It may appear to us all that K-7 is a flagship model, but for the record, those guys who developed K-7 certainly don't think that at all. This is not a speculation. This has been printed many times in Japanese photography magazines in the context of interviews with guys who developed K-7.

Here is a link to the 2 magazines I was talking about(Amazon Japan). I bought both of them last week while I was in Japan. 2 entire magazines dedicated solely to K-7. In them, many interviews with engineers and project managers and so on. They talk about FF a bit in one section. One guy says that Pentax has looked into it, and looking at it, but had no detailed plan at the moment. BTW, these 2 magazines really rips. I discovered many things that I had no idea K-7 was capable of.

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Last edited by Nubi; 10-02-2009 at 04:28 PM. Reason: WTF??? I hope this link works. If not sorry, dudes.

[MikePerham]

actually if you will look here - ƒfƒWƒ^ƒ‹ˆêŠáƒŒƒtƒJƒ�ƒ‰�FPENTAX„*ŠJ”*ƒXƒg�[ƒŠ�[ (english version is @ OK1000 Pentax Blog) - you will see that Hoya's approved wording for K-7 is "medium-class model", I guess that points to the fact that they will have something in the class above - do they mean 645D by that or FF or higher class APS-C ?

Well, the way I read that is that the K-7 is aimed at the same market as the Nikon D300 or Canon 50D or 7d - mid market cameras. I do not see any inference that Pentax intend to introduce a higher level in this format (ie: FF or more advanced APS-C). I think the K-7 will be the flagship model for this format and the 645D for the Pro or wealthy amature seeking a higher IQ.

[Angevinn]

If we remove possible FF sensor suppliers like Sony and Fuji, that would leave Kodak and Samsung (Unless Pentax has struck a deal with Canon or Nikon for their sensors but I find that unlikely).

I hope Pentax stays clear of Kodak. I would love to have a Samsung CMOS sensor in a FF DSLR. I really like the Samsung CMOS sensor in my K20D and the sensor in the K-7 is also a Samsung CMOS design. Leica was unable to include Live View or Video on their new FF M9 because it uses a Kodak CCD sensor. Kodak went so far as to dissolve their CMOS development department. A FF CMOS sensor with high ISO capabilities (like 12,800) and very low noise would be great. Preferably from Samsung!

Not Sony, not Fuji.
Fuji went out of DSLR bussiness. FOVEON is part of Sigma. Sold last year.

[lesmore49]

1. New camera with crop-sensor with 8-9 fps (higher specs than K-7).
Second half of 2010.
P.S. K-7 goes to lower $900-1000. I think that Pentax may have to do this. A buddy just got a Canon 7D with 18.1 MP's , etc., amd Pentax needs to match it. I saw the test on the K7 on DP..wonderful camera and all...but I don't think, besides the HD video that it offers enough for me to trade in my K10D.

2. 645D will be launched on spring, 2010. Very good featured. Very good price.

3. FF camera with 5 new FF lenses will be announced close to the end of 2010.
No info about date of sales. Forecast - first part of 2011.
Sensor - two options Not SONY.Well...maybe. I'm glad the senor wobn't be Sony...I've had problems with Sony products ...not crazy about the company's products.

4. Micro-APS system will announced too. Maybe it will be the camera like Leica X1 with 40 mm lens. Not clear.


Is it beyond Hoya's power?

Nothing is beyond Hoya...they hold the purse strings and the power. In Pentax speak....Hoya is ...the Man !!....a bit Starsky and Hutch...but there you go.

[Spock]

It's your right. K-7 won't be flagship in 1 year.

Maybe a 645D medium format digital will be the flagship in a year but I believe, as was the case with the *istD, the K7 will remain the top aps-sensor sized DSLR for some time.

As for 'Full Frame', I think people need to get over it - the way of the future is in smaller, not larger sensors. It is because of their commitment to a smaller sensor that Olympus is able to produce lenses a whole stop faster than equivalent Pentax lenses with the same field of view.

[ogl]

About FF sensor....OK...
Get, please, "Oil to fire..."

20-22 MP. The manufacturer - Kodak or Samsung.

[bogiesbad]

Ogl - all your baseless rumors are belong to us.

...please excuse me while I clean the coffee from my screen.

[pxpaulx]

About FF sensor....OK...
Get, please, "Oil to fire..."

20-22 MP. The manufacturer - Kodak or Samsung.

good job on that quote!

[wll]

About FF sensor....OK...
Get, please, "Oil to fire..."

20-22 MP. The manufacturer - Kodak or Samsung.

ogl,

Your thread is a real possibility, I would think that the FF camera would also be able to size down and use aps-c lenses ... a big plus. all this give the photographer a huge lens arsenal to use.

