[VoiceOfReason]

Any chance of getting a wider and a longer WR zooms? Something comparable to Tamron's 150-600 and Sigma's 8-16?

[boriscleto]

+1 on long lenses.

Even if they are only produced to order. Will they ever be a replacement for the 600mm, or the 1200 mm?
The 560 isn't up to standards!

You obviously don't read the 300mm+ lens club...

[D1N0]

I'd want to know about FF if not launched Plans for the GR-line and what about GXR? Is there going to be a new attempt at mirror less? might ass well make it FF then? a wr Q with action cam and under water capabilities would also be cool.

[marmaduke]

You obviously don't read the 300mm+ lens club...

I do, i mean i've got that one covered. The 300 mm on it's own is magic, slap on the 1,4x and it becomes slow, sluggish and unrelieable. I'd shoot the 300 mm all day and crop to the max over a 1,4xed 300 mm. I've tried, invested in several days of shooting to learn how to use the TC with the 300mm , even went as far as to say I was the slow and sluggish one, in the end returned to 300mm with no TC.

Not convinced about the 560. I'd love to try one though, to get my own opinon of said subject.

M.

[wed7]

Nice set of questions, #8 applies to me

[Aristophanes]

I think this would be a very successful product if it doesn't come with a 3k price tag like the sony rx1. The GR is already overlooked by many Pentax users, perhaps such a move might change things.

If you want Ricoh GR discussion:

Ricoh GR Image Thread - FM Forums

That's rght...66 pages of discussion on this little camera.

My queries:

1) Is there a Ricoh GR/GXR ILC mirrorless replacement strategy?

2) How about an APS-C bridge camera?

3) What are the plans to improve in-camera wi-fi across all lines?

4) What are the plans to improve video performance across all lines?

[RonHendriks1966]

Last Photokina we presented a paper on the wishes the userbase would like you to concentrate on in new lenses. How is that paper received and what plans came out of it?

The easy answers:
One way to spend the R&D budget is to highest usergroup demand:

1. DFA*1,4x Tele Converter. There is currently no TC available for Pentax digital camera.
2. SDM-II design with more reliabillity and faster Auto Focus and implementing them into the current SDM lenses and future new SDM lenses.
3. DA 24mm/f2.0 WR is the highest rated lens in the survey. There is some logic to it, since it is an old an good lensdesign and there is no other prime in the widerange that futures WR.
4. DA*85mm/f1.4 is the second lens to stand out on the survey. An expensive lens, but with the FA*85mm/f1.4 as a predecessor it is to be expected that there is a demand for such a great lens.
5. DA*135mm/f2.0 is the third lens to stand out in the survey. A fast telelens that is good for concert, long lens portrait and sports (especially indoor sportsarena's) to name. An expensive lens, but with some good prospects among the Pentax userbase. With limited demand from usergroup.

These five are among the readers of this forum favorite and there is a good reason to beleave that they will be appreciated among current and future Pentax DSLR users worldwide to some extend. Having an updated and improved SDM-II version to make up for shortcomings of the current SDM (AF-performance in current lenses on K-5 isn't up to the speed off the camera anymore) will be good for Pentax brand. The other four choices are specialty choices, but all are adding a complete new lenschoice (or the TC) to the Pentax lens-lineup.

Is this forum a good representation for the Pentax DSLR userbase? When you look at this K-5 owners: Where do you live? - PentaxForums.com you can see that there is a real tendency to USA and Europe and that Asia (and Pentax's homeland Japan) is less active on this forum. So there may be well some other choices to make since the preference of Asian usergroup coult be different.

Last Photokina there was the long lens as 560mm/f5.6 but at a very expensive pricepoint. So maybe the consumer longzoom is coming soon or to view in Cologne. The 1.4x TC got here and surprise surprise, it was not only number one on the wishlist, but it seems te sell very good. The 20-40mm lens is a great new lens. Also one of the questions from users, new ads to Ltd. line, but not yet a fast wide prime. What is to be expected in the coming years?

