[DaveBlack]

The leaks have begun. Still very debateable on what the Pentax official really means. I am guessing we will know a lot more mid-January when there is couple of photo equipment shows.

A mirrorless FF camera could mean alot of things. One thing could be a Olympus EP-3 style camera, another could be a Sony Nex-7 style camera. Knowing how Pentax and Ricoh both think outside of the box it could mean something totally different. One possibility could be a dslr style camera with a hybrid viewfinder. Pentax does have a patent for a hybrid screen in a dslr body. Another could be a GRX FF modual.

I personally will hope that Pentax doesn't go with the very small mirrorless camera. I brought my wife an E-PL2 this past summer and it is just too small and the battery life is way too short. The only mirrorless cameras that are pocket size is the Pentax Q and many the Nikon System 1. So if it is not pocket size whay not keep the K-mount register distance. A K-5 size body with a dslr size battery would be much better for my hands.

Still it is nice to hear a rumor from a Pentax official about possible new cameras. If the K-5 is the last pentaprism camera from Pentax I am sure happy that I own two of them.

Dave

[K1D27H]

Furthermore, a full-frame sensor poses a substantial challenge in cooling. Full-frame sensors heat up much faster than APS-C sensors and will be very difficult to keep cool in a small camera body. This is why all of the features otherwise implemented in an EVIL camera should be put in the live view mode of a reflex camera instead.

--DragonLord

While we are at it, the shake reduction system needs to be powered as well. And I do not think moving a big sensor around requires little consumption of electricity.

[K1D27H]

I don't have much experience with EVIL cameras but from what I can tell, if we can bypass the mirror mechanism, it means no more pentaprism, no more having to cover up the viewfinder from the user's side to prevent light leaking in during extended shots, and no more mirror flap shake....

I think light leaking can be fixed via a built-in viewfinder blind. Just like Leica R9 and Sony A900 and A850.

And if it ends up being a rangefinder-esque. Taking macro shots would be a bit problematic due to parallax.

[stanleyk]

Keep in mind Ricoh doesn't have a OVF camera either. I would bet on this more than K5 with a FF sensor stuck inside of it. If you look at the GRD and GXR, Ricoh is clearly an outside the box thinking company. Or maybe they do something like Fuji and come up with a retro style K1000/MX style EVF camera.

I've always thought they would do something different once Ricoh bought them. I'm probably wrong, but in a way it makes more sense than just trying to copy Canon or NIkon except for the people who want a D700 or whatever but don't want to buy new lenses. That's probably a smaller market than the potential market for a really interesting looking well made FF mirrorless retro styled camera. I think Fuji has shown there is a great market for these types of cameras.

It also wouldn't surprise me to see them come up with a new mount and keep one DSLR in the Kmount with an adapter for either for one or the other.

Who knows. A really interesting mirrorless would be the only thing that would get me to buy another Pentax camera, but I would have to see what the lenses would be. And if it was expensive I would need to believe their quality control was up to Nikon's standards.

[Winder]

While we are at it, the shake reduction system needs to be powered as well. And I do not think moving a big sensor around requires little consumption of electricity.

If Pentax does not have solutions to the problems of heat and SR then they would not be considering FF EVIL. Do people people really think that Pentax has not thought about these things?

If Pentax is seriously considering FF or MF EVIL it means they have solved these issues. We don't even know if an EVIL FF would have SR. It is possible that the FF EVIL system would use OIS.

You guys should write Pentax's R&D dept a letter and educate them on why EVIL FF is not possible. They probably have not spent much time thinking about it.

[eddie1960]

The leaks have begun. Still very debateable on what the Pentax official really means. I am guessing we will know a lot more mid-January when there is couple of photo equipment shows.

A mirrorless FF camera could mean alot of things. One thing could be a Olympus EP-3 style camera, another could be a Sony Nex-7 style camera. Knowing how Pentax and Ricoh both think outside of the box it could mean something totally different. One possibility could be a dslr style camera with a hybrid viewfinder. Pentax does have a patent for a hybrid screen in a dslr body. Another could be a GRX FF modual.

I personally will hope that Pentax doesn't go with the very small mirrorless camera. I brought my wife an E-PL2 this past summer and it is just too small and the battery life is way too short. The only mirrorless cameras that are pocket size is the Pentax Q and many the Nikon System 1. So if it is not pocket size whay not keep the K-mount register distance. A K-5 size body with a dslr size battery would be much better for my hands.

Still it is nice to hear a rumor from a Pentax official about possible new cameras. If the K-5 is the last pentaprism camera from Pentax I am sure happy that I own two of them.

