[Mistral75]

Something crossed my mind - the thought that Sigma L lenses sales might be less than Pentax' K.
A twist on their words: they might have had to improve profitability on their 3rd-party lenses in order to support a money-losing L line.

it's first and foremost a manufacturing problem, as Kazuto Yamaki explained in an interview with Dave Etchells (Imaging Resource):

Dave Etchells: With so many different lens mounts and with smaller market share for each one, I was going to ask what you do about that? But it seems like the answer is that once you design short flange-back lenses for L-mount, that then you're covering other mounts easily?

Kazuto Yamaki: Yes, but still, it's challenging. It's an opportunity for us, but challenging for manufacturing. The glass is the same, but the mechanical parts are different. We need to change the setting of the machines very frequently.

Dave Etchells: Oh, yeah. It's not like you just have a lens and you bolt on the different flange, but there are other mechanical changes.

Kazuto Yamaki: Also, we will probably not discontinue our existing products for DSLRs. We'll maintain lenses for DSLRs, and also lenses for mirrorless. So again, we have to make more and more types of lens models. Then we lose efficiency and productivity in manufacturing. This is very challenging for manufacturing.

Dave Etchells: Yeah, I can imagine. Once upon a time, you just had Canon and Nikon mainly; that was only two mounts. Easy to do. But now, even though you can use the same optical design, it's still different manufacturing for each one. That's challenging.

Source: Sigma Q&A: Lots of L-mount lenses coming, as CEO Yamaki-san predicts mirrorless will take over soon

[Kunzite]

They are currently working on a new processing engine for their cameras -- PRIME II or whatever they choose to call it. That clearly has soaked up a lot of energy and R and D effort as they attempt to get cameras out the door with real improvements in video as well as still photography.

I have no actual info about this, but this is my opinion as well. After all, the GR III has a new processing engine - and the OS is different, Linux-based.

[stevebrot]

My personal hunch is that they are holding off on releasing a new body until that body can add substantial value over the current line

Those are my thoughts as well. I was an early buyer of the K10D in winter of 2007 and resisted upgrade until the K-3 because the value proposition of even the K-7 and K-5 did not justify the outlay. I have had no regrets for taking that path. If Ricoh can produce a similar value proposition in 2019 or 2020, I may be tempted again.


Steve

[RobA_Oz]

...The only plausible reason why we haven't seen a new DSLR recently is that Ricoh dissolved some of the teams working on Pentax product lines (645z,K1,KP), and assigned the GRIII team to design a new Pentax DSLR, which means no new DSLR model before mid 2020, assuming GRIII designers are skilled to design high performance DSLR which I doubt because a D500 like camera has design challenges completely different from a GRIII compact camera, hence there could be further delay added to the average camera design cycle time.

You may not have intended to say otherwise, but I would have thought they’d allocate their design staff on a project basis, which would include technology development as well as individual product design, rather than on a brand basis. The ongoing development of the Theta has probably absorbed some design resource, as well.

That said, the two technologies in the GRIII that can translate into the next Pentax DSLR are the GR’s touchscreen and what may be a refined IBIS. Although IBIS has been in Pentax bodies for some time now, I imagine it still required something of an effort to reduce its weight and to slim it down to fit in the GR body which, in spite of having a much smaller registration distance, still has an LCD screen that adds bulk. The sight of the IBIS mechanism in the GR video, recently, suggested to me it had been developed for the GR, but of course that may have been a misinterpretation on my part.

[Rondec]

I have no actual info about this, but this is my opinion as well. After all, the GR III has a new processing engine - and the OS is different, Linux-based.

You are right. It just has been my assumption that this is what is taking so long with the K3 II sequel and that once they update it for that camera, that they will use it in the K-1 II and 645z sequels as well.

But I am not in the know. I guess my main point is that Pentax hasn't given up the k mount even though it seems like awhile since their last camera for that mount.

[SSGGeezer]

You may not have intended to say otherwise, but I would have thought they’d allocate their design staff on a project basis, which would include technology development as well as individual product design, rather than on a brand basis. The ongoing development of the Theta has probably absorbed some design resource, as well.

That said, the two technologies in the GRIII that can translate into the next Pentax DSLR are the GR’s touchscreen and what may be a refined IBIS. Although IBIS has been in Pentax bodies for some time now, I imagine it still required something of an effort to reduce its weight and to slim it down to fit in the GR body which, in spite of having a much smaller registration distance, still has an LCD screen that adds bulk. The sight of the IBIS mechanism in the GR video, recently, suggested to me it had been developed for the GR, but of course that may have been a misinterpretation on my part.