[jcdoss]

1. Are they planning the K-3 Titanium version? If not then why not?
2. What about the ostrich leather trim version of the K-3?
3. If Titanium is not planned, what about black special edition K-3 with Rhodium accents?
4. Did they consider trying more lively colour schemes for the K-3? White-Powder blue would be very nice: fashion meets ultimate fire-power.
5. What about camouflage pattern body for the K-3? And camouflage pattern socks for all lenses .. well, not for DA40 if it's too hard.
6. Pop-art K-3 skin and pop-art lens socks?
7. Plush additions for all K-mount cameras: rabbit ears, koala ears, smiley versions of the lens caps?

I own an invisible K-3. Is it OK to tell the rest of the world yet?

edit: You guys realize, I hope, that their answer to all questions you might ask will be some form of "We're working on it," or "We're considering it." If you want an answer with substance, try asking a question like, "I really gotta pee. Where's the bathroom?"

[Aristophanes]

I own an invisible K-3. Is it OK to tell the rest of the world yet?

To verify, please send to me by post, insured for $25,000.

Then you will get your internet believe me badge.

Thank-you.

[ElJamoquio]

Try to have an entire interview WITHOUT MENTIONING FULL FRAME AT ALL.

Just to see whether their heads explode or something.

This will be especially fun if the interview is scheduled a few days after FF is announced.

"So, could you tell us more about your plans for the Q system. When are you going to use introduce a camera with a smaller sensor? Where is the 1/2.7" camera?"

[maleek]

1 How so you plan to cater to video/hybrid shooters in the future, do you plan to meet these camera users needs?

2 Would you consider reintroducing mechanical shake reduction in video mode, and the inclusion of higher quality codecs?

3 Would you sometime be willing to share the source code of your firmware with independent programmers, for the potential of magic lantern-like hacks on the Pentax system?

[Uluru]

You guys realize, I hope, that their answer to all questions you might ask will be some form of "We're working on it," or "We're considering it." If you want an answer with substance, try asking a question like, "I really gotta pee. Where's the bathroom?"

You have summed it up better than anyone in this thread. All questions are totally pointless.
Better is to discuss Japanese fine food and wine market.

[NickLarsson]

Can Ricoh afford to make a full-frame camera only 37 photographers will buy ?

[bossa]

You have summed it up better than anyone in this thread. All questions are totally pointless.
Better is to discuss Japanese fine food and wine market.

Therein lies the tragedy of being a Pentaxian. Apart from a lens roadmap, we have no idea of what other plans are in motion, and they won't tell anyway because they don't wish to tip off their opposition.

If I were Ricoh and had a fresh opportunity to make a new line of full-frame bodies and lenses, I'd probably wait until I could make a mirrorless with a decent EVF and make a MF MILC that allowed the use of FF K-mount lenses in a crop mode (like the D800 1.5x crop). At some stage there may well be a collectors series FF - as in a LX-D and three FA limiteds - but I suspect nothing more.

A mirrorless MF with a flange distance suitable for FF lenses - shot in a D800 style crop mode - may be a revolutionary product allowing people with legacy glass and FF compatible DA glass to transition to MF and bypass (dedicated) FF altogether. Current 645 lenses would need an adapter but the number of Pentaxians allowed into the format would more than make it profitable. A mirrorless MF would be no bigger than a D800 and the IQ would probably leave it for dead in MF mode.

With Nikon losing money I can't see Ricoh entering the FF arena unless it is extremely cheap to make - mirrorless?

PS: My prediction is that by the next PK we'll see a mirrorless MF introduced.

PS2: There's no reason why an MF MILC might not also have an APS-C crop mode.

[mecrox]

You have summed it up better than anyone in this thread. All questions are totally pointless.
Better is to discuss Japanese fine food and wine market.

That would be pointless too. They'll simply say they are studying the menu.

The best thing might be to go Zen and hold a no-interview interview. Just a microphone in a empty room, recording the wind on the window panes. No one who heard the interview could ever feel disappointed or misled because the interview contained nothing to mislead or disappoint them. Google would be able to render a translation 100 per cent correctly. Everyone would be happy and satisfied.