Originally posted by Class A It would have been good if Pentax could have leapfrogged the competition and had offered a budget FF first in order to lure some Canikonians over to Pentax. That didn't happen but if Pentax doesn't offer a FF model soon, it will bleed many enthusiast photographers (with deep pockets for future glass purchases) to Canikon.
Eventually, any company just offering APS-C models will have a hard time to survive because competitors will be able to offer better image quality for comparable (or better prices), if you include the glass in the cost calculation.
That is the real issue. Can Pentax survive when their competition offers a better product at comparable prices? Or what about better prices?
I know there are many on this forum who don't think that FF makes that much of a difference. For some users it doesn't. FF doesn't change the photographers eye or artistic vision. For many photographers on these forums, aps-c will always produce the high enough IQ that they need. But this is a different story for some of the advanced amateur/enthusiast pentaxians and the small handful of remaining pentaxian pros. That difference in IQ for a pro can be a difference in bottom line.
I know that the FF wishers are smaller than those who are happy with aps-c, but Pentax needs to realize that their deep pocket owners are the ones asking for FF. Pentax needs to keep their owners who upgrade every new flagship and every other flagship. They also need to keep the ones who go out and buy the da* and limited lenses. It will be hard for them to survive if those deep pockets leave...and what the competition is offering right now is very tempting to a lot of the FF wishers.
And let's keep in mind, most of us FF wishers aren't even asking for them to produce the camera right now. They are just asking for knowledge that it is in fact, being developed for sometime in 2013. But Pentax can't seem to provide even that knowledge and that lack of knowledge is making people jump ship. I want Pentax to make it, but I have my doubts at this point. I can envision one future for them that includes just point and shoot, mirrorless, and MF. I don't know if the k mount can survive when the future of camera is moving to FF and there is no FF k mount option.