Originally posted by monochrome Which partly supports my contention. Develop your new technology for the 300,000 unit / year body. Port the technology to your 85,000 unit / year body (FF) and 20,000 unit planned production body (645) and you distribute your R&D costs across 400,000 units a year, or roughly 2,000,000 units. Roll it down to the enthusiast APSc bodies over time and add 3,000,000 more units after the R&D is fully amortized.
A little optimistisch on the numbers, but basicly that is the way it works.
I guess if the top of the line aps-c is the next camera coming (sometime 2019) then they have still time to work things out.
- a new af-module (but this could be an upgrade from the current one and not new from scratch)
- the shake reduction system is fine and doesn't need an upgrade (but could)
- a new sensor (from Sony)
- a new processor (staying with milbeaut is the cheapest way)
- a new electronic lay-out of the camera inside.......Is expensive but needs to be done at some point (now Pentax has a lot of wie inside while Sony has some boards inside), but I don't think for the next run.
- a new body design, but choosing one of the current body's could work (so starting from K-3ii or KP and work on it).
- a new light metering could be done, but maybe they will stay with the 86k they use now.
Who knows, could be a lot new inside the camera, or a lot the same.....