[redrockcoulee]

It is spring here in New Zealand right now. First country to see the New Year (excepting some Pacific islands), and hopefully first country to see the new Pentax FF.

So, maybe this camera will be released in New Zealand any day now. You Northern Hemisphere Pentaxians will have to wait 6 months yet. We will be too busy out shooting our Pentax FF cameras in the lovely spring weather, and then into summer to worry too much about posting reviews on forums

You are very fortuanate they were are having a very warm fall with no snow and little ice

[RonHendriks1966]

Why? They said spring, what makes you think there will be another 6 month delay? If they do not show until Photokina 2016, then I think they should just forget it. But we have seen several times it stated that the camera is nearly complete. Maybe I missed something so I ask what makes you think no FF will be seen for 10 months?

I don't know. I just see things that need development. Maybe they also have to study the market a bit more. No worry's, we will get an answer at cp+.

[Mistral75]

Here, published today, he explained his first contact with K-1 :

Le reflex 24x36 se précise chez Pentax - Réponses Photo

So he states that the mobile rear screen is very practical to manipulate; but unfortunately, the viewfinder was NOT available nor operating, nor the camera, which therefore was NOT a working pre-prod. model.

Odd . The supposedly non-working viewfinder ("La visée n’était pas encore fonctionnelle") is not what my friend noticed and reported to me.

On a side note: nowhere writes Julien Bolle that the camera was not operating. I presume he was simply not allowed to turn it on.

[jatrax]

I don't know. I just see things that need development. Maybe they also have to study the market a bit more. No worry's, we will get an answer at cp+.

If they keep studying, they will never release

I would not take too seriously what we are shown, in the plastic lumps at the show, or the one mentioned in this thread. There will be multiple generations of 'demo models' that will be floating around at various levels, but all of them will be very much behind the current status.

As you say, CP+ will tell the story, if they are not showing a working model then, well that would be bad.

[RonHendriks1966]

If they keep studying, they will never release

I would not take too seriously what we are shown, in the plastic lumps at the show, or the one mentioned in this thread. There will be multiple generations of 'demo models' that will be floating around at various levels, but all of them will be very much behind the current status.

As you say, CP+ will tell the story, if they are not showing a working model then, well that would be bad.

That kept the full frame from coming to photokina 2014. Since then thè market for k-mount is less then it was before. There have been users leaving the brand for not delivering and to be honest the camera's on sale don't do so well. K-S1 failed, K-S2 is nice and K-3ii doesn't move to well. All others are probably on sale from stock, so don't keep the factory running.

[Mistral75]

Even odder: on the other thread, the initial version of timautin's post was:

Today I went at the Pentax shop in Paris (and bought a 150-450 ), and asked the seller some news about the FF and:
- he tested it for a few minutes last week (Ricoh Europe's manager came to the store)
- the sensor is the Sony 36 Mp
- the crop mode can be either manual or automatic
- the delay is due to some difficulties with the prism, which should be awsome
- a grip will be available (no big surprise here, bit still good to be sure)

I think I didn't forget anything, if so I'll update the post!

timautin edited his message one day after writing it and it now says:

Today I went at a Pentax shop in Paris (and bought a 150-450 ), and discussed about the FF, and here are some rumors:
- the sensor will probably be 36 Mp
- the crop mode can be either manual or automatic
- the prism should be awsome
- a grip will be available (no big surprise here, bit still good to be sure)

I think I didn't forget anything, if so I'll update the post!

Apparently, timautin was kindly requested to censor that (i) the shop's manager (Richard Studient, I presume) tested for a few minutes the prototype exhibited at the Salon de la Photo (and yet this prototype is currently touring France to be shown to French retailers and central purchasing entities...), (ii) the sensor is procured from Sony and (iii) the alleged reason for the delay.

[RonHendriks1966]

Even odder: on the other thread, the initial version of timautin's post was:


timautin edited his message one day after writing it and it now says:


Apparently, timautin was kindly requested to censor that (i) the shop's manager (Richard Studient, I presume) tested for a few minutes the prototype exhibited at the Salon de la Photo (and yet this prototype is currently touring France to be shown to French retailers and central purchasing entities...), (ii) the sensor is procured from Sony and (iii) the alleged reason for the delay.

