[monochrome]

I don't think Ricoh has put an official date on it, so folks are right who say that next year isn't a guarantee. At the same time, what is the next flagship camera after the K3? How does Ricoh sell it to folks who already own a K3? Unless Sony pulls a 36 megapixel APS-C sensor out of their fabs, what is next is unclear, unless Ricoh decides to release a larger sensor size.

Maybe 2015, maybe not. I've made my statement once or twice. No one who actually knows the answer is saying.

Ricoh has said they intend to be an alternative, complete-line camera maker to Canon and Nikon. A FF camera is a step in realizing that intention.

My impression is Ricoh corporate culture is to press ahead constantly, inexorably, one step at a time - and let time serve as their partner rather than their enemy. Their time horizon is longer than ours.

[photodesignch]

Do you recon the possibilities if A7r/A7/A7s sensor with necessities could probably pull off a 3D printer shell with a K mount? At least this guy already did it on an APS-C FrankenCamera | Fitting digital camera components into an analog rangefinder. WELL!! Obviously it worked because simpler shutter mechanism on the retro camera.. But I am sure there are some professionals on this board can out smart a talented 18 yr old?

[MD Optofonik]

All this talk of FF got me wondering what do these holy grails actually look like and how big are they. Then I saw this:







It's as big as his head!!! I don't want a camera as big as my head!!!

[D1N0]

All this talk of FF got me wondering what do these holy grails actually look like and how big are they. Then I saw this:







It's as big as his head!!! I don't want a camera as big as my head!!!

Pentax can make it smaller

[normhead]

They've done that "We are working on a FF DSLR" since MZ-D... Once again! It's not that they cant make it. They are seeking for the best timing when parts are cheap enough to mass produce. However, the time is never right for them.......

What's your source for this? Sure sounds like a last ditch effort of the Canikons to garner a few more Pentax customers before the date is announced, which probably won't be more than a month before it's available, but if you have a credible source, I'm willing to revise my opinion.

[stevebrot]

It should be: "Yep, I see this getting ogly"
It appears he has long-term plans of Pentax bashing.

The value of his Pentax gear has not fallen quite far enough yet. Only when his K-5 IIs (why did he buy such amateur camera?) has fallen to the same price as a Zenit 11 will he be satisfied. It is a fact.


Steve

---------- Post added 09-19-14 at 04:06 PM ----------

But it's not D4S. Not EOS-1DX. Am I wrong?

You are right and for that one fact we can be thankful. There is a reason why I do not own either of those cameras and it has nothing to do with price or whether I sell my photographs.


Steve

[MD Optofonik]

Pentax can make it smaller

I'll never get over just how small Pentax was able to make the original MX. It's a marvel. I'll never get rid of mine.

[stevebrot]

What are they THINKING?!!!!

Have you sent them your resume' (job application)? I am at least half serious. You are frequently very critical of Ricoh/Pentax strategic planning as well as their product implementation and perhaps you are right. Based on your comments, you must be a well-paid business analyst and/or product development consultant. Your perspective might be valuable to Pentax Russia and perhaps even Ricoh in Japan.


Steve

---------- Post added 09-19-14 at 04:15 PM ----------

As far as SR switch, I thought I would miss that from K20...

Not me. I never used it on the K10D and don't miss it now. Switching to the 2s delay turns off SR and does a mirror up which are the two functions I want to happen together. Fortunately 2s delay is much easier to access on the K-3.


Steve

---------- Post added 09-19-14 at 04:18 PM ----------

What about the DA 14?

You forgot the DA14.

It's available right now from across the Bering Strait

Now if your specific distributor doesn't have it, that's a different thing. But it's not discontinued.

Is much the same thing. It is a fact.


Steve

[yjcs]

All this talk of FF got me wondering what do these holy grails actually look like and how big are they. Then I saw this:







It's as big as his head!!! I don't want a camera as big as my head!!!

Some people may think bigger means more professional.

[stevebrot]

I might think they were just dense.

Or you could say it in definitive and unambiguous terms, but that would be trolling because conclusive evidence to that effect is lacking. Besides, doing so would be blunt and vulgar and we don't do vulgar. Our mothers taught us better.

