Pentax Marketing Communication Manager Interview

vinzer · 03-23-2009, 04:47 AM

Link here.

Basically, the manager said that Pentax will stop chasing MPs (yay!), isn't interested in EVF for now (cites that the pentaprism in the K20D can be favorably compared to any EVF today - I agree), and to go full frame, appropriate lenses need to be built first before considering a move to another sensor format (which a lot of you guys have already pointed out in arguments before).

What's curious about the interview is that when asked about medium-format, the manager says that 'their “priorities are clearly on products that address a broader audience”, adding that “as a comparatively small manufacturer, we have to allocate our resources according to business priorities”'. The blog entry hypothesizes that "effectively means that the development of a digital medium-format Pentax model has been put on the back burner for the time being" (direct quotes from article).

It seems that Pentax Germany has never been told of the 645D being revived in Japan, though in fairness, if that MF camera will never be sold outside Japan, no use in letting the marketers know about it.

As always, best to wait it out and see what Hoya does eventually, but I'm all for improving other aspects of the sensor than MP count. And since this comes from a marketing manager's point of view, there's a good chance the engineers will work on other stuff than cramming more MP in the sensor. We all know how marketing tends to have their say in product development.

I hope this quells the clamor of those who still think Pentax will suddenly unveil an FF DSLR in the short term. I hear and understand you, but it's just not happening in the near future.

gazonk · 03-23-2009, 04:56 AM

Originally posted by vinzer

Link here.

It seems that Pentax Germany has never been told of the 645D being revived in Japan, though in fairness, if that MF camera will never be sold outside Japan, no use in letting the marketers know about it.

Well, in 3 days we may know...
(Greetings?PIE 2009 Theme | Photo Imaging Expo 2009)

ftpaddict · 03-23-2009, 04:58 AM

Aw maaan, I got the background colour wrong. Curse you, #F6F8FA.

losecontrol · 03-23-2009, 04:58 AM

Originally posted by vinzer

Link here.

Basically, the manager said that Pentax will stop chasing MPs (yay!)

Fantastic. This is the best news we could get

The future is looking bright

losecontrol · 03-23-2009, 05:01 AM

Originally posted by ftpaddict

Aw maaan, I got the background colour wrong. Curse you, #F6F8FA.

well...Me too (not 4 years ago but still)....

Get a film pentax insteed...FFFF (full frame for free)

old film cameras are almost for free these days.

ups....I sure you already got one

Clicker · 03-23-2009, 05:31 AM

Originally posted by ftpaddict

.

I actually did that vs upgrading to the K20

Samsungian · 03-23-2009, 06:44 AM

Ahhh, the K~full-frame-rumors~D slr won't happen till they make full frame glass. This Factiod Tells me pentax is not making crop glass today designed to be used in larger sensor formats then.

I too got the full frame covered via Canon last year and then this year via Nikon. Pentax missed out on some big total sales from just me. I stopped sitting around wish'n for products pentax will not make and do not make & instead enjoy full frame products that exist for sale today via their competetion.

Still K20D is a great camera & for crop format its easily best bang for buck. The way things are going it may be known as Pentax best dslr they ever made. I'm glad I got one before it gets disappeared as I am not certain Hoya will allow Pentax to make a better one, or even a prospec'd K20D. You know pro features like 5 fps, dual card slots...

Anyone notice K20D body only has been out of stock at B&H for about 3 weeks now? For a week during same time span it was out of stock at pentax own webstore. If Pentax wants to sell K20D why would their #1 USA retailer have zero available for sale???

Originally posted by Clicker

I actually did that vs upgrading to the K20

kenyee · 03-23-2009, 07:13 AM

Originally posted by vinzer

Basically, the manager said that Pentax will stop chasing MPs (yay!)

Which lends more credence to the long rumored APS-H sensor. I thought it was a weird idea but all the lenses now available would support it AFAIK...

thibs · 03-23-2009, 07:57 AM

Originally posted by kenyee

Which lends more credence to the long rumored APS-H sensor. I thought it was a weird idea but all the lenses now available would support it AFAIK...

Well... not ! e.g. DA14 or 10-17 will not.

gazonk · 03-23-2009, 08:21 AM

Originally posted by thibs

Well... not ! e.g. DA14 or 10-17 will not.

How about a slightly larger sensor? Say, 1.4 crop... Might still be a little too much for the DA14, but it could e.g. still be used in a 16:9 aspect ratio crop from the same sensor.

