[RioRico]

Look, why would they get rid of the K-mount and disenfranchise all the existing Pentax owners, who probably outnumber the Ricoh camera owners by far?

Because that's what evildoers do. Ricoh is the DeathStar, come to detonate Planet Pentax and put all Pentaxians under stormtrooper boots, to grind our faces just for their filthy pleasure. Isn't that what Ricoh does with all their conquests?

[m42geo]

What kind of lenses that canikon is offering you would like to see pentax to offer? For me pentax are lack of F1.4s

[Caat]

Look, why would they get rid of the K-mount and disenfranchise all the existing Pentax owners, who probably outnumber the Ricoh camera owners by far?

Olympus has almost done this with 4/3 to m4/3. I don't know whether they plan to ever release any new 4/3 bodies but to most people 4/3 as a mount appears to now basically be finished.

If Ricoh wants to specifically pursue DSLRs over mirrorless then keeping the K-mount is obvious. If however they see mirrorless as the future then ditching the K-mount wouldn't change anything for them as they'd have to have a new mount anyway.

Ricoh paid very little for Pentax. Sure they 'bought' an existing user base but I would think that of more value was the brand, the patents and the staff.

Ricoh is facing a smiliar choice to Olympus only without a major electronics partner like Panasonic. Do they support two physically incompatible systems or do they invest in one solely over the other? Of course Pentax has the Q and the 645D at the moment as well, which Olympus didn't have an equivalent of.

[DaveBlack]

What kind of lenses that canikon is offering you would like to see pentax to offer? For me pentax are lack of F1.4s

Yes, some fast lenses would be nice. Some long lenses would be nice. Lack of long lenses and even a TC is extremely limited for wildlife photography. Still I am holding off purchasing anything to see what direction Pentax is taking under Ricoh ownership. If they drop the K-mount I will most likely drop Pentax and go with Nikon. Right now I am not considering Canon because of how they drop there lens mount 20 or so years ago. A Pentax with a new lens mount will mean only a few lenses would be available for it for a few years and I am tired of always waiting for lenses to be released. I am still waiting for the Pentax DA*30/1.4 and the "super-telephoto" that was on Pentax's last road map.

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Last edited by DaveBlack; 01-05-2012 at 06:35 AM.

[Aristophanes]

Ricoh is facing a smiliar choice to Olympus only without a major electronics partner like Panasonic. Do they support two physically incompatible systems or do they invest in one solely over the other?

They do both.

In fact, the Q, like the Nikon V1/J1, si an attempt to do mirrorless without eating into the larger sensor DSLR advantage. The major issue for this attempt is the awful pricing strategies.

The market strategy is actually quite simple and time-tested: Most enthusiasts buy and use more than one camera. This increases revenues and especially after-market sales. Nikon and Pentax appear to be saying that if you want smaller bodies and lenses, then we're going small. Not the m4/3 not-really-pocketable "small", but closer to the P&S upgrade crowd.

Does this strategy have legs compared to the Sony NEX move? Hard to say. I think the pricing is death to the concept.

However this appears to be the game for Pentax alongside APS-C DSLR's. Ricoh has its side bet with the GXR module system , but that's not gained any real traction to overcome the market share weakness which plagues both Ricoh and Pentax as a brand.

[Emacs]

Nikon will die in several years. I would not recommend anyone to buy anything SLR-based.

[m42geo]

I am still waiting for the Pentax DA*30/1.4 and the "super-telephoto" that was on Pentax's last road map.

Pentax does offer the 31mm 1.8 and if 1.8 is not enough for you than sigma has the 30mm 1.4 which both are very nice.

[eddie1960]

Pentax does offer the 31mm 1.8 and if 1.8 is not enough for you than sigma has the 30mm 1.4 which both are very nice.

exactly given the FA31 is something of a flagship lens why would they undercut it's sales with a 1.4

[Kenn100D]

I think Photokina will be better bet to announce a new K.

[eddie1960]

I think Photokina will be better bet to announce a new K.

I imagine a kr replacement is probably CES or next month. Other items may not happen till the fall show.

[Kunzite]

Nikon will die in several years. I would not recommend anyone to buy anything SLR-based.

I don't know what you were smoking, but it's strong!

[eddie1960]

I don't know what you were smoking, but it's strong!

he's under the influence of NEX. it's the only drug for him but he likes to troll Pentax to point out how horrible everything else is

[Docrwm]

The rumor originated in October? Hmmm, could it be that someone confused the K-r for the K-5? We, sort of, know that the K-r is being discontinued and that rumor started around that time. Just a thought.

[eddie1960]

The rumor originated in October? Hmmm, could it be that someone confused the K-r for the K-5? We, sort of, know that the K-r is being discontinued and that rumor started around that time. Just a thought.

Rice high is not always informed, but he never admits to being wrong (I think he's an asian emacs )

[DaveBlack]

Pentax does offer the 31mm 1.8 and if 1.8 is not enough for you than sigma has the 30mm 1.4 which both are very nice.

I do own the FA31 Ltd and it is a very good lens. Still neither one of the two lenses you mention are weather-sealed to go with a weather-sealed body. I would buy a DA*30/1.4. Weather sealed alone with SDM will be a big plus over the FA31 Ltd. Still I would rather have a DA*28, but it was never on the road map.

The question is why I would buy into a new system with a new mount without the lenses I want for it and only a promise (roadmap) of future lenses. I was let down once.

Dave