[Douglas_of_Sweden]

As stated at PMA 2009 Preview Photography Bay | Digital Camera Reviews, News and Resources

Pentax
Expect some big news from Pentax at PMA. Hoya, Pentax’s parent, issued a statement with its second quarter 2008 financial results that revealed some of the things to come from Pentax in 2009, including 3 new types of DSLR cameras.

Here’s a quote relevant portions of the statement: Next year, we are planning to launch some three types, including minor design change versions, of single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. With a desire to offer cameras which will demonstrate our advantages, as announced in the Photokina held in Germany, we will relaunch ourselves next year as a manufacturer of all-weather cameras which are strong outdoors, highly water-resistnat, splash-proof, and dustproof, small and light, easily portable and tough (durable).

Anyone care to speculate?

If you try to use Google to translate Japanese to English you get an idea of the sort of maximum uncertainty in this statement.

But assuming it is English spoken by someone who master that language at least at my own humble degree of a foreigner who makes a living using English everyday, or relatively well translated by such a person, it would to me mean two upgraded models (minor design versions) and something more new. "Including" does not mean all, but more than one, so it is two out of three.
Since K-m is too new to upgrade it would be the K-200D and K20D that are upgraded (mind you that the K200D replacement may very well come in the same frame as the K-m, it would be probably be cost effective for them to have only two body sizes in the production line). But what then is the third body. Some would dream about a higher end body (a one digit). But don't forget the D645 in the closet.

One thing I've been wondering. Was this Hoya statement made before or after the current economical problems became obvious? Would they dare introduce three DSLRs into a stagnant economy? Don't want to be the pessimistic guy here, but I'm wondering.

Finally...isn't it the 90 years anniversary of Asahi aka Pentax this year? What will they do to celebrate that?

[NaClH2O]

All I want is a useable high ISO range, pref beyond 1600 and more than 9pt focussing, those are a must for me, faster AF would be nice but not a deal breaker. I've got too much invested in lenses to think about jumping ship so I am really hoping that Pentax comes through with the important stuff and not the gimmicks.

You know what would be sweet, make a super gimmicky model just to appease to those that gotta have the latest and greatest to drive up the revenue, HDMI, AVI, 1080p, built in moon phase and celectial maps with a self rotating base to account for the Earths rotation and can froth your esspresso, and then make a stripped down version that is nothing but a true workhorse for the rest of us. That would be sweet.

I have to agree completely Buddha, but you forgot one IMPORTANT feature, the hooked up version should have a dispenser to deliver a chocolat bon bon to you every time you nail a shot.

NaCl(almost forgot, a small transmitter with a M/F switch so you can find nearby Pentax shooters of the opposite sex)H2O

[Sailor]

I have to agree completely Buddha, but you forgot one IMPORTANT feature, the hooked up version should have a dispenser to deliver a chocolat bon bon to you every time you nail a shot.

NaCl(almost forgot, a small transmitter with a M/F switch so you can find nearby Pentax shooters of the opposite sex)H2O

Hey Buddy, I'm hoping for the optional booze dispenser - delivering a perfect Tanq and Tonic (with a Lime) whether one nails the shot or not.

Jer

[nostatic]

Hey Buddy, I'm hoping for the optional booze dispenser - delivering a perfect Tanq and Tonic (with a Lime) whether one nails the shot or not.

Jer

Actually it should be set to dispense when you don't get the shot...deaden the pain of the dreaded "poor AF". Or increase creativity. Yeah, that's it...increase creativity.

[Ivan Glisin]

I think that packing all mechanical and electronic components in the current DSLR bodies designed after film cameras makes them really bulky and not very practical to use IMO. There is no film to run from one side to the other so technically DSLR can take any shape, lens mount and pentaprism being the only real physical constraints.

I wish Pentax can recognize this and come up with a K-mount body shaped more like medium format cameras. Current SR, 14MP CMOS, etc, I am OK with all that. A bonus would be to have all that in in improved design, something like Hasselblad H3D:

H3DII-50

I think that "medium format" shape would give much more options to engineers to really put more in it or optimize what is already there: imagine bigger battery, larger SR if necessary, better isolated electronic components to avoid interference, larger LCD, faster CPU, bigger and/or additional buttons and dials for accessing frequently used functions and so on. That would be nice.

Also, what I would like Pentax to offer is a family of P-TTL compatible slave flashes with INTEGRATED radio wireless control.

