[Kei1000]

Hoya-Pentax is alive! According to Citigroup Global Markets Japan Inc Hoya plans to release a mirrorless camera that is “distinct” from other mirrorless cameras. Citigroup doesn’t give any further detail but this is an official document were they analyzed the Business conditions from Hoya.
Photokina is almost here, time to wake up Pentax folks!
Download the document: Hoya-SBJ-2010-08-03.pdf

k-rumors Blog Archive (K4) Finally Hoya decided to make a Pentax mirrorless camera!!!

Mirrorless Forums

say no more...

nudge, nudge...

know what I mean?

Kei1000

[future_retro]

Well if accepts K mount lenses then I'm in. An APS-C sized sensor would great too, none of that MFT crop factor stuff

A Pentax APS-C mirror-less camera with the DA limited line would be force to be reckoned with

[pxpaulx]

Interesting. Is this something that is totally solid, or is it possible that Citi does web-based research and found all of the mirrorless rumor threads and concluded it must be a reality?

This statement was down in the risks section:

2) decisions earlier than expected and
on better than expected terms for the sale of the Pentax camera operations

Seems to me the fact that they folded the Pentax name into their own operations report (from what I have read this morning, Pentax used to be reported separately?) suggests they see strong potential for the brand and intend to put their full effort into its' support.

This is very interesting! And it seems to be real information that originated from Hoya.

But how should one interpret the "distinct"? Something that differs from others. FF EVIL would be one option, but it is unlikely. WR in an EVIL camera sounds more plausible. What else? What do you think, does this exclude µ4/3 format?

Interesting. Is this something that is totally solid, or is it possible that Citi does web-based research and found all of the mirrorless rumor threads and concluded it must be a reality?

I find it VERY hard to believe that something like Citigroup would publish market and company analysis based on some vague rumors. No way.

[Winder]

Olympus did not have the resources to develop 4/3 & m4/3 at the same time and it resulted in Olympus abandoning (for all practical purposes) the 4/3 market.

Does Pentax have the resources to develop a mirrorless line along side the DSLR and 645D? Will the K-mount series suffer? The CDAF on the K-7 is not very good, so I hope Pentax has some major improvements ready for a new EVIL body.

[Aristophanes]

k-rumors Blog Archive (K4) Finally Hoya decided to make a Pentax mirrorless camera!!!

say no more...

nudge, nudge...

know what I mean?

Kei1000

A pretty standard analysis document. I would be surprised if Hoya was NOT prepping a mirrorless (and an FF) camera, at least in prototype stage. Production and release dates are another matter. Someone was on the phone doing this survey (Citi are Boya preferred shareholder) and something slipped out or was planned to slip out what with pre-Photokina announcements coming anyway.

There's a line near the end about the "sale" of the Pentax camera operations. Odd. I think that might refer to the purchase and integration of Pentax as a risk still ongoing rather than shopping the Pentax brand around. Maybe Hoya is shopping it around. Who knows?

Of note in the document is the analysis of a global slowdown in demand...except for cameras. Deflation is here...but demand for interchangeable lenses is expected to increase. We loves our photos so much we'll take food off the table to make picture.

[Urkeldaedalus]

Hoya-Pentax is alive! According to Citigroup Global Markets Japan Inc Hoya plans to release a mirrorless camera that is “distinct” from other mirrorless cameras.

Distinct, eh? 20 different color schemes for the mirrorless bodies I assume

(I kid because I love)

Seriously, though, this is an interesting source for what is to come, and matches an interview earlier in the Spring where Pentax officials said they were going to put their own spin on the mirrorless camera trend.

[pxpaulx]

I just posted this morning over at the mirrorless forums in the 'what do you want to see from olympus for their next Pen camera' thread, that I would die for an E-pl1 built like a K-7. If Pentax made that happen I would be a happy camper.

[monochrome]

I find it VERY hard to believe that something like Citigroup would publish market and company analysis based on some vague rumors. No way.

I can say with authority that the reseawrch piece itself is legit.

The commentary may or may not be actual fact. Note the writer states Hoya PLANS to release a mirrorless camera. It doesn't say when, or what stage of development such a product may be in.

The "distinct" reference certainly sounds like Hoya/Pentax - finding little niches, filling them with a few hundred thousand units and extensively reusing exiting technologies to lower the technology unit costs.

[gazonk]

Well if accepts K mount lenses then I'm in.

If it accepts K-mount, it's DOA! But Pentax of course isn't that stupid: The whole point of these cameras is the reduced flange distance.

HOWEVER, if they manage to make a new mount with an adapter with built-in screw-drive AF motor for K-mount lenses (is that possible...?), I would be VERY interested.

[yeatzee]

Finger's crossed there's something I'll actually be interested in along side this EVIL camera.

[konraDarnok]

If it accepts K-mount, it's DOA!

Why? You could make it identical and release a simple spacer with screw extension and pass thru contacts.


I'd be awfully disappointed if they abandoned their backwards compatibility.

[Clicker]

Would this be Pentax's first rangefinder?

[eigelb]

hehe a Point-and-shoot-camera for 645D owners