This sounds like studying the market.


No way that if I run a store or webshop and sell full frame camera's from Canon/Sony/Nikon that I can be made happy with a product that isn't finished.

---------- Post added 23-11-15 at 21:38 ----------

So what if this is True. .........?

It is not totally impossible that the new K-1 doesn't sell in big numbers or that Ricoh Japan has no idea how many they actually could sell (maybe more then they think).

How does that work? I live in The Netherlands, wich is a relatie rich country, being number 7 on the list of income per capita https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lijst_van_landen_naar_bbp_per_hoofd_van_de_bevolking And still having a sales market for Pentax.

Stores overhere are lowering in numbers over the past 10 years where large internet shops took over and mass sales is done by Media Markt that doesn't carry Pentax. Stores are members of a Central buying system. So Ricoh Tokyo makes a call to Ricoh Europe in Paris to see how this would work...... Paris calls the Dutch representative for Pentax to go and see how sales are to be expected. Stores don't have much stock anymore and they don't need it. You just push in an order during daytime if you run out of something and have it delivered the next day. For stuff that sells good you take stock and for thing like Pentax you take one item in stock or non at all. So the phone rings and positive response is coming in very soon. It looks great! Almost all major stores will take the K-1 in stock and so the Central buyers combination makes a decision and says........We take 50 of those nice new camera's!. A call is made to Paris and that goes back to Tokyo. Panic is in the Ricoh Offices in Tokyo......Since The Netherlands are only taking 50 camera's! We Are talking about the 7th richest country in the World with 17 million citizens. They have staf meetings....The K-1 is almost like finished. Call back to Paris, see if a major sales push can change that number. Oh yes, the K-1 will come in a nice box and twelve of them fit in the larger to be shipped box. Paris is calling Holland and tells him to make a good push in sales to see if everyone is really reached with the first round of sales. He does his job very good and calls around for two days. Steps in his car and visits some of the premium stores. Everyone is still very excited! He is happy! A Job well done. Makes a call to the Central buyers organisation and tells them about the big box that ships the camera's. Okay.......We see your point on our first order. Well no problem sir........We change our order in conveniënce for Ricoh Imaging and order 4 boxes, in total 48 K-1 camera's!.

Then they call Tokyo.........major sales push in The Netherlands changed the sales from K-1 down with 4 % to 48 units!

Then something Happens in Tokyo. They are about to get married, but get the Jibbers, ending up like the Runaway Bride. You really want to, but you are afraid of the big step. In the USA the Ricoh people really are afraid that this would be the end of all times. So they take the big step and just put the Ķ-1 on display in New York! That will bring back the people from Tokyo back to us!

This story!

[reh321]

K-S1 failed, K-S2 is nice and K-3ii doesn't move to well. All others are probably on sale from stock, so don't keep the factory running.

The K-S1 has been between the WR K-50 and WR K-S2 in price; allegedly it was aimed at the "beginner market", but I'm not sure there is much DSLR market below the K-S2, and the K-50 may have taken most of those sales (and new / used-like-new models of the K-01 and K-30 are still available, as I discovered when I bought my K-30 last summer). The K-3ii's place was also unclear, since new / used-like-new K-3 are still being sold, and it was greeted by a large groan upon introduction because of its lack of an OnBoard-Flash.

Sales of the K-3ii may also be hindered by the problems that sent some back to the factory, supposedly slowing down introduction of the K-1.

However, Pentax does need to get the K-1 out-the-door so they can work on their other issues, such as a possible followup to the K-3ii. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I would like them to release a series of new models that reflect the styling of the K-1, thereby giving Pentax a clear family character other than being WR, and tying back to their storied past.

[RonHendriks1966]

The K-S1 has been between the WR K-50 and WR K-S2 in price; allegedly it was aimed at the "beginner market", but I'm not sure there is much DSLR market below the K-S2, and the K-50 may have taken most of those sales (and new / used-like-new models of the K-01 and K-30 are still available, as I discovered when I bought my K-30 last summer). The K-3ii's place was also unclear, since new / used-like-new K-3 are still being sold, and it was greeted by a large groan upon introduction because of its lack of an OnBoard-Flash.