Granted the mega pixel count would be way less using the aps-c mode, around 8-10 on a 22mp FF I think, (don't know the figures) but what great feature.

Also a aps-c 8-10 mp high end camera with ultimate high ISO and DR would be the cats meow !


wll

[Fl_Gulfer]

Who makes the best CMOS sensor?
Who makes the best FF sensor?

[ogl]

K-7's sensor from Samsung is rather good.

[gaddigad]

K-7's sensor from Samsung is rather good.

Wow, even if there's nothing in your rumours, I still love it! In 1-2 year time FF sensors could be as cheap as APS-c sensors now? What's wrong with the Sony sensor? Not that bad on the K3x/K700 I guess.

I still hope they are also working on an EVIL since ultimately I assume software driven, richly featured electronic view finders are the way the market will move on whatever sensor format.

[Angevinn]

Kodak has a long history of screw ups. The only thing I can think of is that Kodak is offering Pentax a FF sensor at an extremely low price. Kodak is such a messed up company; I really hope Pentax does not do business with them.

Kodak has been trying to peddle junk for how long?

1970's - 110 film - crappy image quality
1980's - Disc Film - even crappier image quality!
1990's - APS Film (Advanced Photo System) - hardly advanced
2000's - 4/3 and Micro 4/3 camera format and sensors (sensors are small and lack the IQ of either APS-C or FF digital sensors)

A few years ago Walgreens (a large American drug store chain based in suburban Chicago) kicked Kodak photo equipment out of their stores and replaced all the Kodak photo processing equipment with Fuji. There was a big write up in the Chicago Tribune about it. Kodak had originally sold Walgreens photo processing equipment that was prone to break down and messy among other things. Kodak sourced the photo processors from Germany and wasn't able to service or supply parts for the machines. Walgreens was left holding the bag on all these useless, expensive machines. Walgreens dumped Kodak and went with Fuji (Wal Mart later did the same thing). I couldn't find the article on the web, but I remember it being a prominently placed article and thinking how badly Kodak must have ticked off Walgreens to make them do something like this.

Lately it seems that Kodak keeps itself afloat through lawsuits based on its intellectual property.

In 2004, Kodak successfully sued Sun Microsystems claiming Sun had infringed on Kodak's patents in the development of Java. Kodak tried to bleed a one billion dollar settlement from Sun. The lawsuit was later settled for 92 million in cash.

Sun, Kodak Settle For $92M In Patent Dispute Involving Java -- Java -- InformationWeek

In 2008, Kodak started suing Samsung and LG Electronics over digital imaging patents. Samsung and LG are currently counter suing.

Kodak sues Samsung and LG - News, Gadgets & Tech - The Independent

The strange thing is that Kodak holds a lot of the patents used in modern digital imaging. Kodak just manufacturers some really crappy products. I really hope Pentax uses a Samsung FF CMOS sensor. I don't want a camera with a Kodak manufactured sensor!

About FF sensor....OK...
Get, please, "Oil to fire..."

20-22 MP. The manufacturer - Kodak or Samsung.

[Rondec]

I don't see full frame being more than a small part of over all sales. Certainly the cost of sensors will come down over time, but that is true for APS-C as well as full frame. That isn't to say that Pentax won't come out with a full frame camera. It actually makes a lot of sense, if they release a new line of full frame lenses along with a new full frame camera. The problem of course, is that all of these things will be priced far above the average individual's ability to purchase them.

I don't see Pentax releasing consumer zooms for a full frame camera, but sticking with high end zooms that are going to cost in the neighborhood of 1000 dollars. Somehow people have the impression that Pentax can do things on the cheap, but really, if you don't already own full frame lenses, I am betting it would be better than 5000 dollars to get an adaquate full frame set up.

[RuiC]

If we remove possible FF sensor suppliers like Sony and Fuji, that would leave Kodak and Samsung (Unless Pentax has struck a deal with Canon or Nikon for their sensors but I find that unlikely).

I hope Pentax stays clear of Kodak. I would love to have a Samsung CMOS sensor in a FF DSLR. I really like the Samsung CMOS sensor in my K20D and the sensor in the K-7 is also a Samsung CMOS design. Leica was unable to include Live View or Video on their new FF M9 because it uses a Kodak CCD sensor. Kodak went so far as to dissolve their CMOS development department. A FF CMOS sensor with high ISO capabilities (like 12,800) and very low noise would be great. Preferably from Samsung!

Have you ever thought about Pentax-Hitachi sensor development? That could be a way!

Rui