Originally posted by Peter Zack Which is exactly why I think going full frame is a HUGE MISTAKE and hope Pentax does not go this route. It will bankrupt the company unless Ricoh is prepared for a long term front end investment that will have no returns for 5 years.
Pentax has a 5% market share and the only people who will buy FF are current Pentax owners. You will get no business from Canon or Nikon shooters who already have a FF camera. Plus going FF is not one body. Does Pentax make a Landscape shooters camera at 24-36MP Hi-res sensor or a wedding shooters camera at 16-20MP high ISO sensor? Or both? How long would it take to create and build 12-16 lenses for this and a new flash system (the current flashes are not nearly good enough for a pro grade system).
All this would require a huge investment for what? 2% of the market if they are lucky? Don't do it Pentax. You build great APS-c cameras, keep doing that.
Seems like a catch 22. Pentax lost the crown to Canon and Nikon, to the professionals, despite being in the lead with the SLR. As you say, it It will take big money to regain the professionals, and if they don't, loyal Pentax owners will not be enough. What will a FF do for them that a K5 can't do? Even the humblest camera can meet the demands of most.
For me, the extra resolution for historical photos would be a plus, although a very expensive one.
However, one should not forget the rapid drop in prices of the components for technology, and therein may lie salvation. A FF for the price of a K5 today.