Yes, the write times are slow--the problem of large image files (but still faster than Polaroids). The auto lens correction can add to that time. Disable that in the menu. There is no difference in write time for PEF and DNG. However the buffer is fairly large and so capture rate is not really affected by write time until the buffer fills. I have yet to hit that.
It's not be accurate to say that's a "problem with large file sizes".
Other higher-end systems produce much larger files and write them much faster. It just requires equally increased hardware/firmware/design to accommodate the larger files.
A lot happens between the shutter release and the image being stored. The Phase One IQ series has a Phase One designed custom quad-core processor and auxiliary processors dedicated specifically to processing, displaying, and storing the image. Phase also uses dedicated hardware to compress the image
prior to it entering the buffer (a method which is patented) which greatly increases potential throughput. They will also soon be releasing firmware to support UDMA7 (which supports up to 100 megabytes per second).
This is Pentax's first foray into dealing with medium format sensors and the files that go along with them. Much like Leica's M8 first foray into a high res digital sensor. The process of tweaking hardware, firmware, and interface to maximize throughput often takes a full generation of equipment.
Hopefully the hardware in the 645 will support better performance through firmware tweaking and implementation of e.g. the UDMA7 spec for CF cards. But it's impossible to tell in advance how far a system's overall performance can be improved until the work is actually done.
And to be fair, Pentax specifically markets this camera to landscape photographers (not that they 100% ignore other markets, but this is their primary push). So for them to include the R+D, and hardware, to increase performance in this area would either increase the price or decrease the resources available for other features - all for a feature not especially important to their main market.
As another reference point compare the Pentax 645 to a Mamiya ZD. Even though the Pentax is twice the resolution it is significantly faster in writing to the card and reviewing the image.
So anyway, it's not just the size of the image.
Doug Peterson
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