[ogl]

We've been informed by an anonymous source that there will be a large number of press releases (not 9 cameras, and not tomorrow) soon We will be able to post the news as soon as it is allowed to do so.

Not anonymous - Pentax Russia Twitter says about next week and 9 announcements
I've got the letter about September, 5. Maybe it's mistake...Maybe not.

[Medium FormatPro]

I hate to say this, but... Twitter is easily forged.

Not to say that I would personally do this, but let me use an example. I can make it so that you can get a tweet that says the President is coming over to your house for dinner.

[Clavius]

I hate to say this, but... Twitter is easily forged.

Not to say that I would personally do this, but let me use an example. I can make it so that you can get a tweet that says the President is coming over to your house for dinner.

Is he allergic for fish? I'm having sushi.

[reivax]

Can anyone explain the importance of having both a K5n and a K3? I can see how this would make sense if the K3 was a full frame, but why two high end aps-c cameras?

Is there really a market for that?

[Medium FormatPro]

Is there really a market for that

Good question with no obvious answer - at least for the Pentax line.

But companies like Sony sure think that there is a need for having many cameras in many different market segments. As a matter of fact having that many Sony models can also unfortunately get confusing for the average (perhaps new) customer. Bus also noting... Canon does it; with their highest end X model and then quite a step down their 5 series. Nikon does as well - between their D4 and the next step down.

I personally would not mind havng a greater selection for everyone; than not to have enough of a selection.

[crewl1]

One of the cameras to be announced will be the K02, a replacement for the mirrorless K01. a) it will have a new lens mount, smaller than the K. 3 new lenses will be announced for the mount.

It follows that the camera will not be called K02 if it does not use a K mount.

[eddie1960]

Hopefully this will be true.

Here is my list of new cameras to expect and it is only a guess:
1. K-300 or K-z
2. K5n
3. K3
4. Q2
5. K-02
then three Ricoh cameras

The three dslr cameras will make the dslr line-up consist of 4 cameras with the low-end being price at just below $500 usd, the K-30 price at $750 usd, K-5n price at $1,200 and the K3 price at $1,500. This will give a nice spread of prices and features.

Then at CP+ we will see a FF K-mount price at just above $2,000 and the 645D ver. 2.

I guess we will know most of it tomorrow. I am just guessing we will see a lot of people complaining about the lack of FF in the 9 cameras being announced. Then again maybe one of the Ricoh cameras will be a FF K-mount modual.

Dave

this looks to be as good a bet as any. the Ricoh announcements will be GRD-V, and a K mountor and a PS of some sort to round out the 9 if indeed it's all cameras (if not there are still the DA560, a new flash some of the roadmap lenses.....)

[eddie1960]

Can anyone explain the importance of having both a K5n and a K3? I can see how this would make sense if the K3 was a full frame, but why two high end aps-c cameras?

Is there really a market for that?

In many ways the K5 was not as high end as the D300 or the 7D so a K3 could well be above where the K5 was feature and buld wise, the K5n could well be a K5 with tilt screen and prime m.

[monochrome]

Well a large number of threads, rumors (and maybe UserID's, possibly including mine) should be put out to pasture in the next few days.

Beer and Popcorn time!!

I still say be of good cheer, Pentaxians. I still say Ricoh has a plan. I still say you will be happy. I'm just not so sure I know what the plan is for the USA, and how it will make us happy.

The rest of the world - sure! USA - who can tell. Who can even remember what happy is any more?

[LamyTax]

Can anyone explain the importance of having both a K5n and a K3? I can see how this would make sense if the K3 was a full frame, but why two high end aps-c cameras?

Is there really a market for that?

Assume they have the same core processing. Which will translate into higher FPS with more continuous shots for the K5n, due to less data per shot.
And if they really have no LPF on the K3, they're simply two pairs of shoes anyway.

[pxpaulx]

Can anyone explain the importance of having both a K5n and a K3? I can see how this would make sense if the K3 was a full frame, but why two high end aps-c cameras?

Is there really a market for that?

Must be a rhetorical question because the answer is obviously no

It is amusing to see all this 4 tier dslr body talk, with a 5th FF above and not one but apparently 2 mirrorless bodies as well! Not a snowball's chance in hell Pentax goes from a 2 dslr body production company to 8. I would be very surprised to see an entry level camera below the K-30 for as long as the K-01 (and subsequent line) are around.

