[Tad1952]

Sorry to be a bit negative, but I am not persuaded of the case for a FF. I'd been a film Pentax user since about 1980, and for a number of years after digital came in I thought I would go digital on my SLR when Pentax brought out a FF. In fact I yielded to first a K7 and now a K5, and I can no longer see the case for a FF. The major companies (Canon and Nikon) slog it out for dominance at FF, and I struggle to see the benefit to Pentax in a FF. The K5 has a major selling point by being compact. A large sensor no longer seems to be essential for a very high quality image; just look at what the digital compacts are now delivering. There is an advantage for those who want to go extreme wide angle, but how many DSLR bodies will that sell? I fear development of FF could be the death knell for the Pentax brand.

[Medium FormatPro]

There is an advantage for those who want to go extreme wide angle, but how many DSLR bodies will that sell? I fear development of FF could be the death knell for the Pentax brand

That is a portion of the idea behind one of the advantages to having FF, but by far the main advantage is sensor size.

But also take a look at price. Currently one FF on the market at about 2k, and then there are now two versions of the newer K-5 at about what price? It's only a matter of time before that margin gets closer and closer; and also as more and more jump ship. Also noting the sales numbers for any current FF on the market still outsells anything Pentax has ever offered.

[lytrytyr]

Also noting the sales numbers for any current FF on the market still outsells anything Pentax has ever offered.

Sony A99 outselling the K1000?

[Chex]

Sony A99 outselling the K1000?

haha hard to find many camera's that outsold the K1000! In the Digital Age though.. I bet the 5D series numbers alone surpass Pentax's total SLR sales.

[zorza]

Hi all. Great discussion here, with a lot of very good comments.

One tecnical question..

On canon's/Nikon's, etc, the croped lens can't be used in a FF. For example, the lens kit the Canon 7D - a simple 18-135, can't be used in a Canon 5D or any other full frame. Because of the proximity of the glass to the mirror in order to work with the APS sensor, it can't fit the full frame range.
That is why some canon lens have a white circle and others have a white square on the lens.

Of course, a Full frame lens can be used in a APS sensor.

So, in CANON , Lens designed for APS don't work in FF - don't fit on the mount.
Lens designed for FF will work on APS with the 1x5times conversion.

How will tis work on pentax?? Will I be able to fit my 18-135WR lens from my K-30 kit, and put it in a Pentax FF and get a wide angle lens???

Zorza

[gazonk]

So, in CANON , Lens designed for APS don't work in FF - don't fit on the mount.
Lens designed for FF will work on APS with the 1x5times conversion.

How will tis work on pentax?? Will I be able to fit my 18-135WR lens from my K-30 kit, and put it in a Pentax FF and get a wide angle lens???

Zorza

This is just Canon. On Nikon cameras, you can use "DX" (i.e. APS-C only lenses) also on the FF models. On Pentax, it would presumably be the same. But your 18-135 won't magically turn into a "ultra wide angle to moderate tele" zoom.

Please have a look at this thread where tests of DA lenses on full frame are collected and discussed: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/31629-da-lens-...ts-thread.html
(Nobody seems to have tested the 18-135 yet)

[lytrytyr]

How will tis work on pentax?? Will I be able to fit my 18-135WR lens from my K-30 kit, and put it in a Pentax FF and get a wide angle lens?

There are two separate issues involved here.

One issue is whether a DA lens has a large enough image circle to cover 24x36mm.

The other issue is whether a DA lens whose rear end clears the smaller APS-C mirror
would also clear a larger full-frame mirror, especially when focused to infinity.

In the thread that @gazonk referenced,
the DA lenses are being tested on full-frame Pentax film bodies,
so if such a lens will work on those, it should work on the mythical FF DSLR.
(Nevertheless, this would partly depend on how the mirror mechanism was implemented.
On M42 full frame, I had an off-brand lens that would work fine on some bodies,
but would foul the mirror on others.)

As for "coverage," although a DA lens may have an image circle reaching 24x36mm,
there is still no guarantee that the image quality (resolution, coma, etc.)
will be acceptable at the edge of the full frame.

