[davidsladek]

Pentax/Ricoh has said that they focus on DSLR, and they will keep it in their sight, of where this new tech is goin. Quite recently they did confirm that giving people a pleasure full photography experience through great OVF is their goal.

Still I’d think that they could do a ‘Milc’ if they would think it is needed. Indeed the struggle of Nikon and then again Olympus is what is clearly seen. I’d even be brave and say that possibly the long pause of building K-New was also because there might have been a Milc on the table, and question if they want to go that way. Because everything is moving that way. But it is not. Even bigger brands other than Sony struggle. Canon has made it well, but it still is what it is.

I’m happy that they made the decision of making things this way. And also that they went all the way to premium lenses to go what ever is coming in future. With plm, and these KAF 4 lenses it is indeed future proof for yrs.

My speculation would be that they had 645new in works but then Fuji completely overrun the MF market and Ricoh had to make a decision what to do with the loss of revenue and how to reset the strategy for the Pentax mounts. You may remember from the past that the mantra of Pentax was that K-mount is there for the enthusiasts and 645 for professionals. Well, now it seems that K mount and all the fantastic new lenses are designed to please the pros whilst there is absolute info darkness on the 645 front...

[JPT]

Somehow these pictures Yaotomi Camera puts up of packaged lenses ready to send out always bring a smile to my face.

[LennyBloke]

Somehow these pictures Yaotomi Camera puts up of packaged lenses ready to send out always bring a smile to my face.

Me too

And now we know that at least 23 copies have been made

[Serkevan]

Me too

And now we know that at least 23 copies have been made

There's two visible rows, so I count 40 at least . That's, like, an order of magnitude more than DPR expected

[Wheatfield]

Somehow these pictures Yaotomi Camera puts up of packaged lenses ready to send out always bring a smile to my face.

The one three rows back and second from the top has my name on it.

[yucafrita]

My speculation would be that they had 645new in works but then Fuji completely overrun the MF market and Ricoh had to make a decision what to do with the loss of revenue and how to reset the strategy for the Pentax mounts. You may remember from the past that the mantra of Pentax was that K-mount is there for the enthusiasts and 645 for professionals. Well, now it seems that K mount and all the fantastic new lenses are designed to please the pros whilst there is absolute info darkness on the 645 front...

I would suspect RI has to make a real good plan on how to evolve the 645 digital system further. They have to really distinguish their system from the mirror-less middle format stuff. And they have to justify the price, size, weight with all that mirror-less hype.


On my list there would be shake reduction, full 645 sensor, the rumored hybrid viewfinder, GPS, Astrotracer.


Maybe there is something in the making, I see some nice discounts in the german RI/Pentax online store.

[ffking]

Somehow these pictures Yaotomi Camera puts up of packaged lenses ready to send out always bring a smile to my face.

Makes me feel a little sad, like I'm missing out on a great party, but I seriously don't have the cash right now. Great sight all the same - it starts to become real

[davidsladek]

Maybe there is something in the making, I see some nice discounts in the german RI/Pentax online store.

Might just be a desparate attempt to get rid of existing inventory. I spoke to people in a shop which is Pentax Pro Partner and they said basically that from the moment the Fujis arrived noone ever even looks at the shelf with Pentax 645. It must have been a total market killer for this line

[normhead]

Again, I didn't predict the demise of Pentax but of a system. It happened to Leica for the R-mount for the benefit of S-system and L-MILC system.

Again you are the only one that wants to discuss the opinion that KAF4 cameras might not be around in 20 years. The fact that something happened to Leica in the past, in no way predicts that something like that will happen to Pentax in the future. I feel for you, but, it's not something worth worrying about.

Things happen. Circumstances are different in every case. And the lenses Pentax is coming out with now are leaving Leica in the dust. This is not likely to be a much worried about thing in the future, well by anyone but you. Between better is available and the low market share of Leica, it's a real odd ball perspective.

It is however an interesting twist on the old observation, "A Pentax user is a person who buys a $2000 camera to put a $50 lens on." You certainly blew that one up.



---------- Post added 06-25-20 at 11:31 AM ----------

So, my 85 has just hit the selling ground in Paris, just waiting behind the counter

Big day


K-1 + HD DFA*85/1.4 @ ISO100 ; f/16 ; 1/50s

Very nice.

It looks like there are probably more people in one Paris city block than there is in all of Whitney.

[Wheatfield]

Might just be a desparate attempt to get rid of existing inventory. I spoke to people in a shop which is Pentax Pro Partner and they said basically that from the moment the Fujis arrived noone ever even looks at the shelf with Pentax 645. It must have been a total market killer for this line

Yeah. This one of those Knock it out of the park cameras from Fuji. They pretty much have come up with a category killer camera. Pentax will keep selling D645 cameras to existing lens owners, but they need the Second Coming to attract people away from Fuji.

---------- Post added Jun 25th, 2020 at 10:31 AM ----------

So, my 85 has just hit the selling ground in Paris, just waiting behind the counter

Big day

You lucky person you. I just got off the phone with my pusher who has indicated I can expect delivery sometime in the middle of next week. As we have a national holiday on Wednesday, I fully expect next Thursday.
I admit to being a little bummed out.

[thibs]

And IMO if a mirror less comes (besides a Ricoh GR-like one with few lenses) I expect a 645 one.
It makes the most sense there IMO.

[monochrome]

Still no expected delivery date for me. Just acknowledgment that a pre-order is in the que. I’m not going to stress though. I can cancel the preorder and buy it from stock somewhere if absolutely necessary.

[Wheatfield]

Still no expected delivery date for me. Just acknowledgment that a pre-order is in the que. I’m not going to stress though. I can cancel the preorder and buy it from stock somewhere if absolutely necessary.

It looks like our EU friends are getting the first shipments with North America getting a later date. So it goes.

[Parallax]

Here we go again. The " HD Pentax-D FA★ 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW" thread is now apparently about:

Pentax will/won't, should/shouldn't make an MILC
Fuji equivalent of the 645D killed Pentax MF market
KAF4 mount is doomed (No it's not, yes it is, no it's not, yes it is, oh yeah?!, yeah! )
DSLRs are doomed

♬
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
♬