Originally posted by RobA_Oz This is really a subject for elsewhere, and it has been worked over a few times here, already. People eventually come back to quality, just like they came back to vinyl audio a few years ago (true HiFi never went away, but the mass of people listening to compressed digital audio and using travesties like the Beats headphones would never buy real HiFi), with the result that there are more and pricier turntables on the market now than there were at the height of vinyl's pre-digital popularity. Younger people are discovering the joys of film. What has changed in photography is that camera phones have replaced point and shoot cameras with the mass of people, but they lack the zoom lenses that the last P&S cameras had, so in effect, the camera phone has taken people back to 1960s film. Convenience will trump both quality and features for a while, so it generally takes some time before a critical mass of people discover what they're missing, and they will start to reconsider what they're taking photos with. A zoom lens in a compact phone is physically impractical, if not impossible, unless sensors get even smaller, or people start using brick-sized phones again.
So, I'm not pessimistic about the future for Pentax, or other DSLR manufacturers, even if they have to extend more into mirrorless systems, in order to meet a future market. Ricoh is building the lens range for the new 35FF, with a mixture of their own and contracted lenses, and that's a sensible strategy, in my opinion.
Well the first camera for me was a Praktica MTL 3 with a Pentacon 50mm f1.8 and I will tell you it is easier to take photos with that than with a smartphone if you don't care about weight, despite being a manual camera. Because of ergonomics, smartphones are just a slab with a screen , the tablets just bigger versions of that. The ergonomics of smartphones are non existant for specific jobs, for example as cameras, as mp3 players etc. Yet for 90% of population the convinience of a single device in the pocket or the bag is the only that counts. Every euro, dollar, yen, pound whatever spent on smartphone is money not spent on various devices. Even an entry dslr was more expensive 15 years ago than the aps-c flagships today because of low volume. Volume is what drives down prices on chips and a low volume market will soon get really expensive again. Image sensor chips donnot get smaller for the same format as technology improves and as a resault cannot get as cheap as an ARM prossesor core.
I believe that Ricoh and Canon are more business savvy than Nikon or Olympus and in the long term it will count for something.
I hope the micro 4/3 format survives the full frame madness for the time being because it's 4:3 image ratio brings something to the table.
As for Nikon it will bring me a smile to see them having to downsize fast, with all the negativity Nikon fanboys smeared all over the place for Pentax. Nikon pro stuff are better than the Pentax amateur staff as oranges are different to apples. If you compare a Nikon full frame combo twice as expensive as a Pentax aps-c, it better be better in quality. The only system currently Pentax has specifically for professional use is the 645 and it is truly unique. I hope Pentax full frame does not stop development of the 645 system or the aps-c lenses. I am only interest in cheap stuff the most expensive lence I have is an DFA 100mm macro but I like to see that photographers with more money have options.
It is a bit deppressing to see a go full frame or go smartphone mentallity on the internet, I hope for the best.
(Offtopic all these beats headphones are money lost to decent headphones, there goes the neighbourhood
)
---------- Post added 10-04-15 at 07:10 PM ----------
Originally posted by zapp Pentax wants me to buy a fullframe camea with Sony 42 MP sensor as rumors have it. The same sensor - by pixel count - can be had in a Sony Alpha now.
Next Pentax wants me to invest in a large aperture 24-70 zoom that is actually a Tamron design that can be had for any other full frame camera as well.
To make the combo complete, a large aperture 70-200 has been announced.
Changing to FF makes you reconsider all camera/lens options. Pentax/Ricoh should not emss up this one ...
If Sony respected the alpha mount I think they would be the best dslr system with the resources they threw at mirrorless systems with weak image quality in corners by design. They only care to impress consumers with the appereance of the camera.
Every one can build a better camera than Sony with a Sony sensor, for that there is no question.
The only thing I want to see is an autofocus that will do the DFA 150-450 justice. The K mount needs to get out of the inferior autofocus hole, at least as a perception. Pentax screwdriver lenses are not all slow to focus, the da 35 f2.4 is the fastest among its pears, but its noisy and for some people even a quarter of a second is a long time to listen to a drill.