The K-01 is too similar to a cheap entry level camera in the same price range, when a good chunk of entry level users would likely be more at home with the LCD than a viewfinder anyway. It is a much better gateway drug than any of the other company's mirrorless offerings just based on the fact that it offers a full dslr body upgrade path without the need to re-purchase lenses. No doubt the K-30 will be close to or under $700 by Christmas, making it a very good entry level dslr competitor.

As for a K-5n, well, why mess with perfection?! Seriously though, the only reason to keep building/selling something close enough to the K-5 is because it has done that well. The only improvement that could be made to that camera would be in terms of sensor performance and/or gadgets and gimmicks (which would sway some and turn off others). Despite my stern Pentax stoicism, I'm always ready to be amazed, looking forward to some new and exciting products!

[PPPPPP42]

Who can even remember what happy is any more?

Me, I use my Pentax film camera's to do black and white developed at home with the occasional color roll lab done thrown in. Pentax basically perfected the film camera by the early to mid 80's as far as I am concerned so all this speculation is just entertainment for me because its all crap that is totally unnecessary for me to enjoy photography.

Not that I wouldn't mind a FF DSLR since I'm sick to death of trying to take pictures through a peep hole sized system. Anyone who thinks a crop sensor is good, rather than merely adequate has obviously never gotten used to looking through a near 100% viewfinder on a 35mm system. I shouldn't have to dip into the teens in focal length to get everything in the frame, it kills optical magnification.
But now I rant.

EDIT: and on the topic of DSLR tiers they only need two, K30 and K5 replacement, anything lower is covered by their other systems, and a FF would be a whole separate thing above the regular line.

[RonHendriks1966]

It is amusing to see all this 4 tier dslr body talk, with a 5th FF above and not one but apparently 2 mirrorless bodies as well! Not a snowball's chance in hell Pentax goes from a 2 dslr body production company to 8. I would be very surprised to see an entry level camera below the K-30 for as long as the K-01 (and subsequent line) are around.

As for a K-5n, well, why mess with perfection?! Seriously though, the only reason to keep building/selling something close enough to the K-5 is because it has done that well. The only improvement that could be made to that camera would be in terms of sensor performance and/or gadgets and gimmicks (which would sway some and turn off others). Despite my stern Pentax stoicism, I'm always ready to be amazed, looking forward to some new and exciting products!

#1 That sounds very logical that turning a productionfascility from making a few models into a multimodelproductionline isn't very easy. So to optimistic about models isn't good.

#2 The K-5 is an almost perfect camera. Keeping the K-5n would be great! What is there to improve: new AF-module, new processor-engine. That's it!

[jpzk]

As for a K-5n, well, why mess with perfection?! Seriously though, the only reason to keep building/selling something close enough to the K-5 is because it has done that well. The only improvement that could be made to that camera would be in terms of sensor performance and/or gadgets and gimmicks (which would sway some and turn off others). Despite my stern Pentax stoicism, I'm always ready to be amazed, looking forward to some new and exciting products!

Agreed: why mess with a great camera ... but ! Let them fix the "falling parts" and make sure the AF receives a little boost.

Apart from having had some troubles with my K5 (2 repairs), this is actually the best performing DSLR I've owned for a good many years ... maybe that "n" means : no trouble ?

JP

[c-meier]

It is amusing to see all this 4 tier dslr body talk, with a 5th FF above and not one but apparently 2 mirrorless bodies as well! Not a snowball's chance in hell Pentax goes from a 2 dslr body production company to 8. [...]

Exactly my thoughts. In my opinion, a K5 successor (K5n, K3, or w/e) is almost certain to be announced. Then one could possibly imagine there being room for 1 more K mount DSLR, either this rumoured K-300 or the higher end model (rather unlikely, IMO), certainly not both.
Then sometime in the future, a 645D replacement.

On the mirrorless front, I certainly hope they don't introduce yet another mount, as suggested by someone above. Even if it comes with a K adapter. One of the strongest selling points for Pentax cameras is, that, with few exceptions, all the lenses they ever produced can be used on the latest K body.