[biz-engineer]

What is the reason to disable it? What is the reason to not to activate electronic shutter mode when using optical viewfinder? Why Pentax didn't give an option to enable electronic shutter at custom shutter range? I would had asked these three questions because now I need to use a tripod when using anything below 1/60s and tolerate higher risk for motion blur (ES 1/13s?) to get most out of my camera and lens. I can partially fix the optical viewfinder activation by using pixel shift mode, but it adds manual work because I have to extract a single frame later, it eats four times more space and I can't do proper in-camera review.

I have gone through the same path as you. Found out that enabling SR reduces the effect of shutter shock significantly, so now I don't worry about that anymore.

[geedee]

Yes, the problem is that all he said it's his own point of view and wishes. The real situation is unclear. We hope for upgrade KP and K-70 and new high-end APS-C camera next year too.

Since this gentleman has been working for 26 years for Ricoh I think it's safe to assume he has some experience with the company.

[Pikselisiirto]

You may wish to create your own thread in either the K-1 part of the forum, or in Troubleshooting and Beginners Help for this query rather than post in an existing thread in the News and Rumors section.

Oops, I meant to post to the thread where Pentaxforums interviewed Ricoh, but commenting seems to be in frontpage only. Shutter shock is quite hindering issue and Pentax should give more options to avoid it, so I thought that maybe Pentaxforums could push Ricoh to do more. I know that other brands have it too. I post to K-1 forums about this, if Ricoh interview discussions are not the right place.

I have gone through the same path as you. Found out that enabling SR reduces the effect of shutter shock significantly, so now I don't worry about that anymore.

I have enabled SR all the time except when using a tripod. Blurring is there and I thought that I had focusing issues, but after testing it seems to be shutter shock which cause it.

[repaap]

Interesting interview and extracts. I hope his wishes will translate into something big next year. Another FF would be a huge disappointment ...

Or would it? IMO there is big need for new FF with improved specs too. Not saying that aps-c would not be needed..

[Jeff]

Nice to see this interview!
He seems to steer quite a bit between his own view and wishes for Pentax, and the course dictated by the Japanese management, but he does seem well in on what is going on in the company.
He defends the weight of the DFA50/1.4 in style, and in general seems to be aware of a lot of user feedback at Pentax.
Crucial is the part indeed, where he says that the K1, KP, and K70 are getting old, and that something new is needed for the next (anniversary) year.
He is actually the first Pentax guy to (finally!) flat out state in the open (asahiman said it unofficially earlier already) that the KP was and is the intended K3 successor. He also says that Pentax, and he himself for that matter, were not happy with the KP sales, because the KP was a smaller package than some mirrorless options, with built in SR before mirrorless (read: Fuji) had it, and still people would not buy the KP. They clearly expected (much) larger sales with the KP.
(edit: in a weird way, you could say that Pentax' current possible hesitation to bring out a new APSC body next to FF, was brought on by the Pentax user base itself: by refusing to buy the KP which in doing would be legitimizing and funding ongoing APSC support. In my defense: I díd buy a KP, although quickly sold it again and bought a K3II).

So with that out of the way, and no K3 successor, he looks to the future. The K1 was in some ways outdone on technological features, by the KP (is what he says). They don't want the new body to be less than an older model, so if it is going to be an APSC camera, it is going to be better than the K1 in some regards, making people want the new APSC, despite already having the K1, because of some higher performance features.
Summarizing, it seems clear a new body is to arrive next year. If it is an APSC body, it will be a top model. Otherwise, it could also be a new higher performing FF model. He does not clearly state which it will be, but hints at an APSC body. Note that he says "Ich wünsche mich...": "My wish is that....".
He also talks a lot about how a new high performing DFA lens is actually two lenses, eg. 50mm (on FF) ánd 85mm when put on APSC. It appears that that was the reason for going with 50mm first, because a 85mm lens would take them all the way into 135mm on crop. He admits he does not like 50mm himself. So they do seem to take an APSC body seriously as a body for their new high performing lenses. The fast wide prime will most likely be 35mm, he clearly says that a 28mm lens does not need to be very fast.

Given that asahiman clearly stated that "nearly all the development power at the moment is going to full frame, in two classes, and lenses", I would still think it most likely, that the new top body will be FF.

Chris

You have been able to summarise and clarify more in your single post than a thousand posts have over the past few years. it made sense that the KP was the successor but Pentax should have been more explicit about it. I have a KP and will take some time to learn to use it anywhere near its potential. What will a new APSC offer that we don't have in the KP, besides the obvious of better C-F and more F-points, and a dual card slot for fast cards? I think I will use my money to move into FF. Do you think Pentax has to offer a mirrorless option, or are we too conservative a bunch, and will be happy with a tricked-out APSC flagship? I'm 49 years old and some way below the average age of the members of this forum, and yet I also don't really care about mirrorless unless it was FF and came with a super-duper adapter to use my K mount lenses on. This post, as do many, offers no solution!

