[mlt]

100 mp or larger full 645 or 6x6 size with pixel shift and focus stacking would almost need bundling with the new Mac Pro with a minimum of 128gb of ram.

[yorik]

Mirrorless cameras have had two clear selling points - smaller size and weight and the wysiwyg aspect of the EVF/back screen. While the small size thing is giving way to bigger and heavier cameras in some cases, the EVF technology has only improved. Moreover, the disadvantage of slow focusing contrast-detect systems is mostly a thing of the past, at least with the major mirrorless contenders.

I think that Pentax can get a foot in the mirrorless door with a hybrid viewfinder and (significantly) better contrast-detect (or even hybrid) `live view' focusing. Pentax cameras are already on the small size (though heavy) so there would be no need to introduce a new lens mount. They could do this in one, two or all of APSC, FF and MF.

I would buy one.

[luftfluss]

Not sure why everyone is bringing up medium format, when the focus from the MILC folks is full frame mirrorless and specifically Pentax joining the L mount alliance. Medium format is always going to be a tiny portion of the market compared to APS-C and 35mm.

That said, what you mention would require upscaling their image stabilization system to a medium format level. The astrotracer and pixel shift would then follow, but it does feel like a major challenge. I did think that Pentax's medium format path would likely either be a full frame medium format sensor or IBIS in a 645 body, either would be something that Fuji would likely have trouble matching.

Sorry, that was a reply fail on my part - I meant to quote @reh321

[luftfluss]

100 mp or larger full 645 or 6x6 size with pixel shift and focus stacking would almost need bundling with the new Mac Pro with a minimum of 128gb of ram.

Well, you don't have to use it

I think it would be a huge feather in Pentax's cap if they could implement in-camera focus stacking in a DSLR (whichever sensor format) although that feature would likely be available only in Live View. I've seen it work with Olympus cameras and the resultant macros - hand-held - are excellent.

[mlt]

I too would love to have in camera focus stacking, particularly for macro work. A real breakthrough would be it Pentax could focus stack pixel shift images in the camera.

[reh321]

How about Astrotracer in a 645 camera?

In-camera focus stacking?

Not sure why everyone is bringing up medium format, when the focus from the MILC folks is full frame mirrorless and specifically Pentax joining the L mount alliance. Medium format is always going to be a tiny portion of the market compared to APS-C and 3.

Sorry, that was a reply fail on my part - I meant to quote @reh321

But @Rondec is correct. This thread is allegedly about the K-1, which is a "FF" camera, but you keep talking about a "MF" camera and how Pentax could improve it despite the fact they have not shown any interest in it. Maybe they will move these features from the K-1, maybe they won't. In neither case do I see myself spending any of my money on it - I literally have nothing 'invested' in "MF" - nothing I could use with it, so I have less interest in it that I do in a camera such as the GRRRRR.

[luftfluss]

But @Rondec is correct. This thread is allegedly about the K-1, which is a "FF" camera, but you keep talking about a "MF" camera and how Pentax could improve it despite the fact they have not shown any interest in it. Maybe they will move these features from the K-1, maybe they won't. In neither case do I see myself spending any of my money on it - I literally have nothing 'invested' in "MF" - nothing I could use with it, so I have less interest in it that I do in a camera such as the GRRRRR.

I don't "keep talking about a MF camera". I only mentioned it in response to your post:

They could build a medium format camera with an 'accelerator' that presumably would extend graceful High ISO performance - perhaps they did market research that showed medium format shooters are even more attached to 'raw' files than "FF" camera owners are.

Also, my suggestion for in-camera focus stacking is for any Pentax DSLR, not just MF.

[reh321]

I don't "keep talking about a MF camera". I only mentioned it in response to your post:

Great - we can just write it off as a mistake then, and neither of us needs to talk about "MF" or "MF" cameras again.

[luftfluss]

OK, we're good then.

So what were we talking about?

K-1, K-MILC, GRRRR

[Class A]

Interesting that you rant here, since this thread is "K-1 is one of 20 most important cameras of decade", and the K-1 does not use 'accelerator'.

I responded to a post by swanlefitte. You'll have to ask swanlefitte about the relevance of the "accelerator" unit within this thread.

[MMVIII]

Also during the film era, excellent photos were taken. This has nothing to do with discussing about a possible Pentax ML. Or maybe it has. In the age of film photography, Pentax was a big name with significant sales. The indecision, the non-adaptation from the beginning of the digital period made Pentax a niche name, many being surprised that it still exists.

This is a nostalgic view and not true. Pentax was a niche player in AF SLR already and just grasped some ground with the Mz-series and some limited lenses. The Mz-s was a nice camera, but nowhere close in the same targeted user group as a Nikon F5 or Canon Eos 1.
Their first DSLR prototype was very early and would have been a milestone along with Contax. Unfortunately the Phillips sensor was so bad. Luckily it didn't lead to the same fate for Pentax as for Contax, who just shut down.

[ecostigny]

This is a nostalgic view and not true. Pentax was a niche player in AF SLR already and just grasped some ground with the Mz-series and some limited lenses. The Mz-s was a nice camera, but nowhere close in the same targeted user group as a Nikon F5 or Canon Eos 1.
Their first DSLR prototype was very early and would have been a milestone along with Contax. Unfortunately the Phillips sensor was so bad. Luckily it didn't lead to the same fate for Pentax as for Contax, who just shut down.

There has been an ongoing winnowing of camera manufacturers in this decade; witness the merger of Konica and Minolta before the combined company was bought by Sony. I'm no fan of Jack Welch--the former CEO of GE--but his belief that you have to be number one in your industry to have any chance of a prosperous future seems to be coming true for camera makers.

[manishved]

The K1-II still commands a good price

[ecostigny]

The K1-II still commands a good price

I just looked up the K-1 II and you're not kidding. It's still cheaper than Sony's higher end offerings (though if you believe certain web sites, those Sony cameras can do everything but turn water into wine--and I understand that feature is coming in a firmware update to the A7R iv).

[reh321]

I'm no fan of Jack Welch--the former CEO of GE--but his belief that you have to be number one in your industry to have any chance of a prosperous future seems to be coming true for camera makers.

Even GE has had to re-think Welch's philosophy.