But again, it is just my dream... :-)

[Blue]

If you try to use Google to translate Japanese to English you get an idea of the sort of maximum uncertainty in this statement.

But assuming it is English spoken by someone who master that language at least at my own humble degree of a foreigner who makes a living using English everyday, or relatively well translated by such a person, it would to me mean two upgraded models (minor design versions) and something more new. "Including" does not mean all, but more than one, so it is two out of three.
Since K-m is too new to upgrade it would be the K-200D and K20D that are upgraded (mind you that the K200D replacement may very well come in the same frame as the K-m, it would be probably be cost effective for them to have only two body sizes in the production line). But what then is the third body. Some would dream about a higher end body (a one digit). But don't forget the D645 in the closet.

One thing I've been wondering. Was this Hoya statement made before or after the current economical problems became obvious? Would they dare introduce three DSLRs into a stagnant economy? Don't want to be the pessimistic guy here, but I'm wondering.

Finally...isn't it the 90 years anniversary of Asahi aka Pentax this year? What will they do to celebrate that?

You have touched on some good points here. I agree that it is difficult to know the intention of "new" and revised. The nuances of English can be tricky for people whose first language is English. I think we may very well see a weather sealed K-M. I think a weather sealed white K-M would be cool.

Also, you have a very good point about Pentax and their 90th Anniversary. In the Past, Pentax would have brought something out, even if it was a gold plated LX and 50mm f1.4.

[Sailor]

In the Past, Pentax would have brought something out, even if it was a gold plated LX and 50mm f1.4.

Won't work now - Cadillac no longer makes Eldorados with gold colored trim and wide strip white walls. Thus, there is no vehicle to carry it around from place-to-place. Well, maybe we can find someone with a white belt . . . . .

Jer

[er1kksen]

I'll hope for a weathersealed K-m, if it includes the possibility of affordable sealed lenses.

[Blue]

Won't work now - Cadillac no longer makes Eldorados with gold colored trim and wide strip white walls. Thus, there is no vehicle to carry it around from place-to-place. Well, maybe we can find someone with a white belt . . . . .

Jer

I think if I had this baby


I would want to haul it around in Elvis' gold Caddy.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

I'll hope for a weathersealed K-m, if it includes the possibility of affordable sealed lenses.

Weather sealed K-m or not, a less expensive weather sealed normal zoom is a must if there is going to be any point of weather sealing cameras like the K200D. If many K20D owners are reluctant to buy the weather sealed DA16-50, how many K200D or K-m-weathersealed owners will do that?

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

I think if I had this baby


I would want to haul it around in Elvis' gold Caddy.

Gold is OK (if I could afford it), but the crocodile skin is not politically correct as of today

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

I noticed today that my MX fitted in the pocket of my new winter coat even when I had forgot my manual 50mm and had to put the FA50/1.4 on it. Super-A does as well. *istDS doesn't. It is too thick. Certainly not K20D. Would the K-m do? Probably not, suspect it will be to thick even with a pancake on it. So I would like an even smaller DSLR, thinner (and don't come running with alternatives that does not take my K-mount lenses, I will have a longer K-mount lens in my other pocket and a wide angle in the in-side pocket).

[Blue]

Gold is OK (if I could afford it), but the crocodile skin is not politically correct as of today

Gator is on the menu in many restaurants here.

[er1kksen]

Doug, maybe a DSLR a la the Olympus E-410, without the protruding hand grip? Stick the DA 40 on there, and it might be smaller (almost certainly lighter) than your MX.

[thePiRaTE!!]

I agree. When I bought my GX-10, there was nothing else in the price range which had anywhere near the features of this camera.

Even now, the Canon 50D and Nikon D300 don't have the level of environment sealing which this camera does - and they are way more expensive.

I would love a faster and (sometimes) more accurate autofocus, but the last SLR I owned was a Practika BC-1, so the GX-10 is heaven.

I agree with this entirely, I guess though for those of us who - like yourself - did that math and came up with a K10 (or GX10), the question is where do we go from here?

Staying there might be the answer for some, but certainly not all. When I first bought in, I didn't know how I'd grow. The in-body SR is a big advantage to a manual focusing hand-holder like me so I wait with my trusty K20 for our D700 to come, for now.

Pentax is currently focusing on building their following from the ground up and redefining their brand, with cost effective solutions. Lets hope they allow those of us who wish to grow with the brand that opportunity as well.