[Tony Belding]

Somebody over on DPReview pointed out this --> Ricoh interview: new Pentax 645 under consideration, Pentax Q could still be alive, "surprise" expected this year (and more) - Photo Rumors

The latest copy of the Japanese magazine Nippon Camera has an interview with Ricoh/Pentax about their plans for 2019. The bit to highlight: Ricoh is still looking at the Pentax Q and it is not accurate to say that development is discontinued.

So, there is hope. At the same time, what does it mean for Ricoh to be "looking at" the Q system? Seems like they've been looking at it for A While now with nothing to show for it.

[Docrwm]

Been discussed in another thread ad nauseam. The Q is not officially abandoned and some think it is merely because some stock still exists and saying so would undercut sales of remaining stock.

[Adam]

So, there is hope. At the same time, what does it mean for Ricoh to be "looking at" the Q system? Seems like they've been looking at it for A While now with nothing to show for it.

I think it simply means they haven't ruled out developing additional models/lenses, even though nothing is currently planned or in development.

It is the Q mount that Pentax is interested in keeping alive.

Any new Q would be in a completely new body and sensor, that would reflect the changes in technology, they wouldn't just rehash an eight year old camera.

An EVF Q with an improved sensor/processor would be one possibility.
Small sensors aren't going away, as Ricard Feynman once said "There's lots of room at the bottom."

[ebk]

a new Pentax Q will be a nice 100 birthday surprce !

[Rondec]

It is hard to say. A lot of this goes back to a thread by JPT that summarized an interview with Pentax executives. Most wasn't about the Q, but they said that they are evaluating its future.

I'm afraid that just means that they still have Q camera stock to sell and once they are done selling that then they will figure out that they are done with it.

[Albert Siegel]

It seems that Ricoh will be holding an event showcasing what what the Q series can do and how to get the most out of it on the 17th in Tokyo. It's a paid event, so a class of sorts... but still... a sign that the Q is not totally dead as Ricoh would not bother with such an event for a discontinued product.

LINK---> ENJOY PENTAX Q [??]???????????????????????????RICOH IMAGING

[The Squirrel Mafia]

I'd go. It's only about $11 for family club members or $22 for the public. Problem is that I'm in the states.

[Docrwm]

It seems that Ricoh will be holding an event showcasing what what the Q series can do and how to get the most out of it on the 17th in Tokyo. It's a paid event, so a class of sorts... but still... a sign that the Q is not totally dead as Ricoh would not bother with such an event for a discontinued product.

LINK---> ENJOY PENTAX Q [??]???????????????????????????RICOH IMAGING

That is a good sign. Thanks for giving us the link.

[barondla]

It seems that Ricoh will be holding an event showcasing what what the Q series can do and how to get the most out of it on the 17th in Tokyo. It's a paid event, so a class of sorts... but still... a sign that the Q is not totally dead as Ricoh would not bother with such an event for a discontinued product.

LINK---> ENJOY PENTAX Q [??]???????????????????????????RICOH IMAGING

Excellent news. Pentax still loves the Q.
Thank you for posting.
barondla

[The Squirrel Mafia]

The Q7 & Q-S1 have always looked like very fun little cameras to me. A new Q body with an EVF and/or an updated easy to see in the bright sun tilting LCD screen with touch screen interface & faster response would get the ball rolling. If they use the same sized 1/1.7" sensor with an accelerator chip, it could be something even more amazing. I'd carry that body, along with the 01, 02, 03, 06, & 08 lenses in a tiny bag with me just about everywhere.

But yeah. There are 2 types of people. Those that get the Q & those that don't. It seems like the majority fall in the latter. I guess we'll see what the future holds for the Q system. I would certainly like for it to be successful!

[clickclick]

The Q7 & Q-S1 have always looked like very fun little cameras to me.

They are! I debated and debated picking up a Q-S1. The fear of small sensor and defraction and other woes of IQ gloom I read held me back. I couldn't resist the allure, and I snagged one. It's become my daily carry with the 06 and 02 and replacing a Sony a6000 with 16-50 and 70-210 that I had been hauling around. Yes, the Sony has higher IQ, but tell you what, the Q-S1 is pretty darn nice, and if you're not pixel peeping and cropping heavily, it's great. So as something to always leave in my messenger bag, it's perfect. It is also high on my list as a street camera. Mine is black, it doesn't jump out with color, and I think it's so small no one pays attention, unlike my K-1, where I've had people come up to me and ask if I was a pro.

[twilhelm]

I like my little Q10. If they came out with a new model with a good viewfinder (I don’t like EVF but would prefer to have the uption here) I would upgrade mine quickly. It’s a great and fun little camera to carry around.

[RobA_Oz]

Those who dismiss the Q because of its sensor size don’t seem to have realised that the smartphone camera, which has a similar (often smaller) sensor, is being used at an increasing rate to produce very good images. I do understand that the appeal of the phone over a stand-alone camera is that of convenience, so a revised Q would have to offer something that the phone doesn’t. An eyepiece could be one such thing; interchangeable lenses still is another, despite phone cameras now having multiple lenses. Nonetheless, size has to be small enough to not cause a sufficient number of people to reject it in favour of the convenience of the smartphone. Cost, of course, has to be a factor, too.

[ChristianRock]

The Q7/QS1 still has the most modern 1/1.7 sensor. No one has released a better sensor yet, and you know Ricoh - they will release a camera when they think it's a camera worth releasing. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with buying the current Q models.