[jmg257]

No K-r replacement. It will be something between K-r and K-5...

K-5 replacement could be FF. IMO.

Q2

K-z
K-FF
645D Mk II

Well - THAT would suck. Leave a lot of K-5 users, including all the 'D7000 vs K-5?' Pentax newbies, with NO upgrade path...other then spend big bucks on a FF that isn't compatable with +/- 1/2 their lenses??

No thanks! I'd much rather have a worthy successor to my K-5 (guaranteed purchase) AND a nice FF (lots of interest/possible purchase).

[RonHendriks1966]

Not just that, they also have to open up options for more tech in the body I think, I believe the 645D Mk2 will benefit from dual card slots, not just SDHC/SDXC but also CF, and I think making the viewfinder interchangeable also will be a great option.

Well 645D already has dual cardslots and they will be both SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compatable and there will be no CF (a format that will be gone soon). I guess Pentax won't make the camera more difficult and stick with dslr-style camera.

As long as it's not Phillips making the sensor (the company that doomed the original Pentax DSLR- which would have been FF by the way). Anyway, with smaller sensors in the 30MP range, the 645D will need more pixels to compete.

Philips isn't in that bussiness anymore. Well I guess that 60+ mp would be a good start.

No K-r replacement. It will be something between K-r and K-5...
K-5 replacement could be FF. IMO.

Q2
K-z
K-FF
645D Mk II

I think that there is room for two aps-c dslr and one of them is probably K-5n (or something alike).

[Caat]

Now THAT would be cool. Or Ricoh could start producing the sensors and "sell" them to Pentax. Just like Sony sells their sensors to their imaging devision.



Most Pentax end-users are in the far east and Europe. The US has very little Pentax retailers and the smallest amount of Pentax users in the world. Starting the manufacturing in the US would drasticly increase shipping costs instead of decreasing them. Moreover, prices would rise because of the higher wages. And sales would decrease, because - lets just face it, but say it politetly: not everybody will be charmed with the "made in US" lable.

Oh of course. I was actually just asking where Kodak's existing sensor fabrication plant is, and I was wondering if it was located in the US. Given that Kodak is an American company I thought it was possible it's fabs were in the US, rather than SE Asia. I wasn't suggesting you'd move it there from somewhere else - because as you say that wouldn't make financial sense at all.

Because co-location of body assembly/manufacture and sensor fabrication saves costs, but if Pentax-Ricoh bought the Kodak fabs and they were located, say, in the US then there would be significant extra costs involved in the assembly of a complete DSLR.

[spade111]

Well - THAT would suck. Leave a lot of K-5 users, including all the 'D7000 vs K-5?' Pentax newbies, with NO upgrade path...other then spend big bucks on a FF that isn't compatable with +/- 1/2 their lenses??

Any FF camera that pentax produces should be compatible with APS lenses (albeit in a crop factor mode - just like the nikon counterparts) - no?

[Clavius]

Well - THAT would suck. Leave a lot of K-5 users, including all the 'D7000 vs K-5?' Pentax newbies, with NO upgrade path...other then spend big bucks on a FF that isn't compatable with +/- 1/2 their lenses??

Any FF camera that pentax produces should be compatible with APS lenses (albeit in a crop factor mode - just like the nikon counterparts) - no?

But what if I want a modern version of te K5 in a couple of years? Forced to go FF? Or step down to midrange, but no high end APSC anymore then? That would suck.

[monochrome]

I think that there is room for two aps-c dslr and one of them is probably K-5n (or something alike).

Q series
K-0* sereis
K-r replacement (K-01 controls in a dSLR body and EVF)
K-5 until 12/2012
K5-n until . . .
K3, which replaces K-5 (higher Mp sensor and add'l features added in the K5-n)
D-LX (FF 2013)
645

3 mounts (Q, K 645)
5 lens lines Q DA-XS. DA, D-FA/FA, 645
accessories and TC's

All before Photokina 2013 [EDIT: per Asahiflex below, corrected to 2014, which is probably more realistic anyway].
And they're going after parts of the Professional Market with pro-level service offerings.

[yusuf]

According to Photo Rumors, 645D sensor which was produced by Kodak is being replaced second generation 645D MF camera due to product availability. It appears that Leica is also facing the the same challenges and is looking at a new sensor from a European semiconductor supplier for their upcoming S3 camera.