Dave

It could be a GXR with FF and MF mountors, with a GXR series 2 back - or a Pentax variant of the GXR back with cross platform compatibility to be more specific

They have the cash, they bought Pentax for a virtual song in the scheme of things. Hell the just spent close to 10 times as much to pick up Ikon in the Us in their ongoing battle to crush canon in the copier business. If the want to really go after canon in the camera business it will cost a hell of a lot less than 1.6 billion
So why not FF and apsC traditional bodies and a big entry into mirrorless with FF and MF
Everything is speculation until they start talking, and i doubt they will do that before CES in january

[stanleyk]

You guys should write Pentax's R&D dept a letter and educate them on why EVIL FF is not possible. They probably have not spent much time thinking about it.

HA!!!!!!!!!! Excellent!!

[eddie1960]

HA!!!!!!!!!! Excellent!!

yep, maybe he should write Sony at the same time since the rumour of a NEX9 FF is still floating around too

[jeffshaddix]

This, albeit another rumor, is fantastic news! I also have qualms over mirror-less, but I understand trying to do something new. Plus, it could keep the body smaller, which seems a must for Pentax style. I don't understand the problem of needing a K-mount adapter. I'd be fine with it, as long as the camera isn't so small that putting on a large K-mount lens makes it unwieldy.

I also agree with Winder that a more square sensor format would be welcome, but as he mentioned...that would likely be unpopular and unrealistic.

The EVF possibilities are interesting. I wouldn't mind dropping OVF if I could have better manual focus control. Although zooming in and out in the EVF seems ludicrous for trying to catch constantly moving scenes.

[K1D27H]

If Pentax does not have solutions to the problems of heat and SR then they would not be considering FF EVIL. Do people people really think that Pentax has not thought about these things?

If Pentax is seriously considering FF or MF EVIL it means they have solved these issues. We don't even know if an EVIL FF would have SR. It is possible that the FF EVIL system would use OIS.

You guys should write Pentax's R&D dept a letter and educate them on why EVIL FF is not possible. They probably have not spent much time thinking about it.

If you do not like what I posted, just say it. No need to beat around the bush.

And in case they really are going for a mirrorless full frame, then there is nothing I can do to prevent it anyway. You guys have nothing to fear from my posts.

[stanleyk]

It could be a GXR with FF and MF mountors, with a GXR series 2 back - or a Pentax variant of the GXR back with cross platform compatibility to be more specific

They have the cash, they bought Pentax for a virtual song in the scheme of things. Hell the just spent close to 10 times as much to pick up Ikon in the Us in their ongoing battle to crush canon in the copier business. If the want to really go after canon in the camera business it will cost a hell of a lot less than 1.6 billion
So why not FF and apsC traditional bodies and a big entry into mirrorless with FF and MF
Everything is speculation until they start talking, and i doubt they will do that before CES in january

Interesting point. I have a GXR and love it. I also have a D700, I can't see how they cram a FF sensor in the GXR unless it gets bigger. But I'm not an engineer so...........

I would love to see a mirrorless FF MX style camera, if they built it right and had new lenses. At least a 28, 35, 50 and 85. I'm sure that's not going to happen.

[eddie1960]

Interesting point. I have a GXR and love it. I also have a D700, I can't see how they cram a FF sensor in the GXR unless it gets bigger. But I'm not an engineer so...........

I would love to see a mirrorless FF MX style camera, if they built it right and had new lenses. At least a 28, 35, 50 and 85. I'm sure that's going to happen.

a FF Kx/MX/Lx would make many people happy. with an un-crippled K mount. and the 4 lenses are easy-peasy given how many historically excellent lenses they have to work from in those sizes. Still there will be the need for the big zooms, but Pentax is very good a compact high quality cameras and primes

[Philoslothical]

It'll be a cold day in hell before I use an EVF. I hate the things. Seriously, if Pentax goes mirrorless, dropping either K mount or their K series DSLRs, I think I'll be stuck buying/servicing K-5s for the next 20 or 30 years. I haven't found another system that appeals to me at all, at least not any models close to my budget.

That said, I don't think either will happen anytime soon. I fully expect a K-5 and/or K-r successor, if delayed by all the problems in Japan and Thailand this year.

[tjk911]

SLT is stone age idea...

How so? It seems to have a fair bit of potential even though it's definitely not my cup of tea.

My main concern however is that Sony uses the same mount for their SLRs and SLTs, while a different one for their NEX system.

If Pentax comes out with an EVIL FF, I'd rather it be able to use the K-mount (something almost every poster here has echoed lol)

[RioRico]

I have a GXR and love it. I also have a D700, I can't see how they cram a FF sensor in the GXR unless it gets bigger. But I'm not an engineer so...........

Does anyone here know the absolute physical constraints of the GXR re: sensor size? COULD the current GXR support FF or MF sensors and their support circuitry? If larger-than-APS sensors are possible, then we COULD see a line of mountors for Q, M, K, and 645 mounts and sensors. And Santa COULD land on my roof. We'll see.