[D1N0]

What do you mean?

You said "Need to produce all weather GRIII 24 MP" I don't know why you need to produce one, but I'd like to see it.

[asahi man]

Funny word games

[redpit]

Thank you for your feedback @asahi man! Did you have the chance to take a look at the RnD lens reoadmap? Did you see anything big and heavy?

[SeaRefractor]

Ricoh should partner with Samsung as a possible alternative source for image sensors. Back in earlier Samsung smartphones you'd find a mix of either Samsung or Sony sensors for the 16Mpix sensor and the results where nearly identical. Also Samsung has the dual pixel tech worked out for auto focus as shown with their Galaxy S7 line. I know that the smartphone sensors do not comparents but Samsung has the fabs to build for Pentax sensors if Ricoh wanted to order.

Of course everyone seems to have a "gotta be a Sony sensor" fixation.

[Kunzite]

There's no "gotta be a Sony sensor" fixation; Sony sensors are 1. available and 2. very, very good.
If using a Samsung sensor would give Pentax an advantage, I guess we'd all be fine with that. But, as it is, what you're asking them to do is to pay Samsung to restart production for their APS-C sensor, in very low volume (thus, higher costs) as they'd only be used by Pentax. Then, they would have to pay Samsung to further develop the sensors, so they won't lose ground to Sony (and even Canon).

[Doundounba]

Let me join the chorus of thanks to asahi man.

What I read into the hesitation on a K-3 successor is that Ricoh is afraid of cannibalizing K-1 sales if it releases a top-end APS-C body "too soon". I can understand this since the K-1 is aimed squarely at the existing Pentax user base, and since the earthquake has meant that the supply of K-1s has perhaps not been as high as Ricoh was planning. Ricoh wants to entice as many Pentaxians as possible towards buying a K-1 - which, for many, will also mean buying new D-FA lenses. I'm guessing someone at Ricoh is keeping a very close eye on the sales figures for the K-1, precisely in order to determine when will be the appropriate moment to launch the next top-end APS-C body...

[Zygonyx]

Exactly.

Plus the fact that D500's specs are probably not easily met or neared (if any) by Pentax R&D teams.... therefore needing more time to improve current APS-C tech.

One more argument not to enable K-3 to K-AF4 : push K-3II sales the longest time as possible..

[Kunzite]

No, that's not the reason - I'm sure we'd have a K-3 II replacement by now, if it was possible.
And I really don't think they want to match the D500 spec by spec - and price, too.

[mee]

Exactly.

Plus the fact that D500's specs are probably not easily met or neared (if any) by Pentax R&D teams.... therefore needing more time to improve current APS-C tech.

One more argument not to enable K-3 to K-AF4 : push K-3II sales the longest time as possible..

Why is D500 mentioned so much as competition to the K-3II? They're in completely different categories. Their only similarity is using an APS-C sensor. Beyond that they are night/day different.

We should be looking at the D7200 as comparison for the K-3II if we want to compare crop bodies with Nikon. Same price point.

The sensor in the D7200 seems better than the one in the K-3II. I suspect the AF tracking is better too. If we got a K mount D7200 with the AF module and articulating screen from the K-1 it would still be a considerable upgrade.

But the D500 is a specialized sports body. It costs double that of the D7200/K-3II. Different category that Pentax won't be competing with.

[D1N0]

Product life cycle's are lengthening. Also the new flagship aps-c camera has to have some real improvements. Not just articulating screen added. Improved AF. Blue Tooth, touch screen (which means new menu system). PDAF on sensor in live view shooting (not just video). even faster shooting (at least 10fps) 4k video (albeit just to shut people up about it missing) Mechanical SR in video (why not?). New overlay for the focussing screen. Automatic AF micro-adjustment for lenses. UHS II. It takes time to implement all that (Are you reading this, marketing and development team over at Ricoh?).

[mee]

Product life cycle's are lengthening. Also the new flagship aps-c camera has to have some real improvements. Not just articulating screen added. Improved AF. Blue Tooth, touch screen (which means new menu system). PDAF on sensor in live view shooting (not just video). even faster shooting (at least 10fps) 4k video (albeit just to shut people up about it missing) Mechanical SR in video (why not?). New overlay for the focussing screen. Automatic AF micro-adjustment for lenses. UHS II. It takes time to implement all that (Are you reading this, marketing and development team over at Ricoh?).

I think an updated sensor, AF system, and screen as I suggested are pretty hefty enough of an update. But I'd be happy with the automatic AF micro-adjustments. But more realistically would be happy with the ability to manually micro-adjust at multiple points on a single lens.

4k isn't happening anytime soon.. The interview made that clear. That alone should quiet some.

I really do NOT want to see a touch screen on my camera ever though. No thank you.

And, above all, I want to see the price remain below 1k USD. Anything over that price and I'll just look at the K-1 instead. IF we keep throwing in this and this and this and this and this... we end up with a D500 or 7DII at D500/7DII prices. We should be more realistic.

[lytrytyr]

I do not want to settle to the mixed and expensive DA 20-40 as my standard lens.

The DA 20-40 is a Limited lens, not a standard lens.
Understanding the difference is what Pentax is all about.

[RonHendriks1966]

Product life cycle's are lengthening. Also the new flagship aps-c camera has to have some real improvements. Not just articulating screen added. Improved AF. Blue Tooth, touch screen (which means new menu system). PDAF on sensor in live view shooting (not just video). even faster shooting (at least 10fps) 4k video (albeit just to shut people up about it missing) Mechanical SR in video (why not?). New overlay for the focussing screen. Automatic AF micro-adjustment for lenses. UHS II. It takes time to implement all that (Are you reading this, marketing and development team over at Ricoh?).

A new sensor is step one. There isn't at the moment from Sony. Still problems from the quake in april. So if Sony is releasing a new camera (a6500 maybe) with a new sensor at cp+ and still wants a six month exclusively use of the sensor.........then Pentax can use that in a new Hi end aps-cbody in say.........september 2017. Enough time to develop some of your wish list.

[tcom]

Thank you Asahi for the feedback. That's pretty much what I was also told by Ricoh's reps at the Photokina (without however asking about Q or mirrorless).

[JPT]

If they are not ready to sell a K-3ii successor, and they still have plenty of stock of the K-3 ii, then what good business reason would there be to pre-announce the camera? They would just be sending the message, "Don't buy the K-3ii; wait for the K-?", which would be a bit dumb and probably damage their relationship with retailers with K-3ii stock to sell.

Some other companies did pre-announce cameras, but I think they fall into these two categories:
- They are desperate for some good press at Photokina, perhaps because their current models are not doing well - e.g. Olympus/Panasonic
- They are releasing a new line altogether, like Fuji is with the GFX. Their message is, "Don't buy that Hasselblad! Hang on for our GFX!" It makes sense for them, but not for Ricoh this year. Compare this to last year, when Ricoh was moving into new FF territory and pre-announced the K-1. They had no existing product to compromise. Then their message was "Don't switch to Canon! Wait for our K-1!" It made sense for the situation at that time.

I do think Ricoh this year made a mistake by not showing anything about the lenses in development. They need to convince people that those lenses are on the way, because they are fighting the perception that they have gaps in the line-up. Even if they had just added the focal lengths and max. apertures, it would have been something.