[Pentikonian]

And on a more serious note - I do hope there is a substantial announcement from Ricoh/ Pentax.

[Caat]

Interesting how would mirrorless K1 look like....

The K-01 was too divisive visually and the lack of a mirror didnt really come with many obvious advantages.

Pentax's best bet would be to try to make it look as much like an MX or an LX as possible. But shrinking it as small as possible whilst maintaining the K-mount is a non-trivial technical challenge.

Without obvious size benefits from mirrorless other advantages would need to be promoted. Meaning things like EVFs would have to be extremely good, fps would have to take advantage of no mirror etc.

---------- Post added 08-29-18 at 05:42 PM ----------

As Rondec said, the technical things (EVF, PDAF on sensor etc) are not Pentax's strong points.

[RonHendriks1966]

Ricoh probably doesn't sell enough volume to justify a new custom-designed 16mp sensor.

One problem would be that a 16mp sensor would be seen as something from the past. A megapixel count that suits smartphones. I don't agree with that, since 16mp is plenty for a good print, but most people think maybe that it isn't.

To get enough volume for a custom designed sensor. Well make as many of your camera's suitable to work with that sensor, starting from the same wafer.

From the same wafer one could design:
- Aps-c 16mp
- Aps-h 25mp
- fullframe 36mp
- MF for 645 with 60,5mp (44x33mm)
- MF for 645 with 72mp (48x36mm)
Same pixelsize, just on different sensor sizes.

I'm so lucky that I have no idea if it works like that. But Ricoh-Imaging would have his own line of sensors (made by Sony).

For fun one can calculate how many sensors one can cut from a wafer.
http://www.silicon-edge.co.uk/j/index.php/resources/die-per-wafer

[Mark Ransom]

I guess they do, at least olympus has some pancakes. But there you also sacrifice on sensor size...

Not by much. The difference between APS-C and 4/3 is only 1.3x, less than the difference between APS-C and FF.

[reh321]

I just realised, clicking like doesn't add to the post count

In general, the things that add to your post count add to our post count. {exceptions may be Giveaway Section and Groups, which may add to your post count but certainly don't add to our post count}

[reh321]

I'm not sure why Pentax would update K-70, KP or K-1 ..... those are basically new designs. 645, theta and K-3 make sense.

I can't see Pentax doing a mirror less. If they were to make one based on K mount they would not be able to make it slim. OK, you could slim down the battery but would that look unbalanced. And if they left K mount they would have to develop or convert lenses for the new mount. So, my vote goes for a nice spotmatic replica

You'll notice that I didn't mention MILC anywhere. People who want MILC want it for the EVF, but there are some people here who just cannot see that. When I was in Best Buy this morning to purchase a new external disk unit to use for backing up my file systems {in fact, I'm doing that right now} I tried out the Canon M50 again. I had no issues at all with it - in the store setting it showed me roughly what my K-30's OVF would have shown; there are people here who complain that extended use gives them headaches - but for me with any viewfinder, it is aim, focus, adjust levels, shoot .... I've done all my thinking without any viewfinder. Pentax has been very coy about this - they keep pledging loyalty to K-mount, seemingly ignoring the possibility of another K-mount MILC like the K-01, so I just ignored it for now.

[Craigbob]

I for one would love to see a, APS-C and FF mirrorless offering from Pentax. As much as I hate the idea, I think mirrorless is the future of of photography, just as long as it has an adapter to use K-mount lenses I'm good with it.

[awscreo]

16mp is [arguably] better for low light, if designing a 16mp and 24mp sensor from scratch using the same technology base. In practice, the latest Sony 24mp sensors include advancements that didn't exist when the 16mp sensors were in production. I think Sony's last 16mp was designed more than 2 years ago.

Ricoh probably doesn't sell enough volume to justify a new custom-designed 16mp sensor.

From a marketing standpoint, customers think they understand pixel counts, and think more is better. It's easier to sell a 24mp camera than it is to sell a 16mp camera.

I agree. It's just Pentax shows their ability to take old-ish sensor and make it sing (K-1 sensor for example). I guess designing a new sensor would be an overkill for the niche (but dreamers can dream )

[stevebrot]

'm not sure what folks having been smoking here on the Forum based on some of the ideas in this thread.

Hard to say, but I suspect some of the legal outlets in my area would love to hook up with their supplier...must be dynamite stuff.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Not necessarily. Ricoh only needs to make a medium format mirrorless DSLR which can use all K-mount lenses without vignetting, will be no larger than the GR II and about 1/10 as expensive.

I'm totally in...


Steve

[Rush2112]

"Stay on target...."

[biz-engineer]

I think mirrorless is the future of of photography,

Rather than being the future of photography, it's likely to be what will allow camera companies to influence people to replace their current camera that is working just fine.

[Cerebum]

You'll notice that I didn't mention MILC anywhere. People who want MILC want it for the EVF, but there are some people here who just cannot see that. When I was in Best Buy this morning to purchase a new external disk unit to use for backing up my file systems {in fact, I'm doing that right now} I tried out the Canon M50 again. I had no issues at all with it - in the store setting it showed me roughly what my K-30's OVF would have shown; there are people here who complain that extended use gives them headaches - but for me with any viewfinder, it is aim, focus, adjust levels, shoot .... I've done all my thinking without any viewfinder. Pentax has been very coy about this - they keep pledging loyalty to K-mount, seemingly ignoring the possibility of another K-mount MILC like the K-01, so I just ignored it for now.

I use an evf on my Olympus. No headaches and it is frankly brilliant. It even has focus peaking in manual mode which is tremendous on a sunny day. Thing is, whatever is fitted, it will not please everyone, so, now I want a mirror less spotmatic with a tilty floppy screen, an evf, K mount, two card slots, titanic battery life, GPS, WiFi and all for £500! And I won't accept anything less

[Rush2112]

Rather than being the future of photography, it's likely to be what will allow camera companies to influence people to replace their current camera that is working just fine.

Both of you are right. Trust me its both reasons.

[Cerebum]

Rather than being the future of photography, it's likely to be what will allow camera companies to influence people to replace their current camera that is working just fine.

Exactly. I believed the hype surrounding Sony mirror less, then, thankfully before I spent any money, the wise folks in PF land helped me to give my head a wobble. Sony though are the masters of advertising. A friend of mine has moved from a Nikon d750 to a Sony A7iii. Her pictures were superb. It will be interesting to see what her £500 outlay brings to the table.