[mee]

If if we look at what they have released.. it seems as if a fancier APS-C is around the corner.

K-30, to me, seems to hint loudly at this. The K-5 II seems more of a stop gap and testbed for the actual flagship they want to release.. an improved APS-C.

Perhaps there is an FF on the side.. but it seems very obvious, at least to me, that they are more directly working on an overall improved APS-C body next. Which, I think, will be like the K-30 but with a larger (mp not physical) sensor, more focus points, and the missing features from the K-5 I and II (14-bit depth, smoother shutter, bigger buffer/burst, mag allow body, low light AF enhancement, gapless lcd, stereo mic input, etc).

I suspect the K-5 II was meant to be released well before the K-30 if at all.. even though Pentax claims it was all in the cards this way. Who is going to announce their corporation internally has been a royal mess for the past year+ and they are scrambling to keep the ship righted? That isn't going to sell your products well to retailers or end consumers..

I'm still hoping for a K-300. I'm probably one of the few here that is.

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Last edited by mee; 09-22-2012 at 05:48 PM.

[Smeggypants]

My biggest complaint is not the speed or the accuracy, but the size of the sensor.

A bigger AF sensor might improve speed and accuracy though.

[Dave L]

If if we look at what they have released.. it seems as if a fancier APS-C is around the corner.

K-30, to me, seems to hint loudly at this. The K-5 II seems more of a stop gap and testbed for the actual flagship they want to release.. an improved APS-C.

Perhaps there is an FF on the side.. but it seems very obvious, at least to me, that they are more directly working on an overall improved APS-C body next. Which, I think, will be like the K-30 but with a larger (mp not physical) sensor, more focus points, and the missing features from the K-5 I and II (14-bit depth, smoother shutter, bigger buffer/burst, mag allow body, low light AF enhancement, gapless lcd, stereo mic input, etc).

I've just posted in the photokina interview thread pretty well what you have said above, and before reading yours. Great minds think alike. I look forward to the K3 - with of course h264 video too. The FF will follow that, subject to the all-important market share improvement, IMO.

[mee]

I've just posted in the photokina interview thread pretty well what you have said above, and before reading yours. Great minds think alike. I look forward to the K3 - with of course h264 video too. The FF will follow that, subject to the all-important market share improvement, IMO.

*high fives*

I'm not sure much about my mind being great .. but it does seem the more realistic scenario for any company with this situation to take (at least to me).

*IF* they use a 24Mb sensor.. then..wow.. I would jump from 12ish in my K-x to 24ish.. double the pixels.. that would be uber for macro and micro (beyond 1:1) work!

[bossa]

I don't see how the K-30 predicts anything really. That was a 'Hoya' product and seeing that the 'flagship' models are just updated K-5's I think there may be a much greater departure from the K-30 than you might think. It's possible that a 24mp K-02 or K-3 is just around the corner but it could well be that Ricoh put that project out with the trash and got Pentax up and running on the new work they want to get started on.

The HD lens 'series' was mentioned in the Pentax press release, the '560 being the first born, but I'm not aware of much discussion of the implications of this. If Pentax miss the chance to make a FF series of lenses this time around (using the HD series) I think that it's safe to assume they aren't considering a FF in a serious way. Further painting oneself into a corner is not conducive to change as fast as may be required.

I also don't see why they can't release an anniversary FF LX-D and offer it along with the three Amigo's in a Limited Edition kit. What's to stop them from restarting an old AF Film body but with digital electronics? Do the production facilities still have that capability?

But I expect they will get into MILC more and more as that has to be the cheapest lower risk option when you're in a small corner of the market.

Then again: Pentax "found some issues and challenges" but "continuing to develop full frame technologies" | Photo Rumors

[mee]

They surely aren't going to continue with an incoherent set of bodies... and by that I mean mid tier with additional and/or refined features than the top tier and a discontinued, yet advertised (on their website) low tier body.

They are in a transition stage.... expect more coherency in the next year to year and a half.. the obvious thing is to take the well reviewed and newly featured K-30 and grow it. Unless you really think the next flagship will still be lacking focus peaking, video AF, the extra video formats.. etc. You know already they are going to throw the kitchen sink at it.. it would be illogical not to.

