[Mistral75]

I'm glad you agree.

Now can we agree that the later statements by Wakashiro-san were to clarify Mr Tanaka's disappointment by Wakashiro-san, the head of the project, and to eliminate any misunderstanding regarding their APS-C project?

Quote from @JPT "The interview with Kimio Tanaka was with Iwasaki-san, but when he started talking about the APS-C, he called up Shigeru Wakashiro from the crowd and shoved the mic in his hand. This was completely to Wakashiro-san's surprise, but he played along and spoke for a few minutes. Wakashiro-san is responsible for developing the forthcoming high-end APS-C."

Read more at: My Report from CP+ 2019 - Page 6 - PentaxForums.com

Reread this and show me where there is even a scintilla of discussion regarding any FF Pentax DSLR.

They were talking about "forthcoming high-end APS-C" camera which Wakashiro-san is responsible for.

(...)

Shigeru Wakashiro is not (directly) responsible for developing the forthcoming high-end APS-C. He is the General Manager of the Product Planning Department. Tetsuya Iwasaki is the Manager of the Second Product Planning Section in this department. Shigeru Wakashiro is Tetsuya Iwasaki's boss.

Basically, Tetsuya Iwasaki had had a hard time with Kimio Tanaka the day before during the previous seminar and, this time, he gave the microphone to his boss to let him answer.

[monochrome]

After decades of owning Pentax SLR cameras, first film and then digital, I'm leaving the brand. I won't go full frame because I don't like carrying large cameras. Recently I bought two KPs and returned them. Found them flimsy. The focus didn't work on one of them out of the box. Since there is no new K3 type apsc dslr I'm selling off all my Pentax apsc cameras and lenses and switching to a sony or fujifilm system. I considered the new Ricoh GR but why not just buy a smartphone with a high quality camera for roughly the same price. Smaller sensor but wide angle lens and always with you. Same disadvantage in sunlight with no viewfinder.

I've never heard that before. A KP is one of the sturdiest, most solid cameras made, certainly APSc. AFA DoA AF, 7% failure within first 12 months is normal experience for consumer electronics. DoA KP - never heard that either. Did you get a full refund / new unit exchange from your vendor?

Thanks for letting us know you are jumping ship on your fifth post though.

[fsge]

After decades of owning Pentax SLR cameras, first film and then digital, I'm leaving the brand. I won't go full frame because I don't like carrying large cameras. Recently I bought two KPs and returned them. Found them flimsy. The focus didn't work on one of them out of the box. Since there is no new K3 type apsc dslr I'm selling off all my Pentax apsc cameras and lenses and switching to a sony or fujifilm system. I considered the new Ricoh GR but why not just buy a smartphone with a high quality camera for roughly the same price. Smaller sensor but wide angle lens and always with you. Same disadvantage in sunlight with no viewfinder.

An ex colleague of mine moved from K5 to KP and tried to find some excuses to dislike the latter. Disliked form factor, disliked autonomy, disliked grips, lack of top display etc He finally switched to sony and picked 6300 if I remember well, had a very good deal apparently. Some time later he now complains about sony's toughness, price of glass, rendering... He is becoming more and more curious about K3 III even if he does not feel like admitting it, might make the move back. You should consider some more waiting rather than spending extra money on another system that is not necessarily better...

[tvdtvdtvd]

two KPs and returned them. Found them flimsy.

As the comments would suggest, you have obviously struck a nerve with this unqualified usage of 'flimsy' to describe the KP.

I'll make a guess and suggest what you really meant was 'too small for my hands' or 'I didn't like the grip choices' or
some such. Either that, or perhaps you were the unfortunate recipient of an open box product sold as new. Any other
signs that the camera had been used/abused before you? If it was indeed a very rare manufacturing fault, then not only would
that only affect one of the cameras, (only one would be 'flimsy'), but would also qualify for immediate replacement.
Were these back of the truck sales?

Inquiring minds want to know: what exactly was flimsy about the KP? I certainly am curious, especially presented
with the followup logic that a Sony might be solution to a flimsy KP.

[kooks]

If a brand's not right for someone, that's exactly what they should do. I've said it for a long time... there's no sense hanging around if the kit doesn't work for you.

Totally agree... if the brand doesn't fit your style it is pointless to keep just waiting (sometimes in vain) for the products to eventually fit, we all have our needs, and perhaps we all wish/wished something from RICOH at some point but if that doesn't happen, well, its time to move on... but if Pentax fits what you shoot and how you enjoy shooting this is a lovely system.

[c.a.m]

You should consider some more waiting rather than spending extra money on another system that is not necessarily better...

A noble suggestion, certainly, but I think this member is set on changing systems, hopefully to another brand that suits them better.

We don't know this member's personal situation or context -- other than a string of sales on the PF Marketplace over the years under several member names -- but Pentax DSLRs and current lenses might not be a good fit. I noticed earlier that they have an HD DA 70 Limited listed in the Marketplace and indicate that they used it about a dozen times and then it has "sat in the closet for about a year." It's not obvious why they would have ignored this terrific lens.

