[builttospill]

Sorry for your SDM troubles. I know how you feel. In fact I think there are a lot of members here who know how you feel.

Whether you switch systems or not, I hope you can find the right tools to get the job done. Each system has its benefits as well as downsides.

[bossa]

Sorry to hear about SDM. My DA*50-135 and DA*55 are in for SDM replacement too. I was told to expect them home within another 3 weeks. They will have been gone for 2 months by that time and both are less than a year old. My DA*50-135 was originally repaired for a worn O-Ring as the zoom ring became sloppy but after I got it back I noticed it was focusing much slower and that it was now 'soft' in the lower left corner at 135mm f/5.6, which it had never been prior. My DA*50-135 was sent back to Japan for dis-assembly and repair. I was told by the local service center rep that they get more Sigmas and that they have hardly seen a DA* lens in for repair period. I wasn't sure if that was BS or the truth though.
Seeing as I now have a D800E I am very tempted to just sell all my Pentax gear and be done with it. I cannot see SDM lenses being more than just money pits in the future after warranty runs out.

[NightPorter]

No FF camera launch in the near future, Pentax = Hopeless !

[sunny16]

or at least have some very educated guesses based on info leaking form beta testers etc
sensor info if the Nikon is Sony is likely easily available to them as a potential client
Canon info may well be available through the Fuyo Group keiretsu which suprisingly Both Canon and Ricoh are a part of. Keiritsu is not as powerful as it was in the 90's and earlier but it is still a strong factor in japanese business and the vertical groups develop parts supply chains.
the fact that pentax and nikon both use sony sensors though shows the keiritsu isn't what it once was since all 3 belong to a different group

I just think that (IF) when Pentax releases a FF camera, price will be one of the list of things people start immediately bashing in no less than 20 separate forum threads within an hour of it being announced. Aside from maybe the K-30, Pentax has not recently been a price leader which isn't a terrible surprise to me as Nikon and Canon have more power over product pricing and larger distribution. I do agree with a previous post that like always the price will come down in the months after release. Now hopefully it may end up being like the K-5 where (sensor stains aside) Pentax put out a product that was superior or at least matching the best of what was out at that time. In my opinion that can make up for initial high pricing as there is always a cost to be an early adopter.

[Alizarine]

I have to update my signature line! LOL, my 50-135 is getting the HSM motor replaced for a second time, my FA 50f1.4 has stopped focusing to infinity, and my DA*55 is going in for an HSM Motor when I get the 50-135 back.. At that point I may dump it all due to how unreliable my Pentax gear has been... Kx was in twice, Kr twice...

Sorry to hear about all the gear troubles your Pentax gear gave you. Oddly enough though, it's like all your Pentax gear had problems? My K-x never suffered anything worse than a battery crash before (lost the last photo... and LCD fluctuating).. and a tiny paint scratch. Wish I had use for free repairs through warranty, but I find it very good I never had to.

[pentsive]

I have not read all the comments here (what an unwieldy thread haha) but re. the sensor size - I think we are at the upper limit sweet spot at 24MP for FF. Anything extra seems to be an attempt to pack a MF sensor on a FF - more noise, less-manageable files, etc... We see gorgeous sale-able prints from a D700 at 12MP. Why use P&S buying criteria at this point? There are already good camera choices the size of a lead birdhouse. Let's see a grab-go, weather-ready, ergonomically feasible FF (with no AA!) and that would be leading, rather than following, the market.

[aragondina]

Actually for $2799 you get a 5DmkII AND a 24-105L lens (a $1400 value for only $800 in the kit) So yes, at least in Canada you CAN get a full frame camera AND a very good lens for under $2800! (that would be buying a system wouldn't it?) For Pentax to beat that kind of deal, they would have to jump several generations in technology and put out an equivalent or better camera than either the 5DmkIII or D800 for that low price to lure buyers. Anything less and it will probably fall flat on its face sales wise. Not to mention they would need to announce, then produce an entire stable of lenses (at least 6), and accessories to go with it at the same time, which would be near impossible.

So am I holding my breath for an announcement at Photokina? Nope, just getting ready for the next FF rumour thread which should start the day AFTER Photokina.....

