[lotech]

Pentax's mirrorless line is short lived, put aside the Q line 'fun cameras' I believe the reason is Pentax did not want to invest on a new lens system, but simply remove the mirror and prism to call it K01 'mirrorless'. What if Pentax rebuild the system with short back focus and only few lenses, a standard lens, an "EDC" zoom, a portrait/macro lens...etc., plus to include an adapter for DSLR lenses, this way Pentax can test the water without spending too much, if People like it then make it big, what do you think ?

[Not a Number]

Ever have that feeling of deja vu?

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

[Barry Pearson]

Pentax's mirrorless line is short lived, put aside the Q line 'fun cameras' I believe the reason is Pentax did not want to invest on a new lens system, but simply remove the mirror and prism to call it K01 'mirrorless'. What if Pentax rebuild the system with short back focus and only few lenses, a standard lens, an "EDC" zoom, a portrait/macro lens...etc., plus to include an adapter for DSLR lenses, this way Pentax can test the water without spending too much, if People like it then make it big, what do you think ?

When Pentax released the K-1, they already (or soon after) had about 15 officially-FF lenses in their current catalogue, and another has since arrived.
Also, a number of other companies have FF K-mount lenses in their current catalogues for where Pentax has gaps in their range.

People complain about the current restricted range of FF lenses, and the slowness of the introduction of new lenses.

Now think about a new camera with a new mount. Given the experience with "only" having the above lenses for the K-1-series, how many lenses would be needed to be credible to potential buyers of a new camera? I'm sure most people would be discouraged, or choose to "wait and see". So the camera wouldn't sell in anywhere near the volumes that it would with a good range of lenses. So it would be judged to have been a failure.

[biz-engineer]

Now think about a new camera with a new mount.

For a totally new mount, I would wait at least 3 years before I decide to buy any part of that system.

[Adam]

Given the rate at which K mount lenses are coming out, I'd consider a whole new system a longshot. This would have to be a well planned-out investment targeting a clear audience, since unlike a few years ago, camera manufacturers can't simply flood the market with new run-of-the-mill ILCs and expect them to sell well. What was limited to ILCs just a few years ago can be (and is) accomplished with smartphones, often yielding better results due to instant processing apps, ubiquity, and ease of use.

The K-mount system already has lot of compact lens/body options- and while still larger than mirrorless systems, I doubt this would be enough to get Ricoh to revisit mirrorless.

Since Ricoh picked up eye-fi's cloud service, I see potential in something along the lines of a "smart" camera. A camera that's not much bigger than a smartphone (pocketable or collapsible in some manner), but with a proper sensor, dedicated buttons (not too many), all of Pentax's advanced imaging tech (mechanical SR, pixel shift, AA filter simulator), and cloud storage that would simplify sharing and file transfer, and perhaps allow for AI-driven processing. The service should be included with the camera rather than being an add-on, which would make it stand out along the competition.

Question is, could Ricoh even pull something like this off alongside the likes of Sony, who are way ahead in terms of software. I feel like Ricoh is moving in the right direction with the Theta, so perhaps the answer is yes.

[roberrl]

I get confused about this argument that mirrorless systems are necessarily more compact. Given an aps-c sensor, a reasonably fast lens and a battery which will last longer than 5 minutes you have an irreducible minimum size.
Granted mirrorless doesn't need a housing but it will need some kind of viewfinder because who would want to rely on a back panel in sunlight.
So I think in practical terms you end up with a pretty big package anyway.
I think Ricoh/Pentax have other deficiencies that they can more easily and cheaply address than replacing the K mount - autofocus and video.

[Robot camera]

One advantage of a mirrorless camera is that there isn't the same restriction on component placement. In a DSLR, the viewfinder can only go in one place. There's no real alternative place for the screen, either. A mirrorless camera that's free of the usual design constraints could be optimised for certain sorts of photography. DSLRs in the same system could then be further optimised for what they do best, rather than being a bit of a compromise. A camera system that had both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras in a fully integrated system and with the same lens mount, with various camera bodies best at different things, could be a winner.

