Interesting and informative to read the thoughts of others in this thread, particularly the views on the maintenance of commercial viability for companies. I do learn things from the Pentax forum.
I've wondered about some things,like why Pentax do the things they do...over the years and why do I do the things I do, when I buy Pentax rather than another maker's products.
Back in the '60's why do they have the M42 screw mount, in the '70's why did they go to the bayonet mount, will electronic shutter cameras really displace mechanical shutters. When I bought my first Pentax, an S1a...should I have bought a Spotmatic instead? That way I would have an internal light meter, not have to use a separate hand held meter and carry around a gray card in my camera bag. BTW, I still use a Sekonic (L-398) light meter on occasion.
My latest wonderings about Pentax...well into this digital age.
I have wondered why Pentax chose Tamron to provided rebadged full frame lenses. My thinking was that one factor might of been, because Tamron had a 15-30 mm F 2.8 lens and Sigma I don't think, at the time of introduction of the Pentax version of the 15-30 F 2.8, had a lens in this category that provided F 2.8. I could be wrong and probably am. At the time of Tamron/Pentax15-30 intro thinking that Sigma just had the 12-24, F 4....ok in focal length but many would want an F 2.8.
I understand that Sigma will be introducing the Sigma ART 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Lens, sometime in April 2018.
I'm sure there are other reasons the decision was made to go to Tamron for rebadged lenses in the 15-30 and 24-70 F 2.8 range. Limited choice of after market manufacturers of course comes to mind.
Pentax also introduced their own lens, the 70-200 F 2.8 around when the K-1 came out and by all accounts (that I'm familiar with) is a an excellent lens. So Pentax has the 15-30 F2.8, 24-70 F 2.8 and 70-200 F 2.8...all lenses that a working photographer and an advanced amateur would aspire to.
I also wondered initially, if the Tamron rebadged 15-30 and 24-70 lenses were stopgap products, which eventually would be replaced by Pentax designed and made lenses. I don't think this anymore, as there is no sign on the roadmap and as far as I know, these Tamron rebadges have worked out fine. So no reason to replace and maybe it makes more sense for Pentax to concentrate on developing and introducing other lenses that Pentaxians have a desire to own, given there is only so much R&D resources.
I do like the idea of a Pentax full frame prime, wide angle, somewhere in the vicinity of an 20-24m...F 2.8 would be nice and looking at the latest lens roadmap, this seems to be in the future plan...hopefully near future, as I'm getting older.
I'm a long time Pentax user (since Feb.1968) and I have, from the first, been happy with Pentax equipment. I do admit on a number of occasions in that half century, thinking should I change my main photographic system to Nikon or Canon. The latest time was in 2016/ early 2017 when I thought should I go Canon or go Nikon full frame.
If I did go Canikon, I thought one FF body, one corporate flash, a 24-105 L or 24-120, F 4, a 70-200 F 4 again and a Sigma/Tamron 150-600 for wildlife. Maybe a 100/105 Macro. I would probably of sold most of my existing Pentax equipment to help finance this change.
But then I was very impressed with the specs of the Pentax K-1, also loved my accumulated Pentax (also my old screw mount Takumars) lenses.
Still wrestling with indecision, I then spoke to a camera salesman, whose opinion I highly respect and who sells in a store chock full of Canikon, but bereft of Pentax. He listened patiently to my machinations about what to do, photographic equipment wise. I mentioned the Canon 5D3, the Nikon D750 or the K-1.
His opinion....I have a lot of Pentax lenses, but no Nikon/Canon lenses. In his opinion, the K-1 was better than the 5D3 or the D750. The nod goes to Pentax was his considered opinion.
I think in the end, that's what I had been leaning to...the K-1. I ordered the K-1 through him , also the 28-105 that gets positive reviews, even though it is classified as a kit lens. I got them and they work very well together. The K-1 is great.
So for me, to my mind, I'm happy to stay with Pentax. Hopefully Pentax will keep on doing what they've been doing...producing excellent equipment for still photography and that I and Pentax, will have another 20 + good years.
My view is that Pentax keeps on introducing new camera bodies...both FF and ASP-C, new lenses of good quality and high interest to me. They do this slowly, I have to rely on reading internet info on what the equipment is like and I have to order sight unseen, if I want new Pentax equipment.
If I had Canikon I could go down and look and check out their new stuff. Buy it right now, then and there. I prefer to do that.
But so far, the new Pentax stuff I've ordered sight unseen has proven to be very good stuff, which I'm happy with. So even if it's not the way I would prefer to do business, so far it's worked out well for me.
In the movie..." Some Like it Hot"... actor Joe E. Lewis utters the phrase..."Well, nobody's perfect"....in a very memorable scene ...and I suppose that sums up what it's like to buy from Pentax in this modern day.
Now that was a a great line from a classic movie and as far as Pentax goes...well they're not perfect either....however their current and new equipment are really good and I'm pulling for them to continue in that vein.