[reh321]

I honestly find it very hard to believe they won't. And 3 months ago I would have said of course they will. But right now there is just a small seed of doubt.

The case for:
- they have announced a new DA*11-18
- APS-C cameras like the k-7, k-5 and k-3 have been their bread and butter for a long time
- FF is great, and greatly appreciated, but not for everyone. So if you do not need a K-1 but want a 'pro' level camera what do you buy?
- Current APS-C offerings are nice but not really in any sense a prosumer body
- k-1 is an amazing landscape camera but the real hole in the Pentax line is a prosumer sports / wildlife body. And that would almost certainly be APS-C


The case against:
- Nikon & Canon and Fuji have all made recent introductions that change the game
- Pentax is a teeny, tiny part of Ricoh. Do they really care if Pentax cameras continue?
- The camera market continues to shrink and without large dollars to spend on R&D and especially marketing maybe it is time to just hang it up
- Theta seems to be doing well. And now we have announced a new GR. Maybe DSLRs are done and the future is Ricoh, not Pentax
- At some point the volume sold drops below economic viability. It takes a lot to keep manufacturing, R&D, support, marketing and service going. Maybe we have reached that point.

You forgot one statement that probably supports the 'case against' ..... @Asahiman said "Currently nearly all the development power is going into K fullframe SLR. Body and lens development,very interesting and in 2 classes.But, SLR!!"

[BigMackCam]

I honestly find it very hard to believe they won't. And 3 months ago I would have said of course they will. But right now there is just a small seed of doubt.

I'm not even at the "small seed of doubt stage". But I wouldn't bet the farm on it, even so. I remain hopeful, but cautious

The case for:
- they have announced a new DA*11-18
- APS-C cameras like the k-7, k-5 and k-3 have been their bread and butter for a long time
- FF is great, and greatly appreciated, but not for everyone. So if you do not need a K-1 but want a 'pro' level camera what do you buy?
- Current APS-C offerings are nice but not really in any sense a prosumer body
- k-1 is an amazing landscape camera but the real hole in the Pentax line is a prosumer sports / wildlife body. And that would almost certainly be APS-C

Agreed. I guess the only thing I'd challenge slightly is the last point. I don't disagree, but I think the hole is a little bigger than that. There are folks like me who remain committed to the APS-C format, whatever their photographic disciplines, and want a high end body with the build quality and operational performance of a K-3II, but IQ and features in line with current capabilities and prevailing expectations.

The case against:
- Nikon & Canon and Fuji have all made recent introductions that change the game

Yes, that's interesting. I really don't think Ricoh will go mirrorless given its limited resources, but never say never...

- Pentax is a teeny, tiny part of Ricoh. Do they really care if Pentax cameras continue?

I think so. I'm not 100% certain, but I really do think so. The pace of development, determined by the limited resources and investment, allows for the question. But the K-1, K-1II and FF lenses we've seen don't seem to suggest a company that isn't serious about continuing, but rather one that's going about things carefully and cautiously. But that's just my take on it.

- The camera market continues to shrink and without large dollars to spend on R&D and especially marketing maybe it is time to just hang it up

That's certainly a possibility. If that should happen, though, I don't think we'd see an end to Pentax... There would undoubtedly be another organisation interested in acquiring the brand and product portfolio, just as Ricoh did from Hoya. Pentax might be a relatively small player in the ILC market overall, but it's certainly not an insignificant one. There's money to be made in the brand - of that I have no doubt whatsoever.

- Theta seems to be doing well. And now we have announced a new GR. Maybe DSLRs are done and the future is Ricoh, not Pentax

I doubt that. But if Ricoh should decide, at some future point, to jettison the Pentax brand, I can see it keeping the Ricoh-branded camera part. There's no doubt about the value of Theta and GR.

- At some point the volume sold drops below economic viability. It takes a lot to keep manufacturing, R&D, support, marketing and service going. Maybe we have reached that point.

Again, I doubt that, but see my comments above about acquisition.

As always, it's very easy at this stage for us to add two and two together and come up with five I don't think there's anything afoot, but even if there is - now, or in the future - I don't think we have too much to be worried about.

[PDL]

Someone who has actually visited the display said the K-3ii report was false!!!

Show is a picture of all the models in the display. Are they blocking taking pictures of the display?

[Adam]

I know that assuming gets one into trouble, but I assume @Adam; has to agree to some kind of 'censorship' of questions in order to interview Ricoh (*) - so at the moment I'm not mad at him over the missing "future of K-3ii" question .... but it was a real blunder of Ricoh to exclude any mention of that anywhere.

Back at CP+ they said a K-3 successor was going to enter development. Now, after Photokina, it seems that mirrorless may perhaps be the direction they're going to move in first (maybe with the 645Z). However, they were extremely tight-lipped about actual product plans. So, it wouldn't be responsible of us to report on developments one way or another. We'll just have to keep waiting, till CP+ and the anniversary.

Adam
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[Chris Mak]

Back at CP+ they said a K-3 successor was going to enter development. Now, after Photokina, it seems that mirrorless may perhaps be the direction they're going to move in first (maybe with the 645Z). However, they were extremely tight-lipped about actual product plans. So, it wouldn't be responsible of us to report on developments one way or another. We'll just have to keep waiting, till CP+ and the anniversary.

