Originally posted by derekkite Removing the flash is a big change [...] such a cheap little accessory already designed and implemented, why not put it there?
I suspect, it is because Ricoh may want to increase sales revenues by bullying K-3ii users into purchasing expensive and profitable flash units. Maybe they had already similar hopes in 2013/14 for the external GPS unit, but only very few K-3 users were actually interested? (most have a smartphone already, and astro fans do astro stacking).
Even if the GPS is still not needed, the actual purpose for its inclusion may be to be an excuse for taking out the flash.
But who knows, hopefully some better and more valid excuse could come along tomorrow (such as related to the viewfinder), as some speculated.
Also, they may have withheld wireless (which even the D7200 features by now) for the same reason, it generates additional profit to bully users into purchasing expensive flu cards.
To me, both of the above would be a subcategory of theory no. 4
Originally posted by derekkite 4. Ricoh has lost their mind.
simply because there are competitors out like the D7200, which offers both flash and wireless as part of its package without bullying anyone into anything. Maybe Ricoh didn't account for this, because the D7200 and the K-3ii were parallel developments.