[MarioRossi]

Hi Everybody, I'm a new user from Italy. I have a Pentax K5 for four years and i'm happy to use it. I'm happy to read that the new K3 iii is a great camera and i think that i'll buy it for next christmas. It must be a great improvement rispect to K5.

I don't know if this is the right place to post my think.
I think that Pentax dosen't produce a mirrorless because is necessary a very big investment, mostly to create a new and complete line up of objective. In this historic moment, with a marketplace for photograpich equpment in sharp decline, i don't think that Pentax have the possibility that make so risky choice.
For me a good idea for Pentax to jump into mirrorless is to produce only the camera and use the L-Mount lenses. In this way Pentax can concentrate on creating o good camera with tipically feature such as tropicalizzation, ergonomy, stabilization, ecc and pospone the production of the lenses specifically engenired for mirrorless. L-mount, for my knowledge, is an "open source" protocol so should be possible (easy?) to create an adapter for k-mount to l-mount

[bertwert]

i don't think that Pentax have the possibility that make so risky choice

The risky choice would be to jump into mirrorless
The market is oversaturated with mirrorless options, and less and less DSLR options - so as far as I can see, keeping strong in the DSLR game is a good move, jumping into mirrorless is suicide. Pentax is sticking as a DSLR, sticking to 'roots' of photography and emphasizing the image making process, such as a nice bright pentaprism (which, in my opinion, no EVF can match).

Why is it that this demand that mirrorless is the only way is seen on a near daily basis, when it simply just isn't