[D1N0]

He is being very careful and is talking from the point of view of an outsider looking in at Ricoh and saying what is likely to happen. Like the successor to the K-3 (II) will not be a KP but a top aps-c model that is as good as the K-1 II and in some ways more advanced. But he doesn't actually confirm it will come, just that it is likely to come. On autofocus he says it needs to be improved, especially more field coverage but then he quickly shifts to how good autofocus is already with the new D FA* 50 1.4. On video he is taking a conservative stance. Pentaxians aren't videographers. While being true video is a nice to have and even when you are not going to use it it will be a spec you are looking for a new camera. Also it is turning into an industry standard, so why not adopt it.
About 645 he is being vague. The system is alive but there is nothing new coming. He is also saying would you like more lenses for 35mm/aps-c or for 645 which is really a small market. So it seems the focus is not on the system right now. I think it is just too much of an effort for Ricoh the develop different systems. They need their focus. Now that there is real competition in 645 (From Fuji) they cannot keep up. They will have to rely on traditional customers that prefer an OVF..

[Chris Mak]

You have been able to summarise and clarify more in your single post than a thousand posts have over the past few years. it made sense that the KP was the successor but Pentax should have been more explicit about it. I have a KP and will take some time to learn to use it anywhere near its potential. What will a new APSC offer that we don't have in the KP, besides the obvious of better C-F and more F-points, and a dual card slot for fast cards? I think I will use my money to move into FF. Do you think Pentax has to offer a mirrorless option, or are we too conservative a bunch, and will be happy with a tricked-out APSC flagship? I'm 49 years old and some way below the average age of the members of this forum, and yet I also don't really care about mirrorless unless it was FF and came with a super-duper adapter to use my K mount lenses on. This post, as do many, offers no solution!

Also from te interview, it becomes clear that they (Pentax) are taking critism seriously, although they do want to stress the advantages of their cameras and lenses. He was very open about critisism on the K1, AF wise and buffer wise. He stressed the need for wider AF point coverage, esp. on FF. He also emphasized the need for faster AF, which is driven by the lens motor choice in new lenses.
So these issues should be improved upon in the next body, be it FF or APSC. The main objections to the KP, battery life, buffer depth, will no doubt be adressed.
Overall, I got the feeling that, although narrowing down the line-up, and slowing the release schedule, the Pentax of now is serious about offering high level equipment.
For the first time, after both interviews, I get the impression they are no longer satisfied being outdated or second best. Perhaps they are now seriously considering if and how they can and should also enter the mirrorless market.

Chris

[reh321]

I'm 49 years old and some way below the average age of the members of this forum, and yet I also don't really care about mirrorless unless it was FF and came with a super-duper adapter to use my K mount lenses on. This post, as do many, offers no solution!

Why do you insist on tying FF and MILC together?

[Larrymc]

I mean option of removing OVF with prism and mounting EVF instead when you want/need.

Explain how you think it could be done without exposing the sensor chamber and everything in there to debris and contamination??

[taktoon]

Explain how you think it could be done without exposing the sensor chamber and everything in there to debris and contamination??

brennanprobst.com: Spotlight: Pentax LX

[reh321]

You have been able to summarise and clarify more in your single post than a thousand posts have over the past few years. it made sense that the KP was the successor but Pentax should have been more explicit about it. I have a KP and will take some time to learn to use it anywhere near its potential.

In fact, in interviews with Adam, they seemed to explicitly say the KP is not K-3 successor. When many users looks at current Pentax offerrings, they decided to stick with the K-3, because the buffer on the KP is "too small" and the K-1 is "too slow" {they weren't interested in going back to 16mb}.

Ricoh should not judge a camera so quickly. I have been planning on purchasing a KP someday, but it came out eighteen months after I purchased a used-like-new K-30; as a general principal, I use a camera for at least four years if possible, so the earliest I would purchase a KP is next June. They created so much confusion at Photokina, I don't know what they are doing, so I don't know what I will be purchasing; maybe the confusion will be dissipated by next summer.

[reh321]

Explain how you think it could be done without exposing the sensor chamber and everything in there to debris and contamination??

brennanprobst.com: Spotlight: Pentax LX

This does not answer Larry's question. This was a 35mm camera, which means the 'sensor' was replaced every 24 or 36 exposures; I never heard people worrying about "cleaning the sensor" back then.

[ThorSanchez]

Explain how you think it could be done without exposing the sensor chamber and everything in there to debris and contamination??

I'm envisioning the entire camera constructed out of Legos. The sensor is a big Lego brick made out of transparent lucite, you just blow it off with some compressed air or a rag. You buy the K-L kit complete with the wonderfully detailed pictogram instructions for either SLR or mirrorless options. Kind of like the Mindstorms robot stuff, just with camera-specific bits. But inevitably after a few weeks the kids tear it apart and lose some of it under the couch, and you put it back together with pieces of that ambulance kit and the Millennium Falcon.

The ergonomics are whatever you want, just avoid the pieces with sharp edges where you make the grip.

[taktoon]

This does not answer Larry's question. This was a 35mm camera, which means the 'sensor' was replaced every 24 or 36 exposures; I never heard people worrying about "cleaning the sensor" back then.

As I understand the "sensor" is not exposed at all. You still have focusing screen on top which (or another layer of thin glass) can stay there fixed and sealed all the time.

[6BQ5]

I can totally understand Ricoh's frustration the KP didn't sell as well as a Fuji X-T2 ... but the X-T2 (and now X-T3) is power house 4k camera with on-chip phase detection to enable more reliable, faster, and accurate focusing. Like it or not, Ricoh has to get on board with 4k and they have to really step up with AF. Personally, for me 4k is useless since I do not create videos but the marketplace expects this. AF is definitely a weak spot for Ricoh unless you only photograph stationary subjects. Even then, it's still a little weak compared to other mirror'ed systems.

"Fix" those two things and more people will flock to the K-mount ecosystem.