Originally posted by Clavius That's a shame, because it means the K-mount family will split into two. And one can be dropped later on. The K-01 was a confirmation that Pentax is committed to the K-mount... until now.
I believe Pentax/Ricoh is committed to k-mount. Otherwise they wouldn't have released the 560mm lense. At least that one doesn't look like it has any protrusions.
I'm thinking a higher end mirrorless is in the future to use the XS lenses.
It's also really a great way to kick-start the mirrorless series by offering the entire k-mount lens lineup until they get their XS lenses going. This is definitely a multi-pronged attack to quickly acquire market share. I also suspect the XS lenses will be mostly pancakes where it will address criticism of the thickness of the body by having thinner lenses.
This is going to be a GREAT year.