Originally posted by reh321 All this talk about size, with lots of people preferring the larger K-3ii and K-1 cameras, and relatively few of us preferring the smaller KP, goes to the heart of the arguments @punkrachmaninov and others keep making. I do not know what photographers in general prefer, but current users of Pentax cameras do not seem to prefer small cameras in general. I would expect Pentax to take those preferences into account when designing new equipment.
A few years ago, U.S. retailer J. C. Penney made a radical change in what they carried, lurching towards where the market seemed to be going - and also lurched towards bankruptcy. One of the business magazines described this as "they fired all their old customers before they hired any new ones". Pentax needs to avoid that kind of situation. Perhaps they could make cameras that would attract current users of Canon, Nikon, and Sony .... but they need someone to purchase their new products, and the easiest sale is to those who already purchase your product. Any major change needs to result in clear benefit. Personally, I don't see any benefit to their jettisoning K-mount, for example,
wholeheartedly agree with you on the jc penney case study. there is room in pentax's future for a maximum of 2 aps-c DSLRs, the K-1 full frame, the imminent 645 (2019), the adorable pentax q (40 megapixel & better be out before xmas), AND the full frame mirrorless camera of everyone's dreams (or in here apparently, everyone's nightmares)... they can't release too many options, it would be ill-advised.
not sure about this continuum of bigger cameras though, especially if they don't shoot video. that newly announced olympus is the funniest thing i have seen in quite some time, i am looking forward to the Olympus q4 report... the pentax k1 is the heaviest camera in it's class... that weight is not something everyone wants to carry.
perhaps this is not worth mentioning (like so many of my other totally useless comments), but i suspect that if i could actually manage to physically hold a KP in my hands whilst in a store, i probably have not been able to restrain myself... in all likelihood i would prefer the ergonomics to the K-1 i rented for the week... it was just too damn heavy. not trying to insult anyone, but i am certainly not trying to prove anything either...
here is hoping you all can find it in yourselves to accept the forthcoming top-secret pentax k1000 mirrorless camera into your hearts... you know it is on the way after those numbers!! mwahahaha!