Originally posted by Art Vandelay II I think thinness is rather important yes. A camera the size of a GF3 + 14mm pancake will fit in my jeans pocket, but a camera the size of the MG will not.
Besides, I don't even know if it's possible with current technology to make a digital K-Mount as small as an MG or ME Super. Between the rear LCD and the shake reduction mechanism I don't see how they could get a camera down to that size in the digital world; at least in the short term. In 10 years or so if we have paper thin LCD's and smaller, yet more powerful batteries then perhaps it will be doable.
I think Sony is doing the right thing if this rumor is true:
"Sony is ready to launch a special Alpha to E-mount adapter with built-in translucent mirror and phase detection AF system" NEX adapter with built-in translucent mirror!
Pentax should follow suit.
I don't know how big are your jeans, but I'm tall and not really slim, and I feel very uncomfortable to put my old Panasonic LX2 in my jean pocket. and I would feel even more uncomfortable putting my ME super even without length.
We must be reallistic, if you want a minox kind of camera, then the Q is the right paradigm. If you want to get back to the MX/ OLympus OM old manual film camera size and feel, then the reason to shoot the K-mount would be only short term.
And fortunately for us, Pentax have a tendancy to think longer term, and be very thoughfull about their length mount.
IMO, the NEXT system is ugly with "fat" lenses on slim and uncomfortable bodies. Olympus/Panasonic do it better, but they are no "I can put it in jeans" camera. They are more "I can put it in my big winter coat" cameras. And the K5 is not so far off that paradigm as well. So if Pentax manages to squeeze it a little more using a mirrorless design, the bet would be won, even with a bigger body than the competition, because:
1. The Q is there when size matters.
2. As you said the technology will allow for savings in space until the camera are the size of an Olympus OM/Pentax MX. I would bet in 5 years times as the tech that will allow this are driven by cell phone business (screen, chips, batteries)
Off course this is a matter of taste, but I think we can thank Pentax to attack the market from bigger
and smaller than the competition. If the tradeoffs don't suit you, then you can go M4/3 or NEXT, but at least more choice is better.