Paying more attention to FF & APS-C would take Pentax to next level rather than spending on something having ultra-thin market.

[jmg257]

Any FF camera that pentax produces should be compatible with APS lenses (albeit in a crop factor mode - just like the nikon counterparts) - no?

I don't know. Does it work out so that the pictures would be the same in crop mode as if you used an APS-C camera? Are there any downsides (besides $$ and I guess size)?

[monochrome]

Paying more attention to FF & APS-C would take Pentax to next level rather than spending on something having ultra-thin market.

Unless they implement technology transfer to the FF and APSc lines the way the shared technology across the K-7 and 645. That's why they do the 645 - they use much of the APSc technology.

[Asahiflex]

Q series
K-0* sereis
K-r replacement (K-01 controls in a dSLR body and EVF)
K-5 until 12/2012
K5-n until . . .
K3, which replaces K-5 (higher Mp sensor and add'l features added n the K5-n)
D-LX (FF 2013)
645

3 mounts (Q, K 645)
5 lens lines Q DA-XS. DA, D-FA/FA, 645
accessories and TC's

All before Photokina 2013
And they're going after parts of the Professional Market with pro-level service offerings.

A little detail: there will be no Photokina in 2013. It's held once every two years; the last one was in 2010. I've been there in 2008 when the K-m was introduced (K2000 in the USA I believe). Yes, the Photokina in 2008 was the one with the SDM teleconverter on display

[monochrome]

A little detail: there will be no Photokina in 2013. It's held once every two years; the last one was in 2010. I've been there in 2008 when the K-m was introduced (K2000 in the USA I believe). Yes, the Photokina in 2008 was the one with the SDM teleconverter on display

Thank you - I edited my dreams post. 2014 is more realistic for a 5-body line - plus mirrorless and 645 - anyway.

My line-up can be done by using two basic button and electronics designs (K-letter and K-numeral) and disabling features as the model price point declines. I would expect significant feature duplication across the 645 and FF and signifcant electronics sharing across those two and the high-end APSc. I would expect little feature differentiation between the top mirrorless and the lower dSLR's.

All of the above is possible so long as Ricoh / Hitachi (which I think cross-owns a significant portion of Ricoh) supply the capital and Pentax has the will to compete.

[RonHendriks1966]

Q series
K-0* sereis
K-r replacement (K-01 controls in a dSLR body and EVF)
K-5 until 12/2012
K5-n until . . .
K3, which replaces K-5 (higher Mp sensor and add'l features added in the K5-n)
D-LX (FF 2013)
645

3 mounts (Q, K 645)
5 lens lines Q DA-XS. DA, D-FA/FA, 645
accessories and TC's

All before Photokina 2013 [EDIT: per Asahiflex below, corrected to 2014, which is probably more realistic anyway].
And they're going after parts of the Professional Market with pro-level service offerings.

Well I'm even more optimistic. We already have K-01 and Q (Q update could be minor or even in 2013). K-r replacement should be around the corner. The K-5n is just a K-5 with electronics from K-01, so that is ready very fast and easy. When K-3 uses the same (or almost the same body) then this isn't the biggest problem also. Leving the real work on 645Dii and D-LX wich I beleave will be on display this PhotoKina in 2012!


Working on a good PRO-Support system will take more time, so that would be ready and running in 2014 I guess.

[civiletti]

Next generation 645D must support live view. It must also have considerable IQ advantage over the D800 or almost no one will pay the premium for medium format.

[philbaum]

Use the K01 replacement as the new Kr:

Q (only if its making money)
K01 (replacement with a EVF - this would replace the Kr but would be mirrorless)
K5n (Keep the K5 size and config, just replace the sensor if Sony no longer makes the 16mp version)
K(FF )

645D (if its making money)

Q and 645D should only be kept on if they show signs of making money. I can't imagine Ricoh subsidizing models that don't show promise of long term viability.

As good as FF is, I think its doubtful that MF is going to be around much longer. Who's going to pay for the new MF sensor development?

[Raffwal]

I tell you - this year it's 60 years ago since Asahi made the first Japanese 35mm SLR. Under Ricoh's wings they'll celebrate that important fact

Yes - they will release 60 new camera models!