1.4 is no gain over 1.5, some would think, but APS-C is really 1.538, so 1.4 makes a notable difference: 20% more area, and on the wide side e.g. the new 15mm would be a 21mm in 35mm equivalents (it's now a 23mm). And the DA*30, if it appears, would be an almost-perfect normal (a 42mm)

cyg · 03-23-2009, 08:41 AM

20% more *surface* is very unlikely to make any difference in practice.

There were a couple of posts on The Online Photographer putting a convincing argument that actually pretty much anything within a factor of 2 (of the surface, ie 1.4 linear) is unlikely to make much significant practical difference.

Anything within 50% of the surface (i.e. around 20% linear) would make virtually no difference in resolution.

Art Vandelay II · 03-23-2009, 08:49 AM

Is it just me or is Pentax's concern about not having enough FF glass a non-issue? They are still producing six FA primes covering various focal lengths from 31mm to 100mm. The DA 200 & 300 supposedly cover FF just fine. Plus, there is always Sigma. Sigma has Pentax covered with a brand new HSM 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8, 12-24mm, and even the extreme tele zooms. Finally there obviously tons of used FA lenses readily available.

I don't see how it would be much of a challenge for Pentax to update one their 28-80mm's and include it as a kit lens. That's really the only thing they'd need to launch a new camera until they can get FA's back into production.

Kunzite · 03-23-2009, 09:01 AM

They can't and they won't do that. Telling people: "We have a FF camera, but you'll have to buy Sigma or second hand FA lenses for it" looks like a suicide move.
If (or when) they'll launch a FF camera they will have to provide at least few good quality FF zooms.

kenyee · 03-23-2009, 10:29 AM

Originally posted by Kunzite

If (or when) they'll launch a FF camera they will have to provide at least few good quality FF zooms.

They could just rebadge sigma's like they did to Tamron's 18-250...and they might even be able to license Sigma's real ring motor HSM technology instead of that funky micromotor

ryan s · 03-23-2009, 10:58 AM

^As far as I understand, no manufacturers work directly with Sigma...

03-23-2009, 06:44 AM	#7
Samsungian Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Colorado USA Posts: 1,337	Me too... Ahhh, the K~full-frame-rumors~D slr won't happen till they make full frame glass. This Factiod Tells me pentax is not making crop glass today designed to be used in larger sensor formats then. I too got the full frame covered via Canon last year and then this year via Nikon. Pentax missed out on some big total sales from just me. I stopped sitting around wish'n for products pentax will not make and do not make & instead enjoy full frame products that exist for sale today via their competetion. Still K20D is a great camera & for crop format its easily best bang for buck. The way things are going it may be known as Pentax best dslr they ever made. I'm glad I got one before it gets disappeared as I am not certain Hoya will allow Pentax to make a better one, or even a prospec'd K20D. You know pro features like 5 fps, dual card slots... Anyone notice K20D body only has been out of stock at B&H for about 3 weeks now? For a week during same time span it was out of stock at pentax own webstore. If Pentax wants to sell K20D why would their #1 USA retailer have zero available for sale??? Originally posted by Clicker I actually did that vs upgrading to the K20

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03-23-2009, 04:47 AM	#1
vinzer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Philippines Posts: 1,399	Pentax Marketing Communication Manager Interview Link here. Basically, the manager said that Pentax will stop chasing MPs (yay!), isn't interested in EVF for now (cites that the pentaprism in the K20D can be favorably compared to any EVF today - I agree), and to go full frame, appropriate lenses need to be built first before considering a move to another sensor format (which a lot of you guys have already pointed out in arguments before). What's curious about the interview is that when asked about medium-format, the manager says that 'their “priorities are clearly on products that address a broader audience”, adding that “as a comparatively small manufacturer, we have to allocate our resources according to business priorities”'. The blog entry hypothesizes that "effectively means that the development of a digital medium-format Pentax model has been put on the back burner for the time being" (direct quotes from article). It seems that Pentax Germany has never been told of the 645D being revived in Japan, though in fairness, if that MF camera will never be sold outside Japan, no use in letting the marketers know about it. As always, best to wait it out and see what Hoya does eventually, but I'm all for improving other aspects of the sensor than MP count. And since this comes from a marketing manager's point of view, there's a good chance the engineers will work on other stuff than cramming more MP in the sensor. We all know how marketing tends to have their say in product development. I hope this quells the clamor of those who still think Pentax will suddenly unveil an FF DSLR in the short term. I hear and understand you, but it's just not happening in the near future.

