[monochrome]

Adapter questions:

• Include screwdrive focus motor?
• Include Aperture linkage?
• Operate mechanical Aperture with electronic body control?
• Include glass elements (speed booster)?

[BigMackCam]

Adapter questions:

• Include screwdrive focus motor?
• Include Aperture linkage?
• Operate mechanical Aperture with electronic body control?
• Include glass elements (speed booster)?

Yes to the first three, optional for the speed booster. A mirrorless body with new mount wouldn't need screwdrive or mechanical aperture control, but so many great legacy and current K-mount lenses depend on both. By releasing such an adapter at the same time as the body, Ricoh could get away with a very limited set of new lenses for the new mount.

This is exactly how I'm using my Sony A7II. I have an adapter for my A-mount glass (mostly AF), and adapters for different manual lenses including K-mount. In fact, I don't yet own a single E-mount lens; all the glass I shoot with is adapted.

[edri]

I want such a Pentax mirrorless and a dedicated adapter PK, too, but I do not think that in this moment it is cost effective for Ricoh to venture into it. Unfortunately they are slow to build a FF lenses system, which is a priority, I do not think that Ricoh has the will and resources necessary to build a new advanced APS-C system from zero.

[johnmflores]

Full frame or go home

[Tony Belding]

This is exactly how I'm using my Sony A7II. I have an adapter for my A-mount glass (mostly AF), and adapters for different manual lenses including K-mount. In fact, I don't yet own a single E-mount lens; all the glass I shoot with is adapted.

Same here. All the lenses I have for my A7 are either K-mount or M42. (I'm tempted by the new Voigtlander E-mount lenses, tho!) And I would love to see some camera maker -- any of them, really -- produce a mirrorless full-frame competitor to Sony.

[monochrome]

I wouldn't buy a mirrorless Pentax camera just to manually focus my DA / FA Limiteds in an EVF.

[Kunzite]

I wouldn't buy a mirrorless Pentax to auto focus my DA Limiteds and other K-mount lenses. I might buy one to get a compact, high quality package complementing the K-1. And just a few dedicated lenses.
(Though so far, EVFs don't quite work for me...)

[BigMackCam]

I wouldn't buy a mirrorless Pentax camera just to manually focus my DA / FA Limiteds in an EVF.

Nor would I... I'd want AF for those.

I wouldn't buy a mirrorless Pentax to auto focus my DA Limiteds and other K-mount lenses. I might buy one to get a compact, high quality package complementing the K-1. And just a few dedicated lenses.
(Though so far, EVFs don't quite work for me...)

Understood, but by offering a mirrorless Pentax with shorter registration distance, plus a K-mount adapter with screwdrive, Ricoh could cater to your needs, mine, and those who just want new, dedicated lenses - as well as offering a gradual migration path for those with significant investment in K-mount glass...

[monochrome]

Nor would I... I'd want AF for those.



Understood, but by offering a mirrorless Pentax with shorter registration distance, plus a K-mount adapter with screwdrive, Ricoh could cater to your needs, mine, and those who just want new, dedicated lenses - as well as offering a gradual migration path for those with significant investment in K-mount glass...

Of course, but the screwdrive motor and Aperture control are the challenges.

[BigMackCam]

Of course, but the screwdrive motor and Aperture control are the challenges.

Minolta AF (which became Sony A-mount) had screwdriver-focusing lenses, and Sony's LA-EA4 adapter for A to E-mount has screw drive built in to support those lenses. It works very well indeed.

So, whilst independent screw drive in an adapter is definitely a challenge, it has already been done and shouldn't present too much trouble. The mechanical aperture control is the tricky one, IMHO. It would be tricky to fit a sufficiently large solenoid-based arm into an adapter, but perhaps not impossible... and maybe there are other ways.

[Kunzite]

Understood, but by offering a mirrorless Pentax with shorter registration distance, plus a K-mount adapter with screwdrive, Ricoh could cater to your needs, mine, and those who just want new, dedicated lenses - as well as offering a gradual migration path for those with significant investment in K-mount glass...