I think that I can say is that there are some forum members who only know one song and like the tune so well that they are not willing to modify pitch or rhythm despite its being thoroughly unpleasant to listen to and having no grace or positive elements.


Steve

---------- Post added 09-19-14 at 05:51 PM ----------

Do you recon the possibilities if A7r/A7/A7s sensor with necessities could probably pull off a 3D printer shell with a K mount? At least this guy already did it on an APS-C FrankenCamera | Fitting digital camera components into an analog rangefinder. WELL!! Obviously it worked because simpler shutter mechanism on the retro camera.. But I am sure there are some professionals on this board can out smart a talented 18 yr old?

Yep, he pulled everything but the optical path out of a NEX and wired a switch into the capture circuit to flush the image buffer. It is a nice piece of work, but features almost no component integration. It is very nicely done, however and I suspect that the Mk II will be much more functional.

What I find more compelling is the comments above regarding the functional continuity between the last three Pentax cameras. All three are very apparently built off the same platform with the last two coming to market in very short order after the K-3. I am not an expert in industrial design, but this pattern is common in software development. It allows for very fast development since most components are off the shelf. Yes, strange as it may seem, the bulk of the work is in defining the points of integration.


Steve

---------- Post added 09-19-14 at 05:57 PM ----------

It's as big as his head!!! I don't want a camera as big as my head!!!

The 1D is not really that big (forced perspective), but it is a double handful. The D800 is a little smaller, but still formidable.


Steve

[RGlasel]

not an expert in industrial design, but this pattern is common

Extremely common, basically a standard business practice in manufacturing. It takes about a billion dollars to bring a new vehicle platform to market. Even for something smaller like a tire design, the cost to be recovered is in the millions. The last thing that a manufacturer wants to do is reinvent the wheel. It has the potential to bankrupt the biggest of them.

[JimmyDranox]

I agree with Monochrome that there are some folks who are posting intentionally to make bad propaganda against Pentax. And reading every day these threads, I saw that there are not many. Maybe less than 10. But they are very active. Wherever you turn, you can find their post. And with what arguments?

Before Photokina, there was the lack of FF lenses, so Pentax will never do a FF camera. Now, after Ricoh shows us 2 huge zooms, which are definitely made for a FF camera, their argument is that those Ricoh representative was not clear, and that they say the same in the past.

By the way, when was the last time when somebody saw three new K-mount lenses showed at a same time?

1. Two years ago, Ricoh said that they are studying the market, to see if is feasible. Now they say that the engineers are working on the full frames, answering to a general questions about camera with larger sensors than APS-C. Can somebody thing that a line of products, camera (or cameras), with a number of lenses can be developed in least than 2 years? Canon has launched an upgrade to his 7D after 5 years. Nikon needed one year to launch a replacement of the faulty D600. A replacement in one year!!! Those who are saying that was a very long time, and Pentax FF will never come are serious?

2. Yes, Pentax has said that they are working at a FF camera before Ricoh era. But there was very troublesome times for Pentax, with change of the ownership, with different interests of those, with splitting of the company in many piece, with a big lost in engineers core, especially opticians. Ricoh had to integrated two companies, to fill a lot of holes left by Hoya, to make new productions line, and to develop new products in a small time.

3. Yes, IMO, Ricoh representative could be more precise in their statement. But until now, everybody has seen that this is their style. Extremely secretive until two weeks before the launch. Personally I don't like this strategy at all, but this is it.

[filoxophy]

FF is coming so there will be a revival of wide angle primes 20mm F2.8, 24mm F2 and 28mm F2 and 35mm F2. all DFA.

Wish I could believe this. Unfortunately I have no reason to...plus I can only afford DAs and used.

[stillshot2]

I expect this Pentax FF to come in the long awaited MZ-D shell.

[monochrome]

FF is coming so there will be a revival of wide angle primes 20mm F2.8, 24mm F2 and 28mm F2 and 35mm F2. all DFA.

That might be a reach. Let's see the camera and the zooms - then we can speculate on primes.