[Tangent88]

So you think that Olympus and Pentax both go belly up?

I think so, there's an oversupply in the market ATM and a couple of manufacturers are going to be squeezed out.

Fuji manufacturing mirrorless medium format cameras was probably the final straw as that killed off Pentax's last niche.

---------- Post added 10-01-18 at 03:24 AM ----------

M4/3 like Pentax have their own followers. Not everyone wants full frame or MILC, me included.

The smaller the sensor, the sooner they will be replaced by new smartphone camera technology, ordinary compact cameras have been replaced, next will be 1 inch compacts and then it will be M4/3.

The main problem I find is battery life, carrying a camera around with you is one thing but having to take a couple of batteries as well is a PITA.

My smartphone on the other hand, I can use all day on the one charge.

They both use lithium-ion batteries so I don't know why this is the case but I think that it's a real problem.

---

Last edited by Tangent88; 10-01-2018 at 03:24 AM.

[BigMackCam]

You may be happy with the slow pace of Pentax's development of new products. You are one who's obviously satisfied with using yesterday's technology.

Me, I'm continually buying cutting edge gear and spend lots of money each year on the latest camera gear.

I like both modern and "yesterday's technology". Increasingly the latter, actually. A few years ago, I liked to have at least current generation equipment, but as time has progressed (and I've progressed with it), I've found my photographic skills to be far more important than the equipment. Indeed, I still have a lot of work to do... The limitations are largely mine, not my equipment. Of course, that equipment still has to be decent quality and capable... but for me, it doesn't need to be the latest. I guess I'm lucky in that respect.

I'm not speaking of you, here, Dave - but I do wonder how many photographers are buying into equipment simply for the sake of having the latest and greatest, rather than a genuine need for performance and features their current gear doesn't provide. Of course, there's nothing wrong with buying all the latest kit just for the sake of it, if you can comfortably afford to. Toys are fun, and fun is good. But I wonder how much of that fancy new gear, with fancy new features, actually translates into better photographs?

That said, the manufacturers are no doubt dependent on the desire to have the latest equipment, and they play on it by offering more and more bells and whistles that most people will never need. But thank goodness those people want them, or the companies would be out of business!

[Kunzite]

So you think that Olympus and Pentax both go belly up?

About this... I predicted, on the other forum, that the next system to die will not be Pentax K.
Shortly after, Sigma entered the L-mount alliance and decided to put an end to their SA mount. I have to update my prediction: the next system to die will still not be Pentax K.

[Mistral75]

I agree with you. Pentax 645, in its current form, will go before Pentax K.

[Chris Mak]

About this... I predicted, on the other forum, that the next system to die will not be Pentax K.
Shortly after, Sigma entered the L-mount alliance and decided to put an end to their SA mount. I have to update my prediction: the next system to die will still not be Pentax K.

That's not the death of a mount, that is simply a mount being replaced by a newer, highly successfull mount by the same manufacturer. If Pentax wants to reach the stage, where they have a new mount that is so successful that it inevitably replaces K-mount, then they have a long, long road to travel yet.

Chris

---------- Post added 10-01-18 at 11:48 AM ----------

I agree with you. Pentax 645, in its current form, will go before Pentax K.

I think it was Sony Alpha mount, that was being referred to.
I believe 645Z mount can already be proclaimed dead after the latest interview, since NO new lenses will be developed for the mount.

Chris

[Kunzite]

That's not the death of a mount, that is simply a mount being replaced by a newer, highly successfull mount by the same manufacturer. If Pentax wants to reach the stage, where they have a new mount that is so successful that it inevitably replaces K-mount, then they have a long, long road to travel yet.

Chris

That's an imaginative way of twisting the death of a mount

[RobA_Oz]

I think so, there's an oversupply in the market ATM and a couple of manufacturers are going to be squeezed out.

Olympus really has no near competitor in the small and light MFT MILC market, as far as I can tell, and they have a good line of bodies and lenses. Portents of Pentax doom have been around for years, but they seem to find enough sales to justify staying in business. The ones worrying about oversupply should be Nikon and (to a lesser extent, Canon), and clearly they are, judging from their over-hyped recent entries into the 35FF MILC segment.

Note also that Zeiss has just come into the digital market.

Fuji manufacturing mirrorless medium format cameras was probably the final straw as that killed off Pentax's last niche.

Where’s the evidence that Fuji MF sales have overtaken Pentax MF sales? Or did you just mean to say that Pentax wasn’t the only player in that particular space, now? Either way, the niche isn’t being killed off. Having no doubt by now recouped the investment in developing the 645Z, I expect its price to continue to fall, while still delivering a profit to Ricoh.

The smaller the sensor, the sooner they will be replaced by new smartphone camera technology, ordinary compact cameras have been replaced, next will be 1 inch compacts and then it will be M4/3.

Admittedly, some phone camera makers are having a crack at this, with DoF simulation in Apple’s case, and multiple cameras in some others. Low-light performance is always going to be inferior in smaller-sensor cameras, nonetheless, and the problem of fitting a zoom lens into a slim phone will remain. Plus, the problem of using a phone screen as a viewfinder in bright light also remains.

[BigMackCam]

I think it was Sony Alpha mount, that was being referred to.
I believe 645Z mount can already be proclaimed dead after the latest interview, since NO new lenses will be developed for the mount.

Sony Alpha (Minolta AF as was) is an interesting one, and you have to wonder if it's an early indication of what could happen with Nikon F, Canon EF and Panasonic's commitment to Micro 4/3...

Although the entry-level A68, A99 MkII and ageing A77 MkII are current cameras, there's nothing happening in terms of A-mount lens development. People still use their A-mount lenses on their existing native bodies, or on E-mount mirrorless bodies using Sony's LA-EA3 and -EA4 adapter... but Sony has basically shifted entirely to the newer E-mount.

