[Fogel70]

So the K-3 I got less than a month ago will be useless with new lenses....great...lol.

So I guess my next question is how long will it be before the aperture lever and screw drive motors get taken out of the future camera bodies making all of the old lenses obsolete....?

It probably going to take a long time. In the near future I guess that KAF4 mount will most likely only be used on high volume lenses designed to be used as kit lenses. FI the 18-50 RE might be updated with KAF4 mount.

On lower volume lenses KAF2/KAF3 will most likely to be used for best compatibility.

KAF4 = Optimized for attracting new users to Pentax.
KAF3/KAF2 = Optimized for exiting Pentax users.

[BigMackCam]

I think Ricoh would have a revolt on it's hands if it stopped making bodies that could utilise the older K-mount glass will aperture levers... Backward compatibility with old lenses has become a major selling point for it's cameras.

[Fogel70]

I think Ricoh would have a revolt on it's hands if it stopped making bodies that could utilise the older K-mount glass will aperture levers... Backward compatibility with old lenses has become a major selling point for it's cameras.

I can see them doing something like Nikon, so that entry level cameras are not compatible with older lenses.
Cameras intended for bringing new users to Pentax. Users that may not care much for backward compatibility.
But I doubt that will happen before a majority of the available lenses will support these cameras. So it's probably 5-10+ years into the future (if it ever happen).

Pentax has manufactured entry level SLRs that could not operate K-, M-, and A-series lenses. So they could do something similar for DSLRs too.

Higher end cameras will be full backward compatible with older lenses.

[Mistral75]

If we look at the precedent of in-lens versus in-body focus motor:

• the first lens with focus motor dates back to February 2007 (16-50mm f/2.8)
• the first lens without mechanical focus coupling dates back to June 2008 (17-70mm f/4)
• the latest (last?) lens without focus motor dates back to October 2013 (55-300mm f/4-5.8 WR)
• there is still no Pentax camera without in-body focus motor.

There is therefore no need to worry about the mechanical aperture coupling disappearing from Pentax cameras in the short or medium term.

[pathdoc]

Pentax has manufactured entry level SLRs that could not operate K-, M-, and A-series lenses.

I'm guessing that was not seen as a bright move, as it has not been repeated since the start of the digital era. Yes, we require the green button workaround, but at least the camera will still mount, meter and fire. If you can put the lens on the camera, you should be able to select a shutter speed and an aperture and have it take a picture. And if they are going to delete the aperture control backward compatibility then for the love of God, Ricoh, PLEASE make the default state WIDE OPEN and let us stop it down on the aperture ring (for those that have one) the way we do the Takumars now.

[davidsladek]

The lens seems to be really fast LV focusing with the K-70

You Tube

You Tube

[Fogel70]

I'm guessing that was not seen as a bright move, as it has not been repeated since the start of the digital era.
.

It's probably because DSLR has not yet reached the low price of entry level SLRs of that era. In some years we may reach that price level on DSLR too, but then it might be difficult for Pentax DSLRs to compete with full lens compatibility on all cameras.

I bet a lot of users could live with limitation if it made cameras cheaper. There is many users that never get more than 1-2 kit lenses for their DSLR. If a Pentax K-S1 level of camera could be sold in two lens kit for less than $400, there would be many users that would be happy without compatibility on older lenses.

---------- Post added 13-06-16 at 21:45 ----------

The lens seems to be really fast LV focusing with the K-70
PENTAX K-70 LV-AF - YouTube

My first thought seeing that - A few more PLM lenses and mirrorless K-mount cameras start to make sense.

[Asahiflex]

The lens seems to be really fast LV focusing with the K-70
PENTAX K-70 LV-AF - YouTube

All at or around infinity = easy :-)

[boriscleto]

All at or around infinity = easy :-)

Yeah. How about focusing on a small moving object at say 5 meters in thick foliage then back to infinity...

[totsmuyco]

Seems fast. I hope this will be the minimum speed for AF of all incoming Pentax cameras.

[anu l]

The lens seems to be really fast LV focusing with the K-70
PENTAX K-70 LV-AF - YouTube

it also tells a lot about the focusing of the pentax HD WR 55-300 PLM with which it was shot, since with a slow lens focusing would be much slower irrespective of focussing speed of the body.

[willeisner]

find it hard to launch a Pentax K mount mirrorless, for matters of design, the flange distance Pentax is 45.46 mm, I think that even not taking the mirror and prism could not reduce the reflex box because of the K mount flange distance.

[Simen1]

My first thought seeing that - A few more PLM lenses and mirrorless K-mount cameras start to make sense.

I agree on that. I wonder how fast the 18-50mm RE and the DA 15, 35 and 50 will focus on the K-70. If those are fast, its already making sense in my opinion. If not, they should wait with the K-02 until new versions are ready.

find it hard to launch a Pentax K mount mirrorless, for matters of design, the flange distance Pentax is 45.46 mm, I think that even not taking the mirror and prism could not reduce the reflex box because of the K mount flange distance.

The mirror box must have a box shape inside to fit the mirror in all positions and the focusing screen. If those are removed, it may have a cylindrical shape. The prism pyramid may also be removed. The built in flash may have a different position. All this makes the camera smaller. In addition the prism and mirror mechanism make a large impact on the weight. Removing those will make the camera much lighter. I think all these things add up to make sense for keeping the K mount in a follow up after the K-01. There was also a prototype wide angle lens that retracted behind the mount that could make sense to launch along the K-02. I just hope it will get a good electronic viewfinder or that they make two versions. One with VF and one without.

[willeisner]

I think it can decrease quite as K-01, and hoping for a more beautiful design, but the distance between the sensor and the lens has to be the, 45.46 mm or 4.546 cm that is operating distance from Pentax K system, probably in a possible Pentax mirrorless K mount will not be as small as E mount SONY and its distance of 18mm or 1.8 cm.

[Simen1]

I think it can decrease quite as K-01, and hoping for a more beautiful design, but the distance between the sensor and the lens has to be the, 45.46 mm or 4.546 cm that is operating distance from Pentax K system, probably in a possible Pentax mirrorless K mount will not be as small as E mount SONY and its distance of 18mm or 1.8 cm.

The E mount system have been criticized for not having compact enough lenses, and that is partially caused by the short focal flange distance. In other words, some lenses have to be longer, to make up for the lost distance between the sensor and flange. So shorter focal flange distance doesn't make the total smaller or shorter in all cases. In my opinion the ~40 years history of K mount lenses, including many new and very good performing lenses is a larger benefit then the weight and size loss certain lens types could have it they were made again. Pentax currently have a small market share and I don't think another niche mount would make things better. Its better for volume production to concentrate on one mount for APS-C and FF, the K mount.

A design that fits the limited lenses would be nice.

I would like a mirrorless medium format camera with a bellow spacing between the lens mount and the camera. Something that makes medium format small when transporting, lighter (without the mirror and prism). With a motorized bellow length it could even autofocus manual focus lenses from both the 67 and 645 systems (only needing an adapter between the mounts). This could put Pentax in the Leica S2 league for luxury lightweight street photography. Nobody makes anything like that nowadays. It could be ready for both crop 645, full 645, crop 67 and full 67 and have lenses on the market already, with in camera AF capability.