[RonHendriks1966]

According to my D800E manual the crop modes are as follows:

1.2× (30×20) 1.2×
L 6,144 × 4,080 = 25MP
M 4,608 × 3,056
S 3,072 × 2,040

How big are those 25MP 1.2x crop pictures? And then for 14-bit and 12-bit RAW images on iso-levels 3200 or 200? I guess you can only get RAW on the L size and not for M/S sized images? I'm serious looking into that camera at the time. It brings me a the APS-H camera I would want.

[bossa]

Falk
I can understand there's some benefit with FF if you stick to normal focal lengths, however It's my understanding that FF digital (not film) cameras produce very poor results with wide angle lenses. Even stopping down to F/11 with, say the Canon 17-40 or similar lenses, is not sufficient to make the corners usable. I would have thought the benefit of the 645d and 25mm was that it's sharp across the frame and may be used at f/4??

My Zeiss 21/2.8 is sharp right into the corners.

[Pål Jensen]

In my view not entering the full frame market is a much riskier proposition for a DSLR maker than going ahead and taking the plunge into it. Look at all the moans and groans here on the forum simply because Pentax doesn't have a full frame camera. Look at the virtual absence of Pentax in the pro field, not unlikely due at least in part to there not being an FF option. Look at the ever dwindling amount of third party support for Pentax, again not unlikely due to the fact that they don't have an FF body.

Risk of not entering the sub 5% of the DSLR market? The whining notwithstanding, there isn't a huge potential for a Pentax FF camera. In this forums there are numerous users that have changed to Pentax from FF. FF is also not a natural upgrade path from APS in spite of the same lens mount; in order to take advantage of FF you need to buy FF lenses. You could just then buy a Nikon or a Canon if you aren't among those few (not enough to make FF viable) that own legacy glass (most probably not good enough anyway for future FF sensors). Most pros do not use FF and Pentax lack of presense in the pro arena (they have never had a significant pro user group except for medium format) has nothing to do with FF.

[Pål Jensen]

There have been whisperings on the street here and from time to time on the Forum that Ricoh intends to make a full-on professional camera with professional support for release in 2013. I've always assumed that meant a FF camera - but what if they continue to drive the small form factor, wring more out of the sensor that anyone else and offer a full-on professional APSc camera?

There are rumors about a professional APS camera. There are several high-end APS lenses on the roadmap. Pentax could be the number one APS DSLR system provider; they have already the best APS lens line-up out there. It takes very little to get there. Or they could make a me too FF camera with shortage of FF lenses and a too small APS camera line-up and a underdeveloped MF line-up facing competition from the D800.....

BTW Olympus will make a pro 4/3 DSLR....

[Pål Jensen]

Pentax doesn't have the autofocus capability req'd for a 'pro' who wants APS-C.

I have never met a pro who is concerned about AF regardless of what camera he uses. AF is usually a concern among the amateurs; often the incompetent ones!
In fact, no pro I know even use AF!

[Pål Jensen]

I just can't see how Pentax cannot be impacted by the number of Pentaxians who have recently moved onto other manufacturers for the sole reason of purchasing a full frame body.

Pentax sales increases. It will increase even more with the K-30, the new entry level DSLR and the K-5 replacement.

[Pål Jensen]

The 645D has a future though simply because it allows photographers to differentiate from the crowd.

The 645D has a future cause it provides better image quality than FF. The same reason that FF has a future compared to APS...

[TOUGEFC]

Pal cant you post all that in one post instead of five, use the multi quote tool.

[Allison]

I have never met a pro who is concerned about AF regardless of what camera he uses. AF is usually a concern among the amateurs; often the incompetent ones!
In fact, no pro I know even use AF!

It depends on what kind of shooting the pro is doing. I know most of my canikon friends doing weddings use AF for at least half of the day. They might do manual for detail shots and portraits and then switch to AF for the ceremony and reception. I could see a pro landscape shooter always being manual and same with a product shooter. The choice of AF vs. manual really has more to do with your subject than your amateur or pro status.

[ElJamoquio]

I have never met a pro who is concerned about AF regardless of what camera he uses. AF is usually a concern among the amateurs; often the incompetent ones!
In fact, no pro I know even use AF!

Funny. The 'pros' who want APS-C aren't wedding photographers. With the D800 it's a moot point, though, there's really nobody who should want APS-C.

[cfraz]

I have never met a pro who is concerned about AF regardless of what camera he uses. AF is usually a concern among the amateurs; often the incompetent ones!
In fact, no pro I know even use AF!

You need to get out more

Your bias that landscape photography is the only "real" photography is showing again. The rest of the photography universe can only snicker at comments like that.

[JFN]

I just can't see how Pentax cannot be impacted by the number of Pentaxians who have recently moved onto other manufacturers for the sole reason of purchasing a full frame body.

I belong to a camera club with about 200 members and during the past 4 months at least 10 of them (Nikon and Canon users) have moved to full frame since the D800 and then new Canon's were released. Clearly this shift has been noticed by all camera manufacturers including Ricoh/Pentax. With the upcoming release of the supposed D600 I predict the shift will be a stampede within the Nikon ranks and if Ricoh Pentax doesn't recognize this and adapt, announcements of new APSC bodies will hardly be noticed by the photography community.

And how many of those 200 bought another crop sensor body during this year?

Needs to be mentioned too.



(Not that I dont agree that Ricoh need to have a FF ongoing, but for your statistics to actually mean something).

[ElJamoquio]

You need to get out more

Your bias that landscape photography is the only "real" photography is showing again. The rest of the photography universe can only snicker at comments like that.

Pros who (should) want FF (or bigger)
1) Wedding photographers
2) Landscape photographers

Pros who need the 'best' AF
1) Sports photographers
2) Nature photographers
3) Some wedding photographers (some here have complained about Pentax AF in churches,etc not being good enough)

Pros who want an APS-C with marginal (competitively speaking) AF:
1)

[bossa]

You need to get out more

Your bias that landscape photography is the only "real" photography is showing again. The rest of the photography universe can only snicker at comments like that.

Well there's always the Hummingbirds. XD

[ElJamoquio]

Well there's always the Hummingbirds. XD

Pal says pros shooting hummingbirds should manually focus.