[RonHendriks1966]

My local Pentax dealer has just told me that FF has been cancelled due to low sales forecasts.
He's been a reasonably reliable source in the past.
Please don't shoot the messenger, I'm simply reporting what I've been told.

So what if this is True. .........?

It is not totally impossible that the new K-1 doesn't sell in big numbers or that Ricoh Japan has no idea how many they actually could sell (maybe more then they think).

How does that work? I live in The Netherlands, wich is a relatie rich country, being number 7 on the list of income per capita https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lijst_van_landen_naar_bbp_per_hoofd_van_de_bevolking And still having a sales market for Pentax.

Stores overhere are lowering in numbers over the past 10 years where large internet shops took over and mass sales is done by Media Markt that doesn't carry Pentax. Stores are members of a Central buying system. So Ricoh Tokyo makes a call to Ricoh Europe in Paris to see how this would work...... Paris calls the Dutch representative for Pentax to go and see how sales are to be expected. Stores don't have much stock anymore and they don't need it. You just push in an order during daytime if you run out of something and have it delivered the next day. For stuff that sells good you take stock and for thing like Pentax you take one item in stock or non at all. So the phone rings and positive response is coming in very soon. It looks great! Almost all major stores will take the K-1 in stock and so the Central buyers combination makes a decision and says........We take 50 of those nice new camera's!. A call is made to Paris and that goes back to Tokyo. Panic is in the Ricoh Offices in Tokyo......Since The Netherlands are only taking 50 camera's! We Are talking about the 7th richest country in the World with 17 million citizens. They have staf meetings....The K-1 is almost like finished. Call back to Paris, see if a major sales push can change that number. Oh yes, the K-1 will come in a nice box and twelve of them fit in the larger to be shipped box. Paris is calling Holland and tells him to make a good push in sales to see if everyone is really reached with the first round of sales. He does his job very good and calls around for two days. Steps in his car and visits some of the premium stores. Everyone is still very excited! He is happy! A Job well done. Makes a call to the Central buyers organisation and tells them about the big box that ships the camera's. Okay.......We see your point on our first order. Well no problem sir........We change our order in conveniënce for Ricoh Imaging and order 4 boxes, in total 48 K-1 camera's!.

Then they call Tokyo.........major sales push in The Netherlands changed the sales from K-1 down with 4 % to 48 units!

Then something Happens in Tokyo. They are about to get married, but get the Jibbers, ending up like the Runaway Bride. You really want to, but you are afraid of the big step. In the USA the Ricoh people really are afraid that this would be the end of all times. So they take the big step and just put the Ķ-1 on display in New York! That will bring back the people from Tokyo back to us!

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Last edited by RonHendriks1966; 11-08-2015 at 10:45 AM.

[D1N0]

So what if this is True. .........?

tl;dr

Ad fuel to the fire. The flame has been doused already though.

[rawr]

It is not totally impossible that the new K-1 doesn't sell in big numbers or that Ricoh Japan has no idea how many they actually could sell (maybe more then they think).

Agreed. For Pentax, FF is almost like entering a new market. I imagine Nikon Japan would have had similar jitters before entering the FF market in 2007.

[Kunzite]

So what if this is True. .........?

You Tube

You Tube

Run to the caverns, Ron... we might join you later... maybe. Or maybe not.

[thibs]

Note that the same happens with F and FA lenses when not set on 'A' position. That's even more stupid beause the info is sent by digital pin but ignored (a Z1 will display it correctly).

Also note that once, the mount was even more crippled on the MZ60, not even able to use A lenses correctly if I remember correctly.

[kenspo]

Don't you even dare!

Hehe, have no plans for doing that. They do speak to me, but thats not the same as switching over. I just like to keep me updated!

[drougge]

I've been using those lenses exactly as I did when they were new (except that focusing is a tad more difficult):
I set aperture on the lens, put the camera in Av mode so the camera will set a shutter speed, and then I compose the picture, focus, and press the shutter button.
I didn't realize it was supposed to be more complicated than that.

All those images are taken wide open. It doesn't matter what aperture you set on the aperture ring when the camera is in Av mode, it will not stop the lens down. This is a symptom of the crippled mount. In other modes you get other effects.

[RobA_Oz]

Not on a Canon or Sony camera they don't.

Of course. Thank you for clarifying the intent.

[monochrome]

Just to be perfectly clear, I am completely satisfied using stop down metering on my digital Pentax cameras. I have a set of modern lenses to use with my modern cameras, and a set of legacy cameras to use with my legacy lenses. I will be delighted to use either modern or legacy lenses with the FF using whatever process Pentax provides to enable full-manual lens metering.

[IchabodCrane]

This explanation makes it confusing.

Pressing the "green" button . . . :
Not really; that's only true with M lenses (and A lenses when the aperture ring is NOT set to "A").
And in this case you won't see the set aperture in the VF, and it's also not in the Exif.

But with A lenses (aperture ring set to "A" and control from the body), handling and behaviour is not different from any newer non-AF lens.
This includes showing the aperture in VF and Exif.
And no "green" button needed.

---------- Post added 08-11-15 at 18:23 ----------

If you do it this way, the camera will use even an A lens as if it was a M lens (because aperture ring not in "A" position).

The pictures may be (randomly) correctly exposed, but the metering was not done correctly.

Thanks for correcting me. I was trying to think and type at the same time which I find can be dangerous (for me).

[UncleVanya]

I've been using those lenses exactly as I did when they were new (except that focusing is a tad more difficult):
I set aperture on the lens, put the camera in Av mode so the camera will set a shutter speed, and then I compose the picture, focus, and press the shutter button.
I didn't realize it was supposed to be more complicated than that.

M lenses won't work correctly that way. Calculated Exposure will ignore the selected aperture. If you chimp and use exposure compensation you can get it to work but again each time you adjust aperture you would have to readjust.

[Zygonyx]

Hi,

as i had the opportunity to see again that non working prototype, here is with more details the rear of the screen (last cable part is overrounded in red).

[Cynog Ap Brychan]

That screen looks pretty firmly attached to the camera to me. I don't think it's removable, but of course, I could be wrong.

[rawr]

more détails the rear of the screen (last cable part is underrounded in red).

Interesting. The whole screen certainly doesn't look detachable.

I wonder what degree of movement up/down/left/right the screen has? Seems like quite a lot - hold it above your head, hold it at waist level, shoot level while playing Twister or riding horseback.

Importantly, will it be able to flip upwards 180 degrees towards the front of the camera (and be completely visible above the pentaprism) for selfies?

[BrianL]

That screen looks pretty firmly attached to the camera to me. I don't think it's removable, but of course, I could be wrong.

I'm interested in why the screen is posed in that position in both the public showings. We've only seen one picture from the other side. That picture shows a fore and aft hinge mechanism which would allow a latch that could completely release the screen from the carrier. Alternatively it could just be the latch that holds the screen against the carrier. We need a set of good quality pictures from the left side of the camera.
Brian