Originally posted by Rondec I'm not sure what folks having been smoking here on the Forum based on some of the ideas in this thread. 645Z update or K3 II sequel seem most likely from camera body standpoints. Lens mock-ups --DFA *85 and DA *11-15 seem possible as well. I wouldn't expect much yet, honestly. Probably spring of next year before we see the next wave of releases. Pentaxians shouldn't set their hopes too high. We got the DFA *50 this year, which by all accounts is a stellar lens. There will be more in the future, just not as fast as we'd like them (gives time to save for the next release).
I think there is still plenty of money to be made in the medium format market. The price of sensors has come down considerably, even for really large ones like the one in the 645Z. Monochrome is right too in that the R and D is all paid for and so the cost of the camera has come down as a result. Obviously if Pentax releases a higher end version with better specs and a newer sensor, the cost will be higher as well.
The other thing to remember is that Pentax shares tech between lines of cameras so that odds are they would use/share components between the 645z and K-1 series of cameras. It probably helps with the cost of R and D as well.
Right, this is the major point to keep in mind. The 645N in 1997 was incorporating tech developed for and used in the Mz-5(n)/3 cameras; the 645NII in 2001 shared tech with the MZ-S. The 645D was paralleled with the introduction of the new body design and tech of the K-5 in 2010 and the 645Z in 2014 with tech from K-3 (2013).
Maybe this is how the K-DSLRs with a letter instead of numbers can be understood: not developed as part of a complete lineup stepping up. And to keep a certain needed momentum for other cameras updates/facelifts are produced between this cycles (xxII...).
I would guess that a new cycle would again be started with an APS-C camera, new sensor, new tech (processor, AF etc.), maybe new body design and new positioning in the market. I guess there is broad agreement on that and because the platform should be able to support a larger/higher resolving sensors it might be quite a fast and responsive thing.
It might be accompanied by a new GR, getting new sensor and processor.
And it might be ready to be thrown into a new 645 which definitely would need this new processor.
And in the end, not necessarily shortly, end up in a new K-1 series camera.
There might be a slight possibility that on basis of this platform also a mirrorless model might be put out. I could imagine that a mirrorless version with design cues from K-P would be quite feasible, but I would not count on that.
On my personal wishlist would be the development of the GR into a mini-mirrorless system. Would be easy by simply adding a proper mounting cylinder, unless the unfortunately slightly wobbly GH-3 so called filter adapter. I am using it already with the GW-3 wide conversion lens and the GM-1 macro adapter. With a GT-1 tele adapter it would be a perfect travel camera system, maybe offering an electronic viewfinder with it.
Just my 2c, because, we are all in the same boat, those who know will not tell, those who tell don't know. We will have to wait and see.