[goldenarrow]

If pentax decided to go with mirrorless what system should begin with?MF or K mount.?
I think it is better to begin with MF to begin from scratch like Fuji .2 lenses can save the system compare with k mount.

There is nothing stopping Pentax from coming out now with a mirrorless K-mount in order to save on long term manufacturing costs and it would preserve the large amateur investments in lenses and software that recognize those lenses. They can always change to a new mount (if ever) in the future after that. For switching to a different shorter mount system now, the supposed gains in reducing size and weight are not that big compared to alienating MOST of your K-mount LBA-induced fan base. And I don't mind an EVF as long as it does not give me a blasted headache and image latency is not too long.

The K-mount keeps living on even though it is (supposedly) dead!!!

[Kunzite]

Common sense might stop them, though - "tried that before, didn't work"
The moment of introducing a new mount is right at the start; not when you've already built an user base, not after waiting for the market to be mature and stable. Assuming we're talking about a consistent mirrorless strategy, and not some one off product. However, we know as a fact that Ricoh Imaging has no plans to go mirrorless for the moment, and any such discussion is off topic.

[D1N0]

There is nothing stopping Pentax from coming out now with a mirrorless K-mount

There is no sense in building in a long legacy flange distance other than it saves investments in a new lens line-up. Money Ricoh does not want to spend right now, because they are still developing full frame and aps-c lenses. A shorter flange distance and a adapter would be the way to go. But what could Ricoh offer over Sony and Canon and Fuji and Panasonic and Olympus to make people buy their mirrrorless system? They should focus on DSLRs. Ricoh has to little of a background in electronics to make a ground breaking mirrorless system. They would need to team up with an electronics company with a video background. I can really only see one candidate for that. JVC.

[Kunzite]

Interestingly, some years ago there was a rumor article about Hoya "considering" to sell Pentax to JVC. The article was denied by Hoya and JVC, and we know it didn't happen.
The wording of the denial is also interesting:
"Today, a news media reported that HOYA CORPORATION would sell the business of digital cameras to JVC KENWOOD Holdings, Inc. However, it is not a fact that the article reported."
"JVC Kenwood Holdings has issued a press release stating that they did not make any press announcement and that there is no fact to the matter."
Sounds familiar?

[D1N0]

JVC is using the m43 mount for super 35. I don't see much future in a m43 Pentax. Maybe they can fit a aps-c sensor but that would deprecate a lot of lenses. Full frame won't fit. E-mount would be a good option, but Sony won't let them use it. If Pentax is going mirrorless they will have to develop their own KAFM mount. Maybe they should make a interchangeable mount camera. It doesn't have a dedicated mount but a series of adapters for different mounts.

[Pål Jensen]

If pentax decided to go with mirrorless what system should begin with?MF or K mount.?
I think it is better to begin with MF to begin from scratch like Fuji .2 lenses can save the system compare with k mount.

On of the great pleasures of MF systems is the large optical viewfinder. It would be madness for Pentax to drop this when they already have a complete MF slr lens set up. That would be a farewell for reasonable MF gear and put it in the price brackett of Hasselblad.

[Mistral75]

(...) we know as a fact that Ricoh Imaging has no plans to go mirrorless for the moment, and any such discussion is off topic.

We know as a fact that Ricoh Imaging representatives declared during CP+ 2017 that "there is no specific plan on our roadmap at the moment.".

CP+ 2017 Pentax Interview: Part 1 - CP+ 2017 | PentaxForums.com

Their "at the moment" is February 2017, your "for the moment" is July.

I nevertheless agree with you that, the subject of this thread being "K-3ii marked as discontinued", any such discussion in this thread is off topic.

Interestingly, some years ago there was a rumor article about Hoya "considering" to sell Pentax to JVC. The article was denied by Hoya and JVC, and we know it didn't happen.
The wording of the denial is also interesting:
"Today, a news media reported that HOYA CORPORATION would sell the business of digital cameras to JVC KENWOOD Holdings, Inc. However, it is not a fact that the article reported."
"JVC Kenwood Holdings has issued a press release stating that they did not make any press announcement and that there is no fact to the matter."
Sounds familiar?