Anyways, there are plenty of other choices for good camera systems, so they should be able to find something they like.

[Larrymc]

They were talking about "forthcoming high-end APS-C" camera which Wakashiro-san is responsible for.

My expectations about "FF' come from comments by @Asahiman;
If he turns out to be inaccurate in this, then I will take that into account in evaluating future comments by him, but he has been accurate recently.

I think many here have currently have a low opinion of Asahiman's accuracy of late. So I put less stock in his cryptic messages.

[mee]

I think many here have currently have a low opinion of Asahiman's accuracy of late. So I put less stock in his cryptic messages.

It changes with the wind around these parts.

[Larrymc]

Shigeru Wakashiro is not (directly) responsible for developing the forthcoming high-end APS-C. He is the General Manager of the Product Planning Department. Tetsuya Iwasaki is the Manager of the Second Product Planning Section in this department. Shigeru Wakashiro is Tetsuya Iwasaki's boss.

Basically, Tetsuya Iwasaki had had a hard time with Kimio Tanaka the day before during the previous seminar and, this time, he gave the
microphone to his boss to let him answer.

Hmmmmmm.....I would think that the Boss would be a more responsible person who could answer the questions better than Iwasaki-san. Maybe Iwasaki-san felt better letting Wakashiro-san go a little more in depth than he(Iwasaki-san) was authorized to go. BTW, I previously saw you post regarding the hierarchy in the Pentax Product Planning Department.

My point to @REH was that there was no reference to a full frame DSLR in @JPT's post regarding the CP+ Pentax seminar and his reported exchanges between Tanaka-san, Iwasaki-san and Wakashiro-san. Do you remember any such discussion that you have seen at the seminar?

[Larrymc]

It changes with the wind around these parts.

Yep

[MarkJerling]

After decades of owning Pentax SLR cameras, first film and then digital, I'm leaving the brand. I won't go full frame because I don't like carrying large cameras. Recently I bought two KPs and returned them. Found them flimsy. The focus didn't work on one of them out of the box. Since there is no new K3 type apsc dslr I'm selling off all my Pentax apsc cameras and lenses and switching to a sony or fujifilm system. I considered the new Ricoh GR but why not just buy a smartphone with a high quality camera for roughly the same price. Smaller sensor but wide angle lens and always with you. Same disadvantage in sunlight with no viewfinder.

Bye.

[Winder]

do you have information about how it is doing in the Japanese market???

Pentax was about 7% of the Japanese market when I started shooting it back in '08. Last I heard they had fallen to under 3%, but I haven't seen any recent data. Maybe you can provide the information.

1. Canon: 49.1%
2. Nikon: 24.9%
3. Sony: 13.3%

All other companies (Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Ricoh) combined have less than a 13% market share (the top 3 camera manufacturers gained 6.2% in 2018 to a total of 87.3%).

Read more: 2018 Canon, Nikon and Sony market share (latest Nikkei, BCN and CIPA reports) - Photo Rumors


I would guess that Ricoh has probably fallen to less than 2% at this point and they don't seem to be doing anything to change that.

[reh321]

Pentax was about 7% of the Japanese market when I started shooting it back in '08. Last I heard they had fallen to under 3%, but I haven't seen any recent data. Maybe you can provide the information.

1. Canon: 49.1%
2. Nikon: 24.9%
3. Sony: 13.3%

All other companies (Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Ricoh) combined have less than a 13% market share (the top 3 camera manufacturers gained 6.2% in 2018 to a total of 87.3%).

Read more: 2018 Canon, Nikon and Sony market share (latest Nikkei, BCN and CIPA reports) - Photo Rumors

I would guess that Ricoh has probably fallen to less than 2% at this point and they don't seem to be doing anything to change that.

This response does not address the question I was asking.
In your original response you were saying that the KP's being right for me doesn't matter, what matters is its acceptance in the overall market.

I was asking how the KP sells in Japan, the home market for Pentax, because they seem to make many decisions based on preferences of the Japanese market.

If the KP sells well in Japan, then they might actually being doing something about their standing in the Japan market.

[Winder]

This response does not address the question I was asking.
In your original response you were saying that the KP's being right for me doesn't matter, what matters is its acceptance in the overall market.

I was asking how the KP sells in Japan, the home market for Pentax, because they seem to make many decisions based on preferences of the Japanese market.

If the KP sells well in Japan, then they might actually being doing something about their standing in the Japan market.

How many units does the KP have to sell in Japan for it to be considered "selling well"? Selling well relative to what? They don't seem to be selling well enough to improve the market share. Are the selling as well as the K-x? That camera sold really well in Japan. We probably won't know unit it is out of production and we have a couple of years of data. Ricoh is the smallest player in a contracting market segment. They are obviously more invested in the Japanese market and they engage in significantly more marketing.

[sergysergy]

I am looking forward to seeing the K3 successor but those KPs look amazing.