03-23-2009, 04:56 AM	#2
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	Originally posted by vinzer Link here. It seems that Pentax Germany has never been told of the 645D being revived in Japan, though in fairness, if that MF camera will never be sold outside Japan, no use in letting the marketers know about it. Well, in 3 days we may know... (Greetings?PIE 2009 Theme \| Photo Imaging Expo 2009)

03-23-2009, 04:58 AM	#3
ftpaddict Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Yurp Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,666	Aw maaan, I got the background colour wrong. Curse you, #F6F8FA.

03-23-2009, 04:58 AM	#4
losecontrol Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Gnesta, Sweden Posts: 373	Originally posted by vinzer Link here. Basically, the manager said that Pentax will stop chasing MPs (yay!) Fantastic. This is the best news we could get The future is looking bright

03-23-2009, 05:01 AM	#5
losecontrol Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Gnesta, Sweden Posts: 373	Originally posted by ftpaddict Aw maaan, I got the background colour wrong. Curse you, #F6F8FA. well...Me too (not 4 years ago but still).... Get a film pentax insteed...FFFF (full frame for free) old film cameras are almost for free these days. ups....I sure you already got one

03-23-2009, 05:31 AM	#6
Clicker Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,241	Originally posted by ftpaddict . I actually did that vs upgrading to the K20

03-23-2009, 07:13 AM	#8
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Originally posted by vinzer Basically, the manager said that Pentax will stop chasing MPs (yay!) Which lends more credence to the long rumored APS-H sensor. I thought it was a weird idea but all the lenses now available would support it AFAIK...

03-23-2009, 07:57 AM	#9
thibs Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Photos: Albums Posts: 7,001	Originally posted by kenyee Which lends more credence to the long rumored APS-H sensor. I thought it was a weird idea but all the lenses now available would support it AFAIK... Well... not ! e.g. DA14 or 10-17 will not.

03-23-2009, 08:21 AM	#10
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	Originally posted by thibs Well... not ! e.g. DA14 or 10-17 will not. How about a slightly larger sensor? Say, 1.4 crop... Might still be a little too much for the DA14, but it could e.g. still be used in a 16:9 aspect ratio crop from the same sensor. 1.4 is no gain over 1.5, some would think, but APS-C is really 1.538, so 1.4 makes a notable difference: 20% more area, and on the wide side e.g. the new 15mm would be a 21mm in 35mm equivalents (it's now a 23mm). And the DA*30, if it appears, would be an almost-perfect normal (a 42mm)

03-23-2009, 08:41 AM	#11
cyg Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 134	20% more surface is very unlikely to make any difference in practice. There were a couple of posts on The Online Photographer putting a convincing argument that actually pretty much anything within a factor of 2 (of the surface, ie 1.4 linear) is unlikely to make much significant practical difference. Anything within 50% of the surface (i.e. around 20% linear) would make virtually no difference in resolution.

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03-23-2009, 08:49 AM	#12
Art Vandelay II Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 886	Is it just me or is Pentax's concern about not having enough FF glass a non-issue? They are still producing six FA primes covering various focal lengths from 31mm to 100mm. The DA 200 & 300 supposedly cover FF just fine. Plus, there is always Sigma. Sigma has Pentax covered with a brand new HSM 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8, 12-24mm, and even the extreme tele zooms. Finally there obviously tons of used FA lenses readily available. I don't see how it would be much of a challenge for Pentax to update one their 28-80mm's and include it as a kit lens. That's really the only thing they'd need to launch a new camera until they can get FA's back into production.

03-23-2009, 09:01 AM	#13
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	They can't and they won't do that. Telling people: "We have a FF camera, but you'll have to buy Sigma or second hand FA lenses for it" looks like a suicide move. If (or when) they'll launch a FF camera they will have to provide at least few good quality FF zooms.

03-23-2009, 10:29 AM	#14
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Originally posted by Kunzite If (or when) they'll launch a FF camera they will have to provide at least few good quality FF zooms. They could just rebadge sigma's like they did to Tamron's 18-250...and they might even be able to license Sigma's real ring motor HSM technology instead of that funky micromotor

03-23-2009, 10:58 AM	#15
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	^As far as I understand, no manufacturers work directly with Sigma...