[lithos]

A 2" LCD.

So crazy it just might work.

[john_ven24]

A 2" LCD.

So crazy it just might work.

Or a 3" wide screen LCD and make it a panorama camera!

[Vertex Ninja]

Or... A rangefinder and viewfinder, so we don't have to hold it at arms length in front of us. The new Fuji is perfect in this regard... except you can't change that lens.

[jimr-pdx]

If it must have a new mount, a PK adaptor should be included + allow for full automation. It's fun playing with old PK lenses on my micro43, but a small camera and my DA lenses would be even better!

[1shot]

How many mirrorless speculation/wish list threads do we really need!

[dnaseigel]

How many mirrorless speculation/wish list threads do we really need!

um...110?

[Fogel70]

Or... A rangefinder and viewfinder, so we don't have to hold it at arms length in front of us. The new Fuji is perfect in this regard... except you can't change that lens.

The optical VF fuji use would not be very useful on a interchangable lens camera. And if wanting to use zoom lenses RF VF is not usable.

[Fogel70]

If it must have a new mount, a PK adaptor should be included + allow for full automation. It's fun playing with old PK lenses on my micro43, but a small camera and my DA lenses would be even better!

That would be a bad decision for Pentax as they would have a hard time selling these cameras to other than Pentax (D)SLR users. Why would anyone else pay extra for an adapter they do not have any use for?

The size of the camera would not change to total size of the package much if using (D)SLR lenses. The smaller the camera is, the larger the adapter will be.

[Vertex Ninja]

The optical VF fuji use would not be very useful on a interchangable lens camera. And if wanting to use zoom lenses RF VF is not usable.

I'll admit, I don't know much about the fuji other than it looks cool and has a viewfinder. What makes it's viewfinder bad for use with interchangable lenses, other than not being designed for interchangable lenses from the start?

Pentax makes great primes, I would personally have no problem with a prime only lineup, or something like leica's tri-elmar.

[lithos]

Or... A rangefinder and viewfinder, so we don't have to hold it at arms length in front of us. The new Fuji is perfect in this regard... except you can't change that lens.

That's one reason - a proper viewfinder instead of a Tourist Mode-Only LCD.

The other reason is that...the EP-1 et al ain't all that small. I'd bet that most of the size (without lens) comes from having to fit a 3" LCD on it.

Compared to a 110, the EP-1 and, hell, a lot of "compact" cameras ain't that compact.

[vitc]

If you look at modern compacts, like Canon S95, many of them have 3" LCD, and are still pretty small. Sony NEX body has 3" tilting LCD, but still comparable in size to Pentax Auto 110 body.

[Fogel70]

I'll admit, I don't know much about the fuji other than it looks cool and has a viewfinder. What makes it's viewfinder bad for use with interchangable lenses, other than not being designed for interchangable lenses from the start?

The type of VF Fuji use is fixed so its FOV will not change when changing lenses. Just like range finders only a small part of VF will be used when using long focal length. And if using lenses with wider FOV than VF an extra OVF has to be used to know what is captured.

IMO a EVF is much more practical to use in a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera than OVF. This will make make a camera that has most of the advantages from both DSLR and RF.

[eddie1960]

The type of VF Fuji use is fixed so its FOV will not change when changing lenses. Just like range finders only a small part of VF will be used when using long focal length. And if using lenses with wider FOV than VF an extra OVF has to be used to know what is captured.

IMO a EVF is much more practical to use in a mirror-less interchangeable lens camera than OVF. This will make make a camera that has most of the advantages from both DSLR and RF.

Good explanation and I tend to agree. To have any hope of large enough sales volumes to be practical and to support new lens sales as well any optical RF idea is sadly out of date. the vast majority of the public will not be interested in a camera that only works with a limited number of prime options, and no zoom in today's market would be the kiss of death. A built in EVF that is positioned like an RF finder would give the RF feel to use and all the benefit of a finder that is WYSIWYG capable of overlaying all relevant info and keeping a low profile
coupled with a smaller LCD on the back for review and video shooting it could be an amazing camera.
pair that with a short enough registration distance to accomodate most older lenses and a Kaf optional adaptor and it would be quite something

[Vertex Ninja]

The type of VF Fuji use is fixed so its FOV will not change when changing lenses. Just like range finders only a small part of VF will be used when using long focal length. And if using lenses with wider FOV than VF an extra OVF has to be used to know what is captured.

IMO a EVF is much more practical to use in a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera than OVF. This will make make a camera that has most of the advantages from both DSLR and RF.

An EVF is more practical, but who says they can't make an optical viewfinder that zooms, like the Contax G, with electronic overlays like the new fuji. Give the option of using the screen as a viewfinder if you want, and also sell an EVF for the hotshoe like the other guys. The casual users aren't gonna use the viewfinder anyway. People who want a real RF that uses real RF focusing(including auto-focus) would be very interested. The people that would consider the Olympus etc. wouldn't lose anything over those cameras either, because they use an external EVF. Throw in Pentax's limited primes and you've got and electronic leica-like camera on the cheap. Add sensor shake reduction, and I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I know I'd make a bad business man, but if it's a wishlist of sorts, that's what would get me to stand up and take notice.

[eddie1960]

An EVF is more practical, but who says they can't make an optical viewfinder that zooms, like the Contax G, with electronic overlays like the new fuji. Give the option of using the screen as a viewfinder if you want, and also sell an EVF for the hotshoe like the other guys. The casual users aren't gonna use the viewfinder anyway. People who want a real RF that uses real RF focusing(including auto-focus) would be very interested. The people that would consider the Olympus etc. wouldn't lose anything over those cameras either, because they use an external EVF. Throw in Pentax's limited primes and you've got and electronic leica-like camera on the cheap. Add sensor shake reduction, and I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I know I'd make a bad business man, but if it's a wishlist of sorts, that's what would get me to stand up and take notice.

It's a wish-list i would like as well but in reality there just aren't enough rangefinder shooters to support the idea who would stray from Leica, and most of them can only afford to use older Film bodies. Really this will not likely ever come from Pentax but I can see a Cosina Fuji partnership developing one (or Epson finally updating with Cosina on the RD1)
Pentax has never been in the rangefinder game and are largely responsible for the rise of SLR photography so wishing they would move towards a niche format like RF is a dream that will likely never happen
I can see a design that utilizes a new platform with an 110 design before this would happen
There will be an Evil of some sort I am certain. With Oly, Pana and Sony already there and Nikon on the verge of their announcement (with a whack of patents to support it) there will be no choice. Same will happen with Canon they will have one. Right now I see Pentax and canon in a race for last place in entering this market.
With the way Evils are improving by leaps and bounds almost every 6-8 months I see the entry level market being completely taken over by these and SLR becoming the Enthusiast and Pro option (and tailing off in volume replaced by Evil volumes. This spells trouble in the long term as Pentax's biggest success of late was the Kx So you can be certain they have a plan under way
I remember pre Dslr when digital was just starting interviewing for a management job at a camera chain. One of the questions was how fast i though Digital would replace film. I guessed withing 3 years at the outside (It actually was faster than that to some degree) I didn't get the job because the owner though it would take at least 10 years. His chain is now 1 store. I came from the A/V side of CE and was pretty used to rapid change by that point, but a truer read would have been to look at computers for an idea of how fast change can occur.