I'm not talking about what *I* want. I'm looking at the bigger picture and seeing what appears, to the end consumer, to make the most sense. Because when joe schmoe walks into the camera store and sees a K-30 then asks about the flagship they are going to assume it has the same crap as the K-30 only more of or refined.

If car makers added dual climate controls, traction control, and reverse cameras to their mid tier Camry and did not to the upper end Lexus ES.. you can best be sure some people would be complaining.
If computer makers added SSD drives and video decoding acceleration to their mid tier computer and did not on their high end workstation.. you can best be sure some people would be complaining.
If a toaster maker added independent slice controls and did not on their high end, stainless steel model.. you can best be sure some people would be complaining.

It makes no sense to add features (usable to 'high end' users) on your mid tier product and continue to keep them from your high end tier product(s).

Please tell me you can see that.

[illdefined]

I also don't see why they can't release an anniversary FF LX-D and offer it along with the three Amigo's in a Limited Edition kit. What's to stop them from restarting an old AF Film body but with digital electronics? Do the production facilities still have that capability?

YES. THIS.

Fuji launched a whole new mount successfully with just 3 prime lenses. Pentax already has those same three focal lengths for FF in *long-term production*

A three-lens FA Limited Kit with Anniversary FF body would do -wonders- to reinvigorate the Pentax brand name right now. Even if it was prohibitively expensive, it would be a hell of an aspirational halo product and give Pentax users a clear cut future path.

This really needs to happen, and sooner rather than later. only question is, would it have a mirror?

[ElJamoquio]

A bigger AF sensor might improve speed and accuracy though.

Yuppers. Right now I'd prefer the same speed with a smaller point and same (or even slightly degraded) 'test' accuracy.

The smaller point, then, would be MORE accurate in practice as it will focus on what I want, rather than the first thing the sensor sees.

[FullertonImages]

Perhaps there is an FF on the side.. but it seems very obvious, at least to me, that they are more directly working on an overall improved APS-C body next. Which, I think, will be like the K-30 but with a larger (mp not physical) sensor, more focus points, and the missing features from the K-5 I and II (14-bit depth, smoother shutter, bigger buffer/burst, mag allow body, low light AF enhancement, gapless lcd, stereo mic input, etc).

I hope this is true. While I wouldn't mind FF, I care far less about FF than I do about exactly what you just described. A mashup of the best bits from the K-30 and the K-5II, with some minor tweaks and improvements here and there, would pretty much be my dream camera. In K-5 body of course, because it's the best body ever made.

If they could however, fit an FF system into the K-5 body, I would crap my pants.

[illdefined]

If they could however, fit an FF system into the K-5 body, I would crap my pants.

no reason it couldn't be. the clearances of K-Mount are inherently FF. only challenge is the SR platter for an FF sized sensor (like the monster A900/850), but I I think some people would even give SR up for FF. they did for the 645D...

[FullertonImages]

no reason it couldn't be. the clearances of K-Mount are inherently FF. only challenge is the SR platter for an FF sized sensor (like the monster A900/850), but I I think some people would even give SR up for FF. they did for the 645D...

But wouldn't they need more room for a FF sized mirror assembly, and a bigger prism to get full viewfinder coverage?

[ElJamoquio]

But wouldn't they need more room for a FF sized mirror assembly, and a bigger prism to get full viewfinder coverage?

It already has the room for the mirror assembly. The prism would likely be a few mm taller, correct.

[illdefined]

the prism housing wouldn't have to be taller if they removed the flash.

[Kunzite]

Which I hope they won't, unless it's either the flash or a bigger, better viewfinder.
Of course, if they'll somehow integrate a radio flash trigger and launch a compatible flash line...

[Clavius]

no reason it couldn't be. the clearances of K-Mount are inherently FF. only challenge is the SR platter for an FF sized sensor (like the monster A900/850), but I I think some people would even give SR up for FF. they did for the 645D...

I think the extra stop added by the FF sensor more then makes up for the stop(s) lost by the lacking SR.

Moreover, I switch SR off very often, because I mostly get sharper images with the SR off. (Yes, handheld too!) So, no I wouldn't miss it, and I have a feeling that I'm not the only one.