It sounds familiar indeed. I have read many such statements from listed companies. It means that, had there been discussions on the subject (which is neither confirmed nor denied), no agreement came out of them.

[Kunzite]

Technically, you are correct; however, from February to July there are only 5 months. A mirrorless system takes years of planning and development, a large part of which would be done "behind closed doors" - for all practical purposes, my statement stands.

"It means that, had there been discussions on the subject (which is neither confirmed nor denied), no agreement came out of them." - or that they didn't even considered this.

[biz-engineer]

So, like the politicians (I am neutral on 99% of it), I am enjoying the control (creative) vs the acceptance of giving control to a system debate which may not suit all users needs. Today's MILCs are simply the next gen of point & shoots with better glass. Nothing wrong with that either..

Great post. Voted.

[reh321]

Today's MILCs are simply the next gen of point & shoots with better glass. Nothing wrong with that either..

You must have an odd definition of "point & shoot". Even my Q-7 gives me much much more control over what I am doing than any point & shoot camera ever did - in fact, it may give me more control than my "adjustable" rangefinder cameras did.

[totsmuyco]

All this talks about coming up with a mirrorless system actually makes me remember Olympus. Olympus said that they were committed to 4/3 and as a matter of fact, I posted the link in fourthirds-user.com. I was quite happy when I read it. Well, the message wasn't clear and I misunderstood it. Later when the EM-1 came out, it became clear. We will give you the EM-1 whereby you can use your 4/3 lenses smoothly. However, 4/3 is dead. It will m4/3 from now on. What a solution. It will cost me an arm and a leg to get an EM-1 and that made me shift.

I'm not a Pentax fanboy and I only joined Pentax sometime 2013 or 2014. I never had any experience with Pentax cameras during the film days. I had my own reason for choosing Pentax and I believe my choice is right for me and I have no regrets. But like I've always wished, if Pentax is going mirrorless, I hope that I can still use my lenses and grow into the system.

[GlassJunkie]

You must have an odd definition of "point & shoot". Even my Q-7 gives me much much more control over what I am doing than any point & shoot camera ever did - in fact, it may give me more control than my "adjustable" rangefinder cameras did.

Point & Shoot for me... Point and Shoot, no operator intervention required. Kodak Brownies, Kodak Instamatics, most Lumix and Canon "pocket rockets", most any camera with facial recognition for subjects, Sony MILCs, particularly A7s and A9. Nothing wrong with any, but built so any novice can get 1;100 and think they are the next Ansel Adams or Moose...

[reh321]

Point & Shoot for me... Point and Shoot, no operator intervention required. Kodak Brownies, Kodak Instamatics, most Lumix and Canon "pocket rockets", most any camera with facial recognition for subjects, Sony MILCs, particularly A7s and A9. Nothing wrong with any, but built so any novice can get 1;100 and think they are the next Ansel Adams or Moose...

So, you are ignoring all the knobs, buttons, and virtual controls you could choose to operate.
Choose ISO setting
Choose mode
Choose shutter speed / aperture
etc
etc
etc

[goldenarrow]

There is no sense in building in a long legacy flange distance other than it saves investments in a new lens line-up. Money Ricoh does not want to spend right now, because they are still developing full frame and aps-c lenses. A shorter flange distance and a adapter would be the way to go. But what could Ricoh offer over Sony and Canon and Fuji and Panasonic and Olympus to make people buy their mirrrorless system? They should focus on DSLRs. Ricoh has to little of a background in electronics to make a ground breaking mirrorless system. They would need to team up with an electronics company with a video background. I can really only see one candidate for that. JVC.

Historically (In general), adapters are a sucky solution to a system approach. I would rather Pentax keep making DSLR's and not use an adapter on a short flange "system". A K-mount adapter would cost as much as the body, need to include all pins, its own screw motor system for KAF2 compatibility, and programming that is flawless in order to actually focus and expose correctly as well as communicate which model lens is attached to the adapter for post processing software use. A systems approach would keep it clean and then a hard break to something new. If true, then the successor to K3II will be another DSLR. But it is still good to weigh the possibilities!

[elf photo]

wow a lot to absorb here. I do like reading every ones opinion. I have always been a Pentax fan. I sure hope they don't fold up.