land-fill after xmas that really was only there to add value to the cheap plastic product inside?

monstersnowman 17 1.7k 1

27 Mar 2006 2:17AM

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OK I am not disagreeing with the sense behind their ban but I think the EU would be far more useful in reducing the ridiculously over-the-top packaging that surrounds and strangles every product we buy .. from biscuits to Bratz dolls ... how much packaging goes into land-fill after xmas that really was only there to add value to the cheap plastic product inside?

monstersnowman 17 1.7k 1

27 Mar 2006 2:17AM

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so good I said it twice :0)

Bucks 19 238

27 Mar 2006 3:05AM

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EU law seems very remote from real life, maybe we need to mention this when politicians come looking for votes- we pick the MEPs, and they 'work' for Us.
Sad to see these cameras go, but is there a future for medium format?
(I hope so, but I fear not)
When I bought Film in the US, it came in the tub, no additional cardboard box, handier for me, cheaper for Fuji, better for the environment, yet no one does it over here.
Memory cards come with a heap of plastic packaging(much more wasteful than cardboard) which goes straight in the bin, less packaging is in everyones interests, but there is no urge to do it.

buckleyi 18 3

27 Mar 2006 3:33AM

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Sack all the EU politicians, use all the millions and millions of pounds they cost us all in backhanders, exhorbitant expense accounts, bonuses, perks and saleries to put the world to rights - sorted!

jkennedy 16 4 1

27 Mar 2006 4:12AM

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While I am certainly in favour of protecting our environment I feel that the EU politicians would serve us all better and maybe help to justify their exhorbitant salaries by hitting back at the real polluters rather than the solder joints of cameras. Pity to lose these great cameras from Pentax and Hasselblad.

keithknight 16 60

27 Mar 2006 4:59AM

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This law covers much more than just lead in solder, although that is what gets the press coverage. RoHS stands for the Restriction of the use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment and applies to equipment put on the market from 1st July 2006. The Directive restricts the use of 6 substances (lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and the 2 brominated flame retardants, PBB & PBDE).
It has been known to be coming for a long time and most manufacturers have dealt with the issue by changing to new materials when new models are released, so they have minimal retooling costs. Where you have a model that is not replaced/upgraded every couple of years then you have a problem. Just to make it worse, these would normally be the slow selling models, where retooling would just simply not be cost effective. So look forward to more announcements like this in all sorts of areas.
Then will come the scare stories (we can't repair this it's got lead solder in it) - not true there is provision in the legislation for the servicing and maintenance of the old kit. But no doubt it will be used to try to sell you new kit.

perrism 18 6

27 Mar 2006 10:40AM

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Call me thick if you will, but this legislation is to prevent lead being put into the ground, right? So where did the lead come from in the first place?

lighty 20 223

27 Mar 2006 11:28AM

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But after the 1st July,Pentax will have to dispose of their 67'S
anyone know where?
john

StrayCat 18 19.1k 3

27 Mar 2006 12:26PM

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StrayCat 18 19.1k 3

27 Mar 2006 12:26PM

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They'll more than likely bury them.

hwatt 19 22

27 Mar 2006 2:18PM

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I don't suppose Pentax would care to dispose of a pentax 67 II my way. I use one presently and exclusively and have no intention of placing mine in a landfill. Looks like I will be forced to go digital.

Windmillskies 17 183

27 Mar 2006 9:49PM

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I don't suppose they'd like to dispose of one my way...i could give one a happy home!!!

LAF 19 1.7k

28 Mar 2006 1:33AM

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Reason the EU is [email protected] No. 12,734,087.

mack 18 290

28 Mar 2006 2:13AM

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I served my apprenticeship in the printing trade in the days of hot metal casting, the type was made of Lead, Tin and Antimony (solder). I handled tons of the stuff over the years, breathed in the fumes when re-melting it for ingots to be used again. Will the EU ban me and my contempories for lead content, as we must have swallowed more than can ever be found in a camera. I do find now at the age of 64 my feet getting heavy, do you think there may be a link somewhere?
Mack

pbraham 16 2

28 Mar 2006 10:22AM

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Yes it is sad, I originally trained on 5x4, spent most of my career using roll film cameras, regarded 35mm as ok for slides, not much else. I now use a digital SLR for work and a 35mm for my own stuff. Pentax obviously see no point in prolonging the life of equipment who's time has passed. Paul

Dave91UK 19

31 Mar 2006 5:44AM

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Dave91UK 19

31 Mar 2006 5:49AM

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Is the EEC aware that the majority of our drinking water is still carried through lead pipes !
How many households are advised to run their cold water for several minutes, first thing every morning.
DaveO.

BJohnS 16 1

31 Mar 2006 6:56AM

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Well I still have lead waterpipes and Is it a ploy to save the lead for bullets, seriously none of us want polution but there needs to be some sense in what is a small amount who intends to throw their cameras away.

bsoul 18

31 Mar 2006 7:23AM

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If lead is hazardous to health then perhaps every bullet should have a health warning attached to it. That way the recipient can choose to receive or reject it.lol

bsoul 18

31 Mar 2006 7:24AM

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If lead is hazardous to health then perhaps every bullet should have a health warning attached to it. That way the recipient can choose to receive or reject it.lol

bsoul 18

31 Mar 2006 7:31AM

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If lead is hazardous to health then perhaps every bullet should have a health warning attached to it. That way the recipient can choose to receive or reject it.lol

PeteBailey 19 14

2 Apr 2006 3:44PM

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An automatic gun, perhaps?

mrfish 20

3 Apr 2006 10:53AM

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mrfish 20

3 Apr 2006 10:56AM

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Hands up if you've ever thrown a camera away once you've finished with it?
I fish in the sea and probably lose about a pound of lead on a bad day. What about shotgun pellets? There's more to this than just lead.

Pentax become second victim of European legislation

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