[Ash]

For those who haven't seen this yet, this poll may be another way to push your next desired camera from Pentax forward:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-photography-industry/209882-next-...oh-pentax.html
Make your voice heard.

[drawbar]

Sorry to be a bit negative, but I am not persuaded of the case for a FF. I'd been a film Pentax user since about 1980, and for a number of years after digital came in I thought I would go digital on my SLR when Pentax brought out a FF. In fact I yielded to first a K7 and now a K5, and I can no longer see the case for a FF. The major companies (Canon and Nikon) slog it out for dominance at FF, and I struggle to see the benefit to Pentax in a FF. The K5 has a major selling point by being compact. A large sensor no longer seems to be essential for a very high quality image; just look at what the digital compacts are now delivering. There is an advantage for those who want to go extreme wide angle, but how many DSLR bodies will that sell? I fear development of FF could be the death knell for the Pentax brand.

This is about my experience too (except the fear that FF alternative would some way be fatal to Pentax).
The extra resolution, probably a minority of photographers will need it, as "crop" sensors are so good already. I don't print posters anyway.

Almost the only reason that I can imagine for buying FF would be the different picture angles that it provides for existing lenses. Back to the film time feelings. But not bigger size camera please!

[darayusJEngineer]

I have been told by our friends over at Pentaxeros (the Spanish Pentax community) that "it is believed" that a full-frame is on its way, although it's a personal hunch and not at all an official statement, let alone something based on what's currently in the pipeline. It seems that Ricoh isn't opening up to anyone about what they're working on, so I guess time will tell what they come up with.

In the mean time, we will continue to try to push the Pentax Full-Frame idea and if we reach 3000 "Likes" in support of a Pentax Full-frame by CS+ (which is in 3 weeks), an official letter from Pentax Spain will go out to the higher-ups in order to make them aware of this strong backing.

Just a few numbers:
Currently, the (unofficial) Pentax Full-frame page has 2,200+ followers, while...
the PentaxForums page has almost 7,000...
and the official Pentax page has 43,000.

So, combined, out two unofficial pages have almost a quarter of the followers of the official page, which really says something, doesn't it?

Add on top of that this:
PentaxForums.com's global traffic rank is 19,978, while
PentaxImaging.com's global traffic tank is 136,591.

So, if we speak up, we will be heard. Let's make it happen!

Update: the letter to Pentax Japan has been written. Sit tight to hear what they respond with! Keep on supporting the full-frame page, as Pentax executives will soon be visiting it!

its about time Pentax comes out with FullFrame sensors camera. I support Spanish group who wrote a letter to Japan.
I am user of Pentax since 1974 . I was a sailor and my ship was in Japan port of Kobe where i bought my first camera with Asahi Takumar lens.Viva La Pentax.

[Pepe Guitarra]

Canon Sells More DSLRs Than Anyone Else in 2012

Even at the high end
For all the flack Canon gets from us passionate pundits, they continue to sell more DSLR cameras than anyone else.

Interchangeable Lens Camera Marketshare for 2012 (Japan)

Canon 28.6%
Nikon 25%
Olympus 14.3%
Sony 13.3%
Panasonic 11.3%
An interesting note about Canon, if you remove the lowend of the DSLR market (Rebels, D3xxx/D5xxx), Canon’s marketshare increases. I imagine the 5D Mark III plays a big part in that, as well as the EOS-1D X.

Canon’s performance in the mirrorless segment cannot be properly measured until the 2013 numbers come in. For 2012, they sat at 2.1% marketshare.

[Clavius]

Where is Pentax in this list?

Depends, at the time of the survey? Or now? LOL!

[gazonk]

Where is Pentax? Follow the link to the BCN article they're referring to: ??????????5?????????????????????? - the Q was #7 among mirrorless cameras (if I guess right - I don't read Japanese).

[Kunzite]

I can't read Japanese either, but you were, of course, correct: the Q was on #7 with 5.9%, in 1-22 October 2012. It's interesting to compare with the figures for (almost) the entire year:
2012???????????????????????????????

I wonder, what caused the J1's decline?

[Pepe Guitarra]

This data is Japan only, I read.