Originally posted by Adam You are totally right, which is why Pentax is eventually going to release a FF camera
FF sensors used to be exponentially more expensive than their APS-C counterparts, but that's no longer the case, which allows for more competitive pricing while still securing nice margins.
I kind of feel like if Pentax releases FF now, they might have already missed the boat to some degree. Sure, FF sensors have gotten cheaper, but a larger sensor is still more demanding of the glass, and requires more of it, hence, FF lenses will tend to be larger, heavier, and more expensive.
A few years ago I would have been more tempted to switch to a Pentax FF, but in the meantime APS-C sensors have gotten so good, I can't help but question the value of FF. APS-C sensors of today have surpassed FF sensors of just a few years ago, and now the image quality difference between most FF sensors and the best APS-C sensors amounts to splitting hairs. What would I gain in tangible benefits? A slightly better signal-to-noise ratio that is only significant at stratospheric ISO levels? But at what cost? Larger, heavier, more expensive lenses that give me less depth of field at any given aperture and (assuming megapixel count is fairly close) less reach? It kind of feels like taking one step forward, and one and a half steps back.
That being said, a lot of people obviously crave FF, and I think Pentax should release it, but I fear they have spent too much time checking which way the wind blows, and have missed a lot of potential sales that they can never get back.