All this Pentax going FF talk is just hokum. Ricoh reps have precisely given the same answers that Pentax under Hoya had for all these years. With the ever shrinking DSLR market, selling "ANY" kind of DSLR is a challenge. Forget about a niche like FF.
Any average consumer is turned off by the heft and price of camera gear. FF has BOTH!
Why would Ricoh invest all its limited resources into developing a DSLR (a FF) which few (except forum wannabes like us) are even gonna consider? It doesnt make business sense. Ricoh put resources behind 645Z and it is doing ok according to the reps.
Have you seen the stills and video capability of the iPhone 6/6+? Just imagine if Apple next year comes out with a
'weather sealed/proof' iPhone? It is gonna take business away from the GoPros of the world. I guess Pentax it seems is gonna be content with being the least innovative/most conservative camera manufacturer even 5 years from now. Thats just the way it is.
But as long as they are profitable and confident of sustaining that profitability, it doesnt matter.
Does innovation contribute towards market position? Not always. Case in point : Sony DSLRs. Sony is at the forefront of so many innovations. I am not talking about 1 or 2 years. Like 10 years now. They are having a tough time wrestling market share from Canon/Nikon et all! Being innovative doesnt pay always.
So what is the future of Pentax DSLRs? Should you invest in Pentax gear? Well..until that decision arrives and whenever that time is....
I am off taking pictures