[kadajawi]

The Canon converter to mount EF/EF-S lenses on an EF-M (the native mode for their mirror-less system) is said to be "Fully compatible with all lens functions, including image stabilization and autofocus" and costs roughly $100.

And that's what the mirrorless Pentax should have, with a new mount. Though hopefully the adapter will cost much less than that, and there might be bundles for example that include the adapter at a better price.


Native mirrorless lens > Pentax K-mount lens > other mounts, but all of them work more or less.

[philbaum]

Lenses are where the profit is, not cameras. Lenses are where the patents are, not cameras. Selling a box that lets other companies sell their highest-profit items to use with it is corporate suicide. Selling a box that abrogates the backward-compatibility social contract unless the loyal customer accepts an adapted interface is corporate arrogance.

Dropping K-mount for a short-flange mirrorless mount is a business decision, win or lose. Playing both ends against the middle is a mistake.

I hear you but there seems to be exceptions for camera lines that aren't doing well (Sony's A mount, which they sort of continue to support, but not as enthusiastically as the FE mount), or for technological changes like AF (when Canon replaced their old mount with a new one).

The interesting thing with Ricoh, is that they could bring out a new mirrorless mount under the Ricoh name, but enable a smart adapter for K-mount lenses to be used with the new Ricoh mirrorless mount. Ricoh could build "native" lenses for the new Ricoh mirrorless mount as well as sell the smart adapter for using the K-mount AF lenses - much in the way that Sony does with the e-mount and A-mount adapters.

Ultimately, for the K-mount to survive, the parent company has to survive in a business sense. Issuing models like the K3 and 645Z had done a lot to convince the world that Ricoh is for real in their camera support. The mirrorless trend is a hot new trend by many accounts. Q, with its small sensor, isn't the total answer. If Ricoh can cover the mirrorless niche camera under the Ricoh brand name -then more power to them. If Ricoh issued a new mirrorless FF mount under the Ricoh brand name with smart adapter support of k-mount, i'd be a likely buyer. Otherwise, its probably the Sony FE mount for me but i haven't made my mind up.

[Kunzite]

The name is not the issue; can they launch right now a fourth mount and continue to support the K-mount? Can they launch a new mount starting with a niche, low volume, no userbase FF line instead of building up an APS-C userbase first? Should we expect them to make a risk-it-all move, abandoning the present and hoping it will pay off, in the future?
My guess - the answer is no in all three cases. Instead of the "I think I'm Sony" FF mirrorless dream, we'll see them continuing with the K-mount. There is still time before they will have to seriously go large sensor MILC.

[Fogel70]

The name is not the issue; can they launch right now a fourth mount and continue to support the K-mount? Can they launch a new mount starting with a niche, low volume, no userbase FF line instead of building up an APS-C userbase first? Should we expect them to make a risk-it-all move, abandoning the present and hoping it will pay off, in the future?
My guess - the answer is no in all three cases. Instead of the "I think I'm Sony" FF mirrorless dream, we'll see them continuing with the K-mount. There is still time before they will have to seriously go large sensor MILC.

I believe you are right, the Q might be a problem in the long run. Q has been fairly important the last few years, but in 5+ years it might be forgotten just like the auto 110 was once,

The Q is kind of blocking Ricoh/Pentax looking into a more serious attempt into the mirrorless market. And in the end it might be a serious mistake.

[monochrome]

I believe you are right, the Q might be a problem in the long run. Q has been fairly important the last few years, but in 5+ years it might be forgotten just like the auto 110 was once,

The Q is kind of blocking Ricoh/Pentax looking into a more serious attempt into the mirrorless market. And in the end it might be a serious mistake.

We forget any company can do anything any time. We cannot assume today's conditions are perfectly predictive of the future.

Who ever imagined Pentax, which was already effectively written off in 2006, would drop the K10D on the market?

Though today Ricoh believes Q is their growth mount, they could drop Q and move in a different direction much easier than they could drop K-mount for a new large-sensor mirrorless mount.