For example, it would be possible to own a two body kit, one a fully spec'd DSLR, and the other a smaller and lighter mirrorless optimised for image quality (rather than high frame rates, say) and relative compactness, or perhaps video. You'd take out one or other camera, or both, depending on your mood and what you wanted to do that day.

I don't think there's much difference in the size of lenses between mirrorless and DSLR designs unless we are talking about wide to standard primes of moderate aperture (around f/2.8, say). Last year, I compared two systems: Pentax APS-C (which I have) and the Sony A series, also the APS-C format (A friend has this system). Regarding the size and weight of lenses, there's not much in it overall, but the a6000 camera body is half the weight of my K3. A Pentax similar to the Sony but with a standard K mount would be just the job when you are not going out just to take photos. If it wasn't any bigger than, say, an MX I think it would be very popular. Especially if there was a 26mm f/2.8 pancake to go with it.

[lotech]

In comparison the Fuji is thinner and lighter than the Pentax, I've not handled any Sony FF so can't tell, I believe it is thin as well, many people go for mirrorless because of their size and weight.

If I were Pentax I would design a high end mega zoom like the Lumix instead of the Q, I can definitely create more sales with it, I don't know how much business the Q produced, but I think it is a waste of time and money, so Pentax willing to take that risk why not add (not replacing) a new mount that slightly different from the original K ?

I get confused about this argument that mirrorless systems are necessarily more compact. Given an aps-c sensor, a reasonably fast lens and a battery which will last longer than 5 minutes you have an irreducible minimum size.
Granted mirrorless doesn't need a housing but it will need some kind of viewfinder because who would want to rely on a back panel in sunlight.
So I think in practical terms you end up with a pretty big package anyway.
I think Ricoh/Pentax have other deficiencies that they can more easily and cheaply address than replacing the K mount - autofocus and video.

[wstruth]

My take on this is that it is really about what the camera has to offer and is that what I want. While i would like to see a Pentax mirrorless camera, my wishes for a Pentax mirrorless have more to do with brand loyalty than anything else. The KP with the small grip is a pretty thin camera across the body. Its not going to fit in the pocket with a lens on matter what I do and the same goes for every mirrorless camera out there. There area a lot of good mirrorless options out there and I ended up purchasing a Panasonic GX9. Feature wise for me it was weight, size somewhat (it still is a bit smaller that the KP with a lens on), good video, tilty screen, and focus peaking in the viewfinder for my adapted manual lenses, I had tried out APSC sized mirror less cameras and the minimal weight difference, no difference in picture quality and the flippy screen introduced with the KS-2 kept me in the fold (I am a big fan of tilt screens ). Again I think a Pentax mirrorless would be great but i would prefer to see they add features that can increase the user base like better video, faster focusing and lenses that will allow it, and a better flash system for P-TTL or TTL. More users will mean more lenses and God knows I have serious GAs when it comes to that.

[WPRESTO]

FYI: Nikon has announced the imminent release of a high-end FF mirrorless with a new lens mount that allegedly will permit advanced lens designs. VAV the latter, my guess would be larger diameter opening and shorter registration distance to accommodate ultra-wide lenses, and maybe full electronic aperture control. However, if Nikon does not include 100% back compatibility with the F-mount lenses, at least via an adopter, the new camera may be a slow seller. Maybe an adapter with a circular-style motor (like an in-lens AF motor) to operate a mechanical aperture lever?

[surfar]

include 100% back compatibility with the F-mount lenses, at least via an adopter,

We have some threads "down in the Dungeon" on the subject.August 23 all will be revealed by Nikon.

[WPRESTO]

We have some threads "down in the Dungeon" on the subject.August 23 all will be revealed by Nikon.

FYI: If you have not seen it, B&H has posted a big announcement.

[johnmflores]

Just put a FF sensor in the K-01 already. I'll buy it.

[reh321]

Just put a FF sensor in the K-01 already. I'll buy it.

The only reason I purchased K-30 instead of K-01 is that the K-01 doesn't have EVF. I use Q-7 with Hoodman, but for K-mount I still insist on ViewFinder of some kind.

[THoog]

Ever have that feeling of deja vu?

Youtu.be

Youtu.be