[clackers]

Tell me next weeks Lottery numbers please?,seeing you two can make these calls.

Just because a company introduces new product lines,doesnt mean existing lines end.

You don't need a soothsayer, you just need to read the news, Surfar. That's what's happening:

Nikon Plans to Basically Abandon DSLRs by 2025 | PetaPixel

Canon have been discontinuing their EF lenses at gangbuster rates, too.

[brofkand]

Tell me next weeks Lottery numbers please?,seeing you two can make these calls.

Just because a company introduces new product lines,doesnt mean existing lines end.

Certainly the emphasis is on developing the newer systems but Canon for one have Dslr products "GOING GANGBUSTERS" according to RudiWinston the Canon USA spokesperson who intros new product.

In the reducing market, all the companies have to be very careful how they run their businesses.CoVid and THE WAR have complicated matters unfortunately.

Dslrs will remain until demand disappears.

Canon and Nikon have both announced they are not investing in their legacy SLR systems any more. Sony and Olympus quit years ago. Fuji didn't really have an SLR business to begin with unless you count their rebranded Nikons.

They will keep building their current models as demand exists but I wouldn't expect any new lenses or DSLR bodies from anyone, except Pentax, moving forward. And how many new lenses and SLRs Pentax will end up building is anybody's guess... there are only 2 future lenses on the Pentax roadmap and other than a K-1 II refresh, no new SLRs are really due either.

[The Squirrel Mafia]

'Historical Role of the SLR is Already Over,' Says Former Nikon GM | PetaPixel

^ There is also this.

But yeah. Many of us still prefer the "old fashioned" OVF.

[biz-engineer]

It's not the end of the SLR, it's the new beginning with Pentax :

You Tube

You Tube

---------- Post added 27-07-22 at 07:32 ----------

When the camera industry grew and like a rising tide raises all boats, they were tolerated as everyone made money, but the market has contracted.

It's a bit too simplistic. Third party lens makers don't complete on cameras, they compete on lenses but not quite exactly because the third party lenses are cheaper but often not as good quality as OEM. The proof is in the pudding, take the Sony FE mount, it's the most widely supported by third party manufacturers, Sony FE climbed the ranking to the level of Canon, Sony now being number 1 MILC supplier in the USA. Third party lens support helps sell more cameras!

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Last edited by biz-engineer; 07-26-2022 at 10:33 PM.

[cport]

If Pentax is the only SLR maker, there will be no third party lenses. Pentax will have to follow suit.

Nikon and Canon are getting out of SLRs. The mirrorless cameras have a smaller distance between the lens and the sensor. Lens designers use that space when they can.
No new lenses will be designed with sufficient back focal length to accommodate the mirror of an SLR.
With no new third party lenses, won't Pentax fall behind?

I think that it depends on what you require. I do not miss third party lenses.


The only 3rd party lens was Samyang 8mm, because this lens (8mm fish eye) was not available in Pentax world. Currently I am using only Pentax lenses, because I simply like them and some of them cannot be replaced by other system lenses (11-18/2,8, 10-17FE)

[StiffLegged]

If Pentax is the only SLR maker, there will be no third party lenses. Pentax will have to follow suit.

Nikon and Canon are getting out of SLRs. The mirrorless cameras have a smaller distance between the lens and the sensor. Lens designers use that space when they can.
No new lenses will be designed with sufficient back focal length to accommodate the mirror of an SLR.
With no new third party lenses, won't Pentax fall behind?

If existing third-party lenses continue to sell, manufacturers will continue to make them.

[jersey]

If Pentax is the only SLR maker, there will be no third party lenses. Pentax will have to follow suit.

Nikon and Canon are getting out of SLRs. The mirrorless cameras have a smaller distance between the lens and the sensor. Lens designers use that space when they can.
No new lenses will be designed with sufficient back focal length to accommodate the mirror of an SLR.
With no new third party lenses, won't Pentax fall behind?

There already are no modern autofocusing K-Mount lenses manufactured by third party. If you want modern lens your only option is Pentax or whatever is left from Sigma and Tamron stockpiles. Only cheaper, manual lenses are still supported.

And actually if Pentax is able to survive then I think there will be no need for third party lenses. If DSLR is vanity item, then you want it paired with same company lenses just as much as you want your Leica paired with Leica lenses.

[thibs]

Third party lens support helps sell more cameras!

Yet, better margins are often found in the lenses, not the cameras (although MILC certainly looks like the margins have been set quite a bit higher for cameras).

[PJ1]

So the SLR is doomed. Just like Pentax was doomed. Only now Pentax won't be doomed because it will be the last surviving SLR. I am still trying to figure that out.

[Rondec]

I don't think Sigma and Tamron have had any new lenses for the K mount for years and years. Pentax has used some Tamron lenses to fill out their lens line up, so I guess there is that. I just don't think it really matters that much to Pentax if there are third party lens makers that support the K mount. Technically every third party lens sales is one less Pentax lens sale (assuming Pentax has a lens in the appropriate focal length).

As for the long term viability of the K mount, it depends on Pentax, not on Sigma or Tamron. If Pentax releases interesting cameras and lenses in the next few years, the K mount will be fine.

From a photographer standpoint, unless you desperately need really long telephoto lenses or a tilt shift lens, Pentax has a very nice assortment of lenses in their catalog right now, plus there are a huge number of used lenses available. I don't think there are many standard focal lengths that are uncovered right now.

[biz-engineer]

Yet, better margins are often found in the lenses, not the cameras

Could you please provide sources that show that profit margins are higher for lenses than they are for cameras?

[gatorguy]

Could you please provide sources that show that profit margins are higher for lenses than they are for cameras?

I do recall Nikon recently stating their profit projections are predicated on selling two new Nikon lenses to each camera sale. That wouldn't mean 3rd party ones.

Of note Nikon imaging segment has managed close to 13.8% operating margin for the last reporting quarter, but some of that was the result of savings from "restructuring" their Thailand manufacturing facilities. It's not expected to be as profitable in the next few quarters.

[surfar]

Canon and Nikon have both announced they are not investing in their legacy SLR systems any more.

What they actually announced was that their RandD is concentrated on the new mounts(both 4 years next month and both progressing well).

In Canons case ,they have announced the flagship 1DX series is their last(R1 rumoured for Q4 this year btw).They said if the demand for Dslrs exists, then they will continue to supply.With around 75% of total Dslr sales I dont think they will abandon that profit.

But yeah. Many of us still prefer the "old fashioned" OVF.

And thats why Dslr will always have a presence in the market, a certain % of people like them or cant use EVFs.

[ChristianRock]

If Pentax is the only SLR maker, there will be no third party lenses. Pentax will have to follow suit.

Pentax doesn't "have" to do anything.

Leica did alright when everybody else went to SLR in the 50s/60s... (ok they had an SLR in the 70s but gave up on that pretty quickly...) they're still doing alright by doing what they've always done.

To me the question is not if Pentax will move to mirrorless. I'm pretty sure they won't, unless they come up with something so different that it will really set them apart (that's the Ricoh way of doing things and let's not forget it's now Ricoh running the show). With a shrinking market I don't expect them to.

The question afaic then is whether Pentax will remain in business or if Ricoh will just wind it down.

[R.Miller]

The question afaic then is whether Pentax will remain in business or if Ricoh will just wind it down.

It will depend on how profitable Pentax is of course. They have a niche and could survive for some time. But it depends on Ricoh really. I don't see not having third party support for lenses as an issue since that evaporated some time ago. Pentax latest lenses with PLM and DC motors are quite good and so long as they keep coming out with modern designs like those they could stay afloat.