[Fogel70]

Who ever imagined Pentax, which was already effectively written off in 2006, would drop the K10D on the market?.

What else could they have done? K10D was kind of a 10MP version of the *ist-D, with a up to date interface.

[Kunzite]

The K10D was much more than that; I speak from experience, having owned both an *istD-series camera (the *istDS) and the K10D.
I don't understand how you cannot recognize the introduction of in-camera stabilization, in-lens motors (the dreaded SDM) or weather sealing.
My point is not that Pentax/Ricoh is "blocked" from regressing to mirrorless. My point is that K-mount is very important to them, and to us (K-mount users).
And I don't see Q as a threat. They're continuing to develop it because it sells, and that's a good thing. But indeed, it would be easy to give up on it if that changes.

[Fogel70]

SR was introdused with K100D before K10D, Then with K10D/K200D/K100D Super introduced SDM lenses

[Kunzite]

Yes, SR was introduced before, with the K100D; the K10D however only needed a firmware update to support SDM, and it was the first Pentax DSLR to include weather sealing.
But the comparison was between the *istD and the K10D; it's about your claim that "K10D was kind of a 10MP version of the *ist-D, with a up to date interface."; so we have to include SR as well.

[monochrome]

IIRC K10D was the Grand Prix Camera of the Year and I forget what other awards it won - but it was viewed as a sensational advance versus both Pentax's prior offerings and whatever the rest of the market had available at the time.

None of that matters. K-mount is a FF mount; FF is the next new format new body (not an iteration of an existing format body); it is coming next year; and that will cement K-mount as the permanent, core dSLR mount for Pentax, both for FF and APSc.

Whatever they do for a large-sensor mirrorless, K-mount is their core dSLR mount.

[Fogel70]

Yes, SR was introduced before, with the K100D; the K10D however only needed a firmware update to support SDM, and it was the first Pentax DSLR to include weather sealing.
But the comparison was between the *istD and the K10D; it's about your claim that "K10D was kind of a 10MP version of the *ist-D, with a up to date interface."; so we have to include SR as well.

Between *ist.-D was *istD/DS2 and then K100D/K100DS, and then K10D/K20D.
K10D was a the first semi-pro DSLR from Pentax in several years since *ist-D.
*ist-DS/DL/K100D/K110D was on a different level and not on the same level as semi Pro-evel bodies that came later.

[Kunzite]

Yes, Pentax reused the *istD hardware in multiple simplified versions, and even in the K100D - which introduced the SR but otherwise there wasn't much difference. FTR K100D Super was announced after the K10D.
The K10D was new, an amazing step-up. Probably the largest jump we'll ever see in a Pentax DSLR.

[Fogel70]

The K10D was new, an amazing step-up. Probably the largest jump we'll ever see in a Pentax DSLR.

Except for the 10MP sensor it was not a major step up.

The biggest advantage Pentax had at the time was that no other competitor made the effort to step forward. Nikon D80, Sony A100, Canon 30D was no step up at the time. K10D was just a lucky strike from Pentax at the time.

[monochrome]

Except for the 10MP sensor it was not a major step up.

The biggest advantage Pentax had at the time was that no other competitor made the effort to step forward. Nikon D80, Sony A100, Canon 30D was no step up at the time. K10D was just a lucky strike from Pentax at the time.

"When introduced in 2006, the K10D was the top-of-the-line Pentax DSLR. The robust "semi-pro" body is much larger and heavier than its predecessors. The K10D incorporates the then new in-camera "shake reduction" (first introduced in the K100D), dust and weather seals, and it can operate lenses with in-lens focusing motors (SDM or DC). It was a success on the market and won the Japanese Camera Grand Prix 2007, the European EISA Camera award 2007, and the 2007 TIPA Digital SLR Expert award." - B. Dimitrov

Jumped from 6.1 to 10Mp

[Fogel70]

Sure and Nikopn D80, Sony A100, Canon 40D, Olympus E500/400 was all 10MP of the time,