[MMVIII]

To me, it is actually a relieve having decided to go Nikon, because otherwise, I would still be in threads like these for years to come.

Seriously? Finally deciding to buy the things that suit someone has never sounded so dramatic!

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Last edited by MMVIII; 10-21-2018 at 02:24 PM.

[RGlasel]

Hmmm! Could the IMX204 be a sign for a new revived Q?

You can stir that pot as long as you like, but no one is interested in making ILC soup with smaller than m43 sensors.

Curious that Sony is marketing new high resolution 1" sensors at this time. Is there an embedded/industrial application for such a thing or is Sony about to release the RX100 VI with 50 frames per second and enhanced 4K video?

[D1N0]

I hope cp+ will bring some sorely needed clarity to Pentax future and what to expect. People are waiting for a new aps-c flagship that may not come. Pentax is loosing people to Fujifilm. Also sports , birding and wildlife shooters are moving to canon and Nikon because of better AF. Legacy shooters like me are looking at mirrorless now that Canon and Nikon and soon Panasonic are joining that game. I think camera's like the Sony A7 III and the Nikon Z6 are really no-brainers. Get some adapters and some spare batteries and you are good.

[reh321]

You can stir that pot as long as you like, but no one is interested in making ILC soup with smaller than m43 sensors.

I guess I should change my pseudonym to "NoOne".

I would happily purchase a new "Q" if it included an EVF .... but I expect all future Pentax cameras to be K-mount.

[RGlasel]

I would happily purchase a new "Q" if it included an EVF ....

Oh, you aren't alone in wanting to purchase a compact interchangeable lens camera, but since Nikon discontinued the 1 series, no one is building such a thing and all the action has been in bigger sensors.

[RonHendriks1966]

.... but I expect all future Pentax cameras to be K-mount.

I think you might be right with that expectation.

[Chris Mak]

Seriously? Finally deciding to buy the things that suit someone has never sounded so dramatic!

Nonsense, it is only recently with the new Nikkor 500mm f5.6 that Nikon became a suitable option for me, replacing the DA560, also financially. If Pentax had timely offered a suitable upgrade to the aging K3, tbat leaves a lot wanting by todays standards AF wise, I would not have to switch.
Just regard my way out as yet another example that Pentax is leaving part of its former user base with few options other than to switch.
Drama is what you make of it yourself. Switching systems is sometimes the only alternative, even if not wanted. The mantra that wildlife/birders have chosen the wrong systems may be true for those choosing Pentax now, but certainly wasn't neccessarily so when I got into Pentax five years ago.

Chris

[Andrea K]

Reading the last comments and evaluating my feelings I am convinced that RICOH is wrong in not giving news or at least building hype about new products. At least in the APS-C and MF fields where it seems to be losing ground

[ffking]

The mantra that wildlife/birders have chosen the wrong systems may be true for those choosing Pentax now, but certainly wasn't neccessarily so when I got into Pentax five years ago.

I think you're right there - the AF was never the best on the K-3, but nobody was doing D500 quality AF back then - and 8.3fps was right up there- combine that with the weather sealing (which was ahead of the opposition) and it was a respectable wildlife camera, apart from a more limited modern lens and adaptor selection.

[MMVIII]

I think you're right there - the AF was never the best on the K-3, but nobody was doing D500 quality AF back then - and 8.3fps was right up there- combine that with the weather sealing (which was ahead of the opposition) and it was a respectable wildlife camera, apart from a more limited modern lens and adaptor selection.

All right, but I still think that the technical capability of a system does not degrade if others start offering something else. Nevermind, I am aware of this being a common psychological effect.
On the other hand, the AF of K-3II seems to have added some slight progress, and the 150-450 might have been a useful addition to some people within this field.
But I guess if someone really was ready to spare 5k+ for a single lens to be paired with the K-3 he would have had a good plan for return of investment, if a professional, or is a very passionate hobbyist who should have calculated the amount of satisfaction he could generate with the bought equipment. And for both of this cases the first sentence applies. At least from my POV.

[Kunzite]

Nikon already had the superior 51-point AF (introduced well before the K-3, and evolved over time); as well as a much superior line of lenses for wildlife. Sure, you had to pay a lot if you wanted their best.

OTOH Pentax started becoming an option (again) with the introduction of the two long lenses, and their first generation advanced AF. My interest in a new APS-C flagship is that it might introduce a second generation advanced AF; I can't wait for the next year to see at least a hint about where things are heading.

I have the utmost respect for the people who manages to get excellent action results with Pentax. I won't blame them if they just decide to leave, but their activity inspires.

[fsge]

Reading the last comments and evaluating my feelings I am convinced that RICOH is wrong in not giving news or at least building hype about new products. At least in the APS-C and MF fields where it seems to be losing ground

I agree with you, I am afraid this strange lack of signal would accelerate churn of APSC users to other brands.
They tend to forget more than half of digital clients are not into FF yet and don't necessarily intend to join...

[ffking]

All right, but I still think that the technical capability of a system does not degrade if others start offering something else. Nevermind, I am aware of this being a common psychological effect.

yes that's true, but if you are in any sense in competition with others either entering competitions or just selling images to magazines or as prints - or even posting your work on Flickr or Instagram, if somebody else's system is superior to yours in some way - and AF is what we're talking about, though buffer size is also relevant - all other things being equal, they will have an advantage - not an insurmountable one, but one the means that they have to put less effort into one area of the photographic process than you do, and maybe more frequently catch moments that you miss - and that adds up.

[redpit]

Just for the record, the superb D500 came out 7 years after the D300s, on 2016. From 2012 you can find hundrends of threads of Nikon fans demanding a new high end APS-C sport oriented camera. They felt they were forgotten by Nikon and many said they were considering jumping ship to other brands (with the Pentax K-3 being brought up quite often).

On 2016 CP+ D500 was announced and the Nikon officials were declaring:
"Was the D7000-series ever meant to replace the D300-series?

We were hoping that the D7000 series would cover a portion of the customer base that used the D300S, but the customers continued to say that they wanted a replacement for that model, so that’s why we made the D500." (source: CP+ 2016: Nikon interview - 'the D500 is the D300S replacement that customers wanted': Digital Photography Review)

Now that might reminds you of something (K-3, K-3II, KP). Pentax is quite smaller and I feel that they are pushed by their base to release a K-3 succesor, as this was not their initial plan when KP was released.

PS: I feel that when the new APS-C will be released many ex-Pentaxians will sigh for the times they were shooting Pentax. How do I know? This is what history has shown so far. Pentax is slow in releasing new equipment, but most times it well worths the wait.

[MMVIII]

yes that's true, but if you are in any sense in competition with others either entering competitions or just selling images to magazines or as prints - or even posting your work on Flickr or Instagram, if somebody else's system is superior to yours in some way - and AF is what we're talking about, though buffer size is also relevant - all other things being equal, they will have an advantage - not an insurmountable one, but one the means that they have to put less effort into one area of the photographic process than you do, and maybe more frequently catch moments that you miss - and that adds up.

Right, absolutely. I do feel sorry for anyone who is getting into any disadvantage regarding his equipment. This happens, it did to 4/3 users, Sony A-mount users, Nexus mount users... who knows what will be with Canon and Nikon DSLR mounts? Especially with APS-C. Does someone really think there will be a D500II?

I do find it odd that Ricoh does not take the chance to define a solid niche here: high quality fast APS-C camera for nature photography. They might attract some people uncertain about their F and EF systems?
But maybe they don't see enough market in that and what advantage could be kept by keeping the mirror here? I'm not in this target group, why was it necessary to develop this “flagship“ again, and how would it attract people from other systems? Honest question.