For $2800, you would barely get a FF camera

[ElJamoquio]

announce, then produce an entire stable of lenses (at least 6), and accessories to go with it at the same time, which would be near impossible.

Luckily they have 9 already. That was easy.

I'm not expecting a FF at Photokina but it's not due to a lack of lenses. A 12-24ish, a 24-75ish in FF and they're in business.

Oh look, there's one of each on the roadmap. Granted we don't know whether they're FF or not.

[TomTextura]

Actually for $2799 you get a 5DmkII AND a 24-105L lens (a $1400 value for only $800 in the kit) So yes, at least in Canada you CAN get a full frame camera AND a very good lens for under $2800! (that would be buying a system wouldn't it?) For Pentax to beat that kind of deal, they would have to jump several generations in technology and put out an equivalent or better camera than either the 5DmkIII or D800 for that low price to lure buyers. Anything less and it will probably fall flat on its face sales wise. Not to mention they would need to announce, then produce an entire stable of lenses (at least 6), and accessories to go with it at the same time, which would be near impossible.

I'll admit, a 5DmkII or D700 right now looks like a decent deal. However, the competition for a Pentax FF won't be old generations of Canon or Nikon. Just like the K-5 replacement won't be competing with the D7000, 60D, or 7D when it comes out, the Pentax FF won't be competing with the 5DmkII or the D700 if/when it appears. While I am hopeful that any Pentax FF camera will be competitive price-wise, I believe the most important factors will be IQ and QC. If it can match the D800 it'll draw plenty of fans from the current Pentax users and will likely attract others for many of the same reasons any of us here went with Pentax instead of one of the other DSLR makers.

As has already been pointed out, there are a number of FF lenses currently available, with the FA Limiteds being excellent primes. For some of us those lenses alone would be enough reason to take the plunge. The Fuji X-Pro has had quite a bit of success with only three lenses, ones that can't manual focus worth a damn either, no legacy glass options, next to no third party options, and the system is not exactly cheap. You can get an adapter for Leica lenses though, not that that would make for any kind of savings. Pentax isn't going to take over the DSLR market with the release of a full frame camera, but I have no reason to believe that they won't be able to increase their share of it by doing so.

Price isn't going to be the only thing that will determine its success. I actually think they could release a FF camera at $3,000 and if it were to have all of the other qualities that we love about Pentax (great ergonomics, weather resistance, smallish size, and class leading IQ) then it really won't be a hard sell. Throw in two or three new compatible lenses (particularly f/2.8 zooms covering 24 to 200), improved auto focus, and new flash, and my bet is it won't be that long before you'll see a handful of pros using the Pentax system, along with a bunch of industry buzz about the new system.

I like to be optimistic and believe that the next couple of years could be very defining for Pentax. However, I also believe that that kind of turn around for Pentax will largely hing on whether or not they release a FF camera that will give their current base an upgrade path worth taking. If they don't break into the full frame arena then they will be shutting themselves out of what is from many indications a growing market, a market that means more and more buyers as sensor prices go down, and one that attracts more new comers and enthusiasts who want to have the same quality tools the pros use.

[mee]

When it is announced this isn't FF.. you guys will be so bummed.

[ElJamoquio]

When it is announced this isn't FF.. you guys will be so bummed.

I won't. I'm expecting it to be APS-C. For it to be FF means it would've had to be kicked off under Hoya.

[glanglois]

I just think that (IF) when Pentax releases a FF camera, price will be one of the list of things people start immediately bashing in no less than 20 separate forum threads within an hour of it being announced. <snip>

Has Adam announced an upper limit on the number of post-announcement "Epic Fail !!" threads? I must remind myself to make a larger donation next year!

[Kunzite]

Actually for $2799 you get a 5DmkII AND a 24-105L lens

The mkII is obsolete, so it doesn't count

[Raffwal]

The mkII is obsolete, so it doesn't count...

Obsolete?

- Still sold: Check
- Still wipes the floor with any APS-C camera in high ISO: Check
- Better DOF control than any APS-C camera: Check
- Still makes fantastic pictures: Check

[rawr]

Sorry to hear about all the gear troubles your Pentax gear gave you.

Me too. But I can't believe all the problems people sometimes report with their gear. Some people just seem to break everything they touch. It's amazing.