Full frame will happen because Pentax France said so and it will be in 2015. The camera to beat and the seetspot in my view is the Nikon D750 so if they can build something equivalent that comes in at £1500 they will get my vote. It's affordable for very serious amateurs and professionals alike and it's realistic....
The problem I have is with the recent price cuts the K3 is a very tempting proposition and I particularly want the better autofocus and video. Pentax need full frame because they need to plug the huge gap in their range between the £750 K3 and the £6500 645z
I'm feeling very optimistic about Pentax and it's future. Why? - well when you look at it:
1. The Pentax 645Z is one of the best cameras ever made - it's stealing business from the Nikon D4s and Canon EOS1n and yet neither Canon or Nikon have an answer to it at all. It's also stealing business from the Hasselblads of the world too with its outrageously competitive pricing that they cannot hope to match (though I feel rather more sorry for Hasselblad - they make fine cameras and are a company with a great history... So Pentax build the finest high end camera in the marketplace when value and performance are taken into account. Really interesting site here which strangely mentions full frame camera
PENTAX 645Z Special site | RICOH IMAGING
2. The Pentax K3 is the finest DSLR Pentax have ever made and is one of the best in its price bracket. In many ways it could be argued it is the finest APSC camera in the world as an overall package - build quality, weatherproofing, image quality etc and the only things better are the full frame offerings from Canon/Nikon at 2-3 times the price.
3. From the biggest to the smallest interchangeable lens camera system in the world with Pentax Q series - there's not a lot around in that segment either to compete.
4. Pentax launch the WG-M1 to enter the Go-pro market only it's 2/3 the price of the Go-pro, is waterproof and shockproof without the housing, also Ricoh's first wireless camera out of the box - I quite fancy one myself - it's certainly the sexiest darned action cam I've seen yet!
5. Pentax launch KS-1 for the young, touchscreen, smartphone user who is looking for DSLR quality but with a smartphone style usability - again difficult to see what else is in the market like this - even from Canikon.
6. The big gap in the range - FF DSLR looks like this gap will be plugged at last. It's long overdue but hopefully it will be something special. Pro-spec build and weathersealing, around 24megapixels, backwards K mount compatible and lets hope they address the two areas that let pentax down on my K5 certainly - naff focussing and autofocus with video plus a decently compressed video file size.
7. For the first time in history Pentax now has the backing of a truly huge global organisation with the personnel, R&D, budget and resources to push them back into the top rank.
So - this time next year pentax could have class leading products from action cams to minature cameras, through APSC, to full frame and into medium format. In studio, on the water, in the air, professionally or on holiday Pentax build a camera for you. They've launched a medium format world beater with sixteen lenses plus an action cam, a revolutionary DSLR and the K3 plus some more lenses for it in only 12 months...
Is this the new golden age to be a Pentaxian?? Is the phoenix really about to rise from the ashes....
Jon