Sales of the K-3ii may also be hindered by the problems that sent some back to the factory, supposedly slowing down introduction of the K-1.

However, Pentax does need to get the K-1 out-the-door so they can work on their other issues, such as a possible followup to the K-3ii. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I would like them to release a series of new models that reflect the styling of the K-1, thereby giving Pentax a clear family character other than being WR, and tying back to their storied past.

I looked for it, but they still have Ricoh GXR lensor and module on sale in Japan. New products. Inside some of them is the 12 megapixels sensor that was also in the K-x. I guess they still have stock and don't actually produce it anymore.

The K-S1 was the product that wasn't the right product at the right place at the right time. Remember the movie where a girl take her K-S1 to a party. Well maybe if it had the retractable lens from the K-S2 it would fit in her bag. They missed a lot on that camera and the price was one of them.

[RobA_Oz]

Why? They said spring, what makes you think there will be another 6 month delay? If they do not show until Photokina 2016, then I think they should just forget it. But we have seen several times it stated that the camera is nearly complete. Maybe I missed something so I ask what makes you think no FF will be seen for 10 months?

It's just catastrophising: there have been so many expressions of hope and disappointments in the past, and so much time between the first showing of the MZ-D prototype and the recent showing in Paris that people aren't ready to believe in the real thing.

[Zygonyx]

Even odder: on the other thread, the initial version of timautin's post was:


timautin edited his message one day after writing it and it now says:


Apparently, timautin was kindly requested to censor that (i) the shop's manager (Richard Studient, I presume) tested for a few minutes the prototype exhibited at the Salon de la Photo (and yet this prototype is currently touring France to be shown to French retailers and central purchasing entities...), (ii) the sensor is procured from Sony and (iii) the alleged reason for the delay.

Let's allow the wise doubt about this whole story.
Richard Studient, being base in Lyon, comes very seldom to the Paris shop.
At best, the shop is run by two employees, but most of the time only one is there.
I saw them all on friday the 13th as we were celebrating the "year one" of that Paris Shop, including 4 officials of RI Europe, amongst whom the Japanese President.
I could name any of them or check whatever is questionnable, unless that would be appropriate.
For the rest, no infos of any kind were available re. FF/period.

[normhead]

I held a working 645D before release, they hadn't worked out the bugs in the software, so it wouldn't actually take a picture, but everything was in it and the shutter worked. So I'm guessing the last thing to be complete is the firmware. Where these ideas about them circulating a camera missing components comes from I have no idea.

Those of us who've actually had discussions with Pentax people before, know exactly what is circulating right now. It's the same thing they do with every model. The speculation from others is amusing though.

[RonHendriks1966]

I held a working 645D before release, they hadn't worked out the bugs in the software, so it wouldn't actually take a picture, but everything was in it and the shutter worked. So I'm guessing the last thing to be complete is the firmware. Where these ideas about them circulating a camera missing components comes from I have no idea.

Those of us who've actually had discussions with Pentax people before, know exactly what is circulating right now. It's the same thing they do with every model. The speculation from others is amusing though.

Ofcourse is the firmware the last to be completed. The thing is we have lots of rumors about the delay. Or suggesties what it might be.

• It's the prism that isn't good.
• Is it delay due to the Milbeaut 8.
• It's production room missing due to the fixing of the K-3ii
• Are they studying the market more?
• Is it the delay with the 70-200mm lens?
• Name a new reason....

Just what it is we don't know.

[IchabodCrane]

Ofcourse is the firmware the last to be completed. The thing is we have lots of rumors about the delay. Or suggesties what it might be.

• It's the prism that isn't good.
• Is it delay due to the Milbeaut 8.
• It's production room missing due to the fixing of the K-3ii
• Are they studying the market more?
• Is it the delay with the 70-200mm lens?
• Name a new reason....

Just what it is we don't know.

I think most here when pressed for a rational answer would say it's one of the first three and not the 4th or 5th.

[Kunzite]

Maybe some people, even when pressed for a rational answer they would still insist on 4th or 5th...