[pcarfan]

JCPentax just seemed to have vanished after he did his marketing spiel. Not a great loss, AFAIC, as he dodged questions he didn't like, and told people off when their Pentax love wasn't unconditional.

I never saw Ned Bunnel post. What is his user name? It is a bit peculiar to see him speculating about the K-x on his blog. Why doesn't he ask Pentax Japan instead of guessing how the K-x deals with different battery types?

I don't think the communication lines are that open between Pentax USA and Pentax Japan.

[Jasvox]

I'd think technically there is always "another DSLR" in the works...otherwise Pentax would never release any new models. R&D takes months/years, not weeks.

Unless Pentax goes out of business, I'd be darn surprised not to see another model by mid 2010

Jason

[falconeye]

look at Olympus! All they have is micro 4/3 and they seem to be doing fine at the moment.

No, they are not. Many of my Olympus friends are already committed to jump system because of this. They just didn't decide yet when.

They would love to switch to Pentax (the other underdog) but shockingly to them, Pentax cannot offer FF and this for no reason (from their point of view where mount is the only viable reason).

I have a feeling, (gee I wonder why) that Pentax will not just stick a FF sensor in a small k-7 like body and say, "here it is!" They will do something goofy with it, sort of like K-x with 100 colors. They will do something that is again "first" in the industry thing. Something like the "smallest" FF DSLR in the market that can also accommodate 35 mm film or some crazy thing like that.

[gazonk]

Something like the "smallest" FF DSLR in the market that can also accommodate 35 mm film or some crazy thing like that.

A digital back for my LX?

A digital back for my LX?

Wow. What a concept. A retrofit job. What a superb idea. I have a ME super with a super-duper viewfinder. Love to have a digital back for that. I will gladly pay a grand for something like that. So the sensors have to get cheaper.

[Art Vandelay II]

A digital back for my LX?

How about just a digital LX? As much as I want a SMALL full frame digital Pentax I wouldn't want to sacrifice my LX to make it happen. Man what I wouldn't give for a digital LX (with the K7's AF and metering). Keep the price around $2k and I may not even wait for a price drop to buy it.

If not that, just stick a full frame sensor and mirror box in a K7, remove the on camera flash to make space for the larger prism and call it a day. I'd be ecstatic with either option.

[joele]

No, they are not. Many of my Olympus friends are already committed to jump system because of this. They just didn't decide yet when.

Yeah I liked Olympus a lot, but they don't seem to be interested in releasing many 4/3 primes and really only seem interested in releasing lenses for u4/3.. They do spend a lot of marketing in Australia though, they really push hard and get MUCH better shelf display space in retailers.. A lot of space often at eye level, Pentax is in a corner down low somewhere..

[Art Vandelay II]

Olympus has a bigger presence in the US then Pentax does (TV ads, tennis sponsorships, banners all over my local camera shop, etc), but I think they realized they made a mistake with the 4/3's sensor in DSLR's. It really offers no real advantages over the APS-C format. They haven't even managed make smaller lenses/bodies and has lower IQ to boot. However, m4/3's is a different story. They basically have the only open lens mount in the digital world, they already have two major companies building gear and it sounds like Fuji is about join the party as well. I don't blame them a bit for focusing solely on m4/3's. That system has far more potential. I bought an E-P1 when they first came out. I've already sold it because the system just isn't ready yet (not enough primes), but after it matures a bit I will certainly buy another m4/3's body. They make absolutely perfect street shooters.

[lithos]

Yeah I liked Olympus a lot, but they don't seem to be interested in releasing many 4/3 primes and really only seem interested in releasing lenses for u4/3.. They do spend a lot of marketing in Australia though, they really push hard and get MUCH better shelf display space in retailers.. A lot of space often at eye level, Pentax is in a corner down low somewhere..

Holy mother of mercy, Pentax gets a whole corner where you live?

Speaking of corners, I think Olympus dwells in one, surrounded by paint it has brushed onto the floor itself, to put it in a metaphor that's clumsier than necessary.

[mattdm]

I don't think the communication lines are that open between Pentax USA and Pentax Japan.

Pentax USA handles marketing and distribution in this country; I'm sure they have more of a voice than some random person, but I've got the same answer on many of my flash-related questions: Pentax Japan doesn't tell us that, so there's no way we would know.

[GerryL]

I'd think technically there is always "another DSLR" in the works...otherwise Pentax would never release any new models. R&D takes months/years, not weeks.

Unless Pentax goes out of business, I'd be darn surprised not to see another model by mid 2010

Jason

They already have the molds to the bodies, all they have to do is change the innards much like how the DS became DS2, DL and DL2.
After that they made the K110D, K100D, K100D super, then in almost the same mold, the K200D.
The K-x takes after the K-m and the K20D takes after the K10D with same body but a little tweaking of the innards or some slight body modification (like screen size).

K-x's sensor in K-7's body?? Don't think that is going to happen because that is like admitting that K-7's sensor is a dud. This sensor thing . . . . . I would like to think that this K-7's sensor has tried to go where no sensors have gone before. For example, I think for the first time, digital photography can express something like "humudity" of the air . . . This is not all about the noise and sharpness. It may be about approaching film photography.

[ilya80]

Keep the price around $2k and I may not even wait for a price drop to buy it.

I`ve been stating here several times that the day after Pentax ( HOYA now ) releases a $2.5K FF camera I`ll be dishing out money even if it meant a hole in my budget.

Damn it. Wish these guys read it.

I am starting to think that perhaps I should stop feeding my kids for few months and buy 645D, and explain later.