I thought that the IBIS in the K-1 and KP was more advanced then the GR's version as far as more axis' involved. 3 versus 5 if I recall mt Pentax propaganda correctly. The video was interesting though and I wish I could head to japan to visit! And then come home with a bag full of souvenirs!

[RobA_Oz]

I thought that the IBIS in the K-1 and KP was more advanced then the GR's version as far as more axis' involved. 3 versus 5 if I recall mt Pentax propaganda correctly. The video was interesting though and I wish I could head to japan to visit! And then come home with a bag full of souvenirs!

You are correct, but my impression was that the more advanced IBIS in the DSLRs was the result of adding more motion sensors, while the electro-magnets that do the work operate the same way (ie in the one plane, using translation and rotation, but no tilt).

[stevebrot]

I think it really is a loss to the Pentax user base to not have a few more lenses to chose from, but I'm personally not in the market for any.

I share your position and don't feel it is that unusual. Despite having no firm data to base it on, my general observation has been that buyers of K-mount cameras tend to flesh out their kit at time of purchase or within a year or so afterward. The prominent exception are those that make a hobby of sampling vintage offerings for less-used focal lengths or simply in the interest in variety of rendering. I dabble in that space and am sort of embarrassed to admit that I have three 1:1 macro lenses as well as bellows and extension tubes, two 70-210mm 1980s-vintage zooms, two fisheyes, and a whole flock of legacy 28mm and 50mm primes. I could well have purchased new a Sigma 70-200/2.8, Sigma 70/2.8 Macro, and a Sigma 15/2.8 Fisheye with a Sigma 35/1.4 | A on the side just for kicks and giggles, but that would have been silly given the money involved.

I might also add that similar reasoning resulted in my last new Pentax lens purchase being the DA 50/1.8 that came bundled with my K-3.

I guess that makes me part of the problem.


Steve

[reh321]

Since 50% of my Sigma product has failed this is hardly disappointing news to me. Their QC made me decide to not buy Sigma again long before Sigma made their announcement. I suspect my decision and the same decision made by others influenced this announcement. It's kind of like the old "You're fired." "No I quit" thing.

Between my K-30 kit and my KP kit I have a total of five lenses manufactured in the past five years or so. Two of them are Sigma lenses, and neither one has given me any problems - in fact, I got both the EF-mount and the K-mount variants of the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6.

[dstar]

Just interesting Sony stop any development A mount long time
But Sigma not drop support A mount Why?Just bad blood Sigma vsPentax

[Paul the Sunman]

A complete lack of 3rd party support for K-mount is in no way a good thing for Pentax, but we have to live with it.

My experience with Sigma lenses has been excellent. The 35 mm f/1.4 Art is a very fine lens. My son owned a 50-500 K-mount Bigma before switching to Nikon, and it too was very good. I also have their P-TTL ring flash; no complaints. I for one am very sorry to see them go.

[boriscleto]

Just interesting Sony stop any development A mount long time
But Sigma not drop support A mount Why?Just bad blood Sigma vsPentax

They don't make any of their new lenses in A mount. I don't think you can get any lens in A mount that you can't also get in K mount.

[k1man]

I personally couldn't care less as I have only ever bought Pentax lenses as I can afford them, regards Ian

[pres589]

I was gifted a new Sigma 17-70 when my K100D was still new(ish). I bought a refurb Sigma 28mm f1.8 DG EX. Both are/were great. It would be nice if there was one of the bigger 3rd party lens houses doing brand new k-mount releases *with AF* now and then. It seems like the AF part is where it all just stops.

[RobA_Oz]

I was gifted a new Sigma 17-70 when my K100D was still new(ish). I bought a refurb Sigma 28mm f1.8 DG EX. Both are/were great. It would be nice if there was one of the bigger 3rd party lens houses doing brand new k-mount releases *with AF* now and then. It seems like the AF part is where it all just stops.

I understand that Sigma reverse-engineered the K-mount to achieve auto-focus, whereas other makers paid a license fee for it. KAF4 should present less of a manufacturing cost issue than earlier versions of the KAF mount, but whether the license fee or the cost of reverse-engineering it is enough to tip the balance one way or the other, I don’t know. I suspect it’s more to do with Sigma’s comparative-value investment strategy than anything else – they probably figure they’ll make more from dedicating their manufacturing capacity to other mounts, than with K-mount variations. The recent statement about concentrating on mirrorless systems is probably overblown or boostering their investment in that line – I doubt they’re giving up on Canon or Nikon DSLR mounts.