Of course.
The long term strategy would be to sell mirrorless cameras and mirrorless lenses (because it's difficult to sell expensive K-mount lenses to mirrorless users), but how do they get there, how to convince existing users to migrate to a Pentax instead of another mirrorless...
We're all their valued customers.

[reh321]

....
The mechanical aperture control is the tricky one, IMHO. It would be tricky to fit a sufficiently large solenoid-based arm into an adapter, but perhaps not impossible... and maybe there are other ways.

As I indicated above, I'm not convinced that an adapter would have to do anything with mechanical aperture control. I believe a K-mount lens could be handled exactly as an M42-mount lens is handled on a usual MILC, and in fact, how an M42-mount lens works on my K-30 or even on the Super Program I purchased in 1984 - never touch the mechanical aperture and use the lens stopped-down the entire time.

[BigMackCam]

As I indicated above, I'm not convinced that an adapter would have to do anything with mechanical aperture control. I believe a K-mount lens could be handled exactly as an M42-mount lens is handled on a usual MILC, and in fact, how an M42-mount lens works on my K-30 or even on the Super Program I purchased in 1984 - never touch the mechanical aperture and use the lens stopped-down the entire time.

I see what you're getting at, but for my own uses - and, I think, the general success of such a camera - this wouldn't work, IMHO.

I'd want the camera with adapter to fully support my existing K-mount AF lenses with full aperture control, so I can benefit from the light gathering and depth-of-field control. Again, I compare to Sony's A7-series, where legacy and current A-mount lenses can be used with no limitations (at least as far as the lenses are concerned) on those bodies using the LA-EA4 adapter.

I know several Sony E-mount photographers who, even with the availability of some good native glass, choose to use bigger adapted A-mount lenses either because they're faster or they already own them, and they integrate perfectly with their E-mount bodies via the adapter.

So, I'd definitely want mechanical aperture control on the adapter, and I suspect quite a few others might too...

EDIT: As an FYI, of the M42 lenses I own, most have manual, preset, or switchable A/M aperture control. For those that are auto only, I've modified them to work as manual. For my manual K-mount lenses, when using them on my Sony A7II I fit a K-to-E-mount adapter with manual aperture control. It works, but it's not ideal - and it certainly isn't a good substitute for an electro-mechanical system linked to the camera.

[Tony Belding]

As an FYI, of the M42 lenses I own, most have manual, preset, or switchable A/M aperture control. For those that are auto only, I've modified them to work as manual. For my manual K-mount lenses, when using them on my Sony A7II I fit a K-to-E-mount adapter with manual aperture control. It works, but it's not ideal - and it certainly isn't a good substitute for an electro-mechanical system linked to the camera.

When I first began using adapted lenses on my Sony A7, I thought at first that the A/M switch would be a wonderful thing, allowing me to flip the aperture wide open for focusing, then stopped down to take the image -- mimicking the way an SLR or DSLR works. What I soon discovered is that it's possible, but it's really not all that useful. Very occasionally I'll find a situation where I want critical focus, and I'll open up the iris for that, but the vast majority of the time it's no benefit. With focus peaking and magnification in the EVF, focusing stopped-down is not only easy and accurate, but it's arguably better because you have full-time DoF preview as well.

I have two M42 adapters, one with the flange to keep the iris stopped down, and one without. The one without a flange allows the A/M switch on the lens to work, but I've ended up using the flanged adapter (the Novoflex) most of the time. That's one less switch for me to keep track of and possibly have mis-set when I snap off a shot.

[reh321]

I see what you're getting at, but for my own uses - and, I think, the general success of such a camera - this wouldn't work, IMHO.

I'd want the camera with adapter to fully support my existing K-mount AF lenses with full aperture control, so I can benefit from the light gathering and depth-of-field control. Again, I compare to Sony's A7-series, where legacy and current A-mount lenses can be used with no limitations (at least as far as the lenses are concerned) on those bodies using the LA-EA4 adapter.

One possibility would be two different adapters - my concern with that is the certainty that some who want the one providing mechanical aperture control would undoubtedly complain about the higher price.

Incidentally, my K-30 bag includes an AdaptAll 35-80mm lens; I disabled the aperture lever on the adapter because primary purpose of the lens is to be available should/when the aperture block ailment strikes the K-30.