Will Nikon develop Z-mount and let the F-mount slowly decline, or will it develop both side-by-side? If the latter, it would be quite some commitment. Same for Canon... will it gradually move to the RF-mount exclusively, or keep EF going alongside? And Panasonic... All-in on L-mount, or keep Micro 4/3 alive too?

As for Pentax's 645 mount, if the company should move towards mirrorless with a shorter registration distance, 645 lenses will no doubt be adaptable so will remain relevant - just like A, F and EF mount lenses on the respective companies' new mirrorless mounts.

[Mistral75]

As for Pentax's 645 mount, if the company should move towards mirrorless with a shorter registration distance, 645 lenses will no doubt be adaptable so will remain relevant - just like A, F and EF mount lenses on the respective companies' new mirrorless mounts.

Did you notice that the new 33x44mm 100 MP BSI Sony sensor used by Fujifilm in their GFX 100S has on-sensor phase detection autofocus?

Compared to conventional contrast detection autofocus this would greatly facilitate the use of FA645 lenses on a hypothetical Pentax 645 mirrorless camera.

[normhead]

You may be happy with the slow pace of Pentax's development of new products. You are one who's obviously satisfied with using yesterday's technology.

Me, I'm continually buying cutting edge gear and spend lots of money each year on the latest camera gear.

Well, if we are going to get into that kind of unflattering characterization, how do we know you aren't just a guy with a lot of money who tries to compensate for lack of photographic talent by buying lot's of stuff. Are you a collector of new tech, or a photographer? Do you actually have evidence to show us of how your penchant for spending lots of money on new tech have made you a better photographer, or are you the rich kid who invites you over to his house to show you all the stuff he owns?

Parting with your money for no good reason doesn't bolster your case.

Wanting to buy and play with every new toy that comes out isn't relevant to the practice of photgraphy. That's more a consumerism thing. What is this about, the images you take, or how many toys you have?

[RonHendriks1966]

About this... I predicted, on the other forum, that the next system to die will not be Pentax K.
Shortly after, Sigma entered the L-mount alliance and decided to put an end to their SA mount. I have to update my prediction: the next system to die will still not be Pentax K.

Oh yes we are on the same page......several mounts will disappear over the coming 3 years. Maybe even one that isn't released yet.

On the verge of extinction:
- SA mount (announced to be dead soon)
- Q mount (some loonatik Pentax rep still called it alive)
- A mount from Sony
- 645 mount from Pentax
- Canon aps-c dslr

We will see.

[clackers]

That's not the death of a mount, that is simply a mount being replaced by a newer, highly successfull mount by the same manufacturer. If Pentax wants to reach the stage, where they have a new mount that is so successful that it inevitably replaces K-mount, then they have a long, long road to travel yet.

Chris

---------- Post added 10-01-18 at 11:48 AM ----------



I think it was Sony Alpha mount, that was being referred to.
I believe 645Z mount can already be proclaimed dead after the latest interview, since NO new lenses will be developed for the mount.

Chris

I'm not sure you know this, Chris, but the mount is being replaced with one from another manufacturer. That mount is a niche one also.

[Chris Mak]

I'm not sure you know this, Chris, but the mount is being replaced with one from another manufacturer. That mount is a niche one also.

I guess that you are referring to the fact that Sony has replaced the old Minolta mount with its own e-mount, and owners of Sony A-mount lenses as well as owners of old Minolta glass are left without support. If so, yes.
I would not say though that the new Sony e-mount is a niche mount. Some say that it was deviced as a mount for the NEX crop cameras, and is handicapped as a FF mount. I take another view: I see no practical limitations to the current e-mount for high performing FF lenses, as proven by the stellar Loxia lenses I have. It may theoretically be a compromise mount: one that supports FF ánd APSC, and takes lenses for both systems natively, and that balances overall system portability while still allowing for high performing optics. A bit in line with the former Pentax Limited lenses philosophy. I am aware that Canon and Nikon heavily promoted their larger mounts when launching their FF mirrorless systems, but I think they overdo their promotion because they have 5 years of catching up to do. In other words, I see Sony's e-mount as a very good choice myself, and am convinced it has a long future ahead.

Normally I would not elaborate on a different system's mount, but today it's interesting in light of Pentax' APSC "crisis". Sony Alpha Rumors has just confirmed that a very high performing APSC birders, sports and wildlife camera with a new body (centrally placed viewfinder) is about to be launched, and very possibly along, a 200-600mm lens. So e-mount takes it a step further, by starting to offer a valid high performing APSC choice. I cannot deny that I am very much interested, as a replacement for the aging K3 series.


(SR5) Sony will soon announce a new High End APS-C camera with EVF in the middle (like the A7 series) - sonyalpharumors sonyalpharumors

Chris

[reh321]

Sony Alpha Rumors has just confirmed that a very high performing APSC birders, sports and wildlife camera with a new body (centrally placed viewfinder) is about to be launched, and very possibly along, a 200-600mm lens. So e-mount takes it a step further, by starting to offer a valid high performing APSC choice. I cannot deny that I am very much interested, as a replacement for the aging K3 series.

(SR5) Sony will soon announce a new High End APS-C camera with EVF in the middle (like the A7 series) - sonyalpharumors sonyalpharumors

Chris

Apparently you aren't one of those who insists that the body be large enough to "balance" long lenses.

[Chris Mak]

Apparently you aren't one of those who insists that the body be large enough to "balance" long lenses.

Like with the KP, there will no doubt be a dedicated (battery) grip available. Sony makes the battery grip for e.g. the A9, a bit larger to solve the inbalance issues.

Chris