On my side, as I already announced on other threads, I will move to Canon end of year/beginning of next year, whatever do Pentax. I would just like to explain my choice.
Many people wonder if and when Pentax will release a FF body. I guess even more people here (at least I gt that feeling reading that kind of thread) don't even want Pentax to go FF, afraid maybe it would cost too much to the company that will stop yo develop good APS-C cameras (or whatever is their reason to not want it).
On my side, what I see is a company that doesn't know if it must jump to FF format. Pentax was the 1st one to try that way, but the awful sensor available at that time made them go APS-C. And since that time, they designed a new lens line up "dedicated" APS-C, even if half of them are at the same time FF compatible. To me, it looks like they don't know what to do, and will not jump if nobody push them (NB: maybe Hoya will be a litle bit less scared to take decisions, let's see). So, for me, even if they finally decide to release a FF camera now, I would not feel comfortable to build my lens line up with very expensive new glasses specialy developped for this format. Because if they don't sell it well, they will have no other choice than stopping to offer a FF body.
That is why I don't anymore want to wait to know if they go FF or not. Then some of you would say I am stupid to started with Pentax 2 years ago, while Canon or Nikon seems to be a better choice for my wishes. I would "yes", if it was today. But, back to the future, when I bought my K20D, it's competitors was Canon 40D and Nikon D70. New bodies were expected, but not yet announced, Pentax lenses was way cheaper than Canikon's and I needed a good body at thhat moment, cannot wait more. Since Pentax offered a couple of excellent products before (K10D, K200D), and some people was already talking about a potential FF Pentax, it appeared to be a logical choice at that time. Sadly for me, things didn't went as expected... Canon and Nikon released APS-C cameras equivalent to the K20D 2 months later and I was not thinking to move FF (too much expensive to me at that time).
Today, I know a bit more things about camera, I know a bit more things about japanese camera company, and I see things in a different way.
K20D was a nice body, and can still perform very well (same IQ as the actual K7), but I discovered a passion for night portraiture. So I need very fast lenses and high isos. Which cannot be offered by Samsung' sensor. Then maybe the next Sony's one will offer more or less what I need, but I decided to move a step forward what can offer actual and next generation of APS-C sensors.
Then, when I look then lens line up, excepted FA limited (and even not fast enough in my opinion), there is nothing actually that feet to my needs. Even Sigma or Tamron offers me a wider choice of adequat lenses. Add to that the very noisy and annoying screw driver AF and the so so accurancy of AF (I get lot of problem recently during my night shots at f/1.4), and you may understand why I am done with the actual Pentax.
I will move to Canon. I don't like their ergonomics, but I can get used to it. I only care about IQ results. They offer a 5D MarkII camera with a very good high iso performance (i checked yesterday results for night pictures compared to Nikon D700 and it is almost better with the Canon!
Bildqualität | Testberichte | dkamera.de | Das Digitalkamera-Magazin ), the central AF point seems stellar for dim light conditions (even people using 1DMarkIV tell good words about this specific AF point, the only one I use) and AF is noiseless using the very fast and accurate USM motors.
Then, I have always been attracted by L lenses. Especially, the fabulous 70-200mm series. They also offer the unique 135mm F/2, which will correspond exactly to my actual favorite lens (Samyang 85mm f/1.4), and some very fast shorter primes. Exactly what I need today.
For all these reasons, it is time for me to leave Pentax. I enjoyed their ergonomics, the build quality of their products, the SR, the feeling to have a special object (even in Japan people didn't understood why I had a Pentax camera, they were amused to see Pentax was doing digital dSLR and a foreigner was crazy enough to buy it!). But now I want more. Much more. And Pentax is not going to offer me all what I want/need until a very long time. I need something much better "now", I will not leave in Japan all my life and want to keep incredible shots, for which I need the better camera set-up I can buy. Canon is offering me that set up. And also insurance for the next decades that I can continue to use my expensive equipment. Who can say the same here with its Pentax gears?
PS: check how much money you spent in your gear collection, with all these DA/FA limited and stars. I didn't yet started to buy that kind of expensive lenses. So please understand that I want to be sure to not "waste" my money since I will buy it from now.