Adam, thanks for giving your clear view on this.
Really, the state of the camera market, the state of Pentax, and their course over these last few years, are all that is needed to formulate your own answers. The thing is, quite a few Pentax shooters want the "old" Pentax to remain, and give us a K3 successor. It simply isn't going to happen. The writing has been on the wall all over, especially since last CP+: the K1 FF series is their new K-mount flagship, the KP is their mid-class leading APSC model.
However hard to swallow for some: if you want higher class APSC, you will have to search elsewhere.
The striking advent of mirrorless this Photokina, has only made things worse for Pentax APSC shooters.
It's the way it is, Pentax has to move forward into modern times, with only modest means.
I would have wanted a K3III also, MF shooters would have wanted new lenses and a 645Z successor.
But objectively, it is better to support one platform properly, than to try and juggle three balls in the air with only one arm. And next to that, they simply háve to get into mirrorless somehow. MF seems a good choice.
Chris

[H.Abendsen]

Mirrorless on mid-format could indeed save some Pentax sales...
But I really feel they should step up to the bigger sensor, else there would not be so many arguments left...
And still I feel there is something to this "samsung/nX1 sensor and chipset-board" rumour, what may be a wise decision.
On the other hand keeping flagships FF may also make sense, only given that they build something competitive to cams like Nikon D850 or Panasonics S1R of course.
On a D850 a crop-mode seems to make more sense than on a K-1 resolution-wise.
And looking at the burst-rate(especially with the grip) it also seems more like an Allrounder camera then the K-1.
And if you only offer small diversity (just a few <3-4> models) it would be wise to make it more a good Allrounder.
But I don't believe they will give up on APS-C.

[dafbp]

Back at CP+ they said a K-3 successor was going to enter development. Now, after Photokina, it seems that mirrorless may perhaps be the direction they're going to move in first (maybe with the 645Z). However, they were extremely tight-lipped about actual product plans. So, it wouldn't be responsible of us to report on developments one way or another. We'll just have to keep waiting, till CP+ and the anniversary.

They're tight lipped about their plans, and I'm tight pursed.
Hopefully CP+ will shed some light.

[bladerunner6]

Pentax K70 is more in the price of medium end cameras like the Nikon D5500 or D5600, and mid Canons, etc.. The K-s2 is what I was thinking about while making my statement. Of course, with price drops, the K70 is a great and affordable camera and one I would gladly recommend it way over any of the beginner cameras like the Nikon D3400 and Canon Rebels, but it is still several hundred dollars costlier these entry level Nikons and Canons with kit lenses and needs jpeg settings to be tweaked for best results.

The K70 is not several hundred dolllars more expensive.

A couple hundred, but not several.

DSLR Camera, SLR Camera, Digital SLR Cameras | B&H

And it has pentaprism finder, weather sealing and dual control wheels which are absent from entry level
As for JPEGS, those can be tweaked to user preferences and they are a matter of taste.

[Chris Mak]

But I don't believe they will give up on APS-C.

For sure they will not give up on APSC. Why should they?
But a complete line of APSC bodies, including flagship level, and with regular refresh cycles, that is in the past i.m.o.

Chris

[dafbp]

For sure they will not give up on APSC. Why should they?
But a complete line of APSC bodies, including flagship level, and with regular refresh cycles, that is in the past i.m.o.

Chris

Don't really care about the refresh cycles, as I already buy only every other cycle (K10,K5,Kwhatever), but no APS flagship would be a bit of a nuisance.

[MrNPhoto]

the K1 FF series is their new K-mount flagship, the KP is their mid-class leading APSC model.
However hard to swallow for some: if you want higher class APSC, you will have to search elsewhere.
The striking advent of mirrorless this Photokina, has only made things worse for Pentax APSC shooters.

But right now, APS-C users looking for an upgrade don't have any options from Pentax other than K-1. Why not a FF 24MP K-1 with bigger buffer and faster burst rate? (Or even a 36MP K-1 with just a bigger buffer?) Or a lower cost K-1 (no flip screen, no mount LEDs, etc) Or an entry-level FF? Or a super-resolution 40MP+ K-1?

If a K-3ii successor doesn't show up at CP+, then some additional FF models had better be introduced to give those customers some viable choices in the Pentax product line.

[panonski]

Ricoh is just slow.

MAYBE TO SLOW

[reh321]

For sure they will not give up on APSC. Why should they?
But a complete line of APSC bodies, including flagship level, and with regular refresh cycles, that is in the past i.m.o.

Chris

The real issue I see is for those who shoot BIF. The KP has a tiny buffer; the K-1 is sloooow. I am guessing we wouldn't be having this conversation if the KP had the K-3's buffer - but it doesn't.

The DFA 150-450 costs as much as K-3 + DA 55-300, so any FF solution would cost quite a bit more for BIF.

[reh321]

But right now, APS-C users looking for an upgrade don't have any options from Pentax other than K-1. Why not a FF 24MP K-1 with bigger buffer and faster burst rate? (Or even a 36MP K-1 with just a bigger buffer?) Or a lower cost K-1 (no flip screen, no mount LEDs, etc) Or an entry-level FF? Or a super-resolution 40MP+ K-1?

If a K-3ii successor doesn't show up at CP+, then some additional FF models had better be introduced to give those customers some viable choices in the Pentax product line.

The problem with FF is the number and price of FF lenses. I could meet my "needs" with a KP, and since I am currently 70 years old, that may be a "lifetime supply" ..... but if I were a younger person, or someone with slightly more advanced needs, I would be looking at Canon and Sony right now.

[reh321]

Back at CP+ they said a K-3 successor was going to enter development. Now, after Photokina, it seems that mirrorless may perhaps be the direction they're going to move in first (maybe with the 645Z). However, they were extremely tight-lipped about actual product plans. So, it wouldn't be responsible of us to report on developments one way or another. We'll just have to keep waiting, till CP+ and the anniversary.

Thank you for your thinking on this.