Pentax has taken by surprise its subsidiaries, including Pentax UK, by announcing that it will be able to ship its long-awaited 645D medium format digital camera from October. The camera initially had a December 2010 release date.

Speaking to BJP, a spokeswoman for Pentax confirmed the change of schedule.

The 645D will now go on sale priced £9000 for the body only, or £10,000 with the DFA 55mm 645 SDM lens.

The confirmation comes more than five years after Pentax first unveiled the camera. Initially, the 645D had a 2007 release date, but following the company’s acquisition by Hoya, it seemed unlikely the 645D would ever make an appearance, despite being almost fully ready to roll out. A surprise announcement early this year put it back on the agenda, and having gone on sale in Japan already, it’s set to be available in Europe by the end of the year.

The camera sports a 44x33mm 40.1-megapixel sensor designed by Kodak and a newly designed SAFOX IX+ autofocus system with 11 sensor points. The 645D is made from a magnesium-alloy body, which has been made dustproof and waterproof with 70 seals. The camera also carries features over from its K-series digital SLRs, with the same battery as the K-7, as well as a Prime II image processing engine.

For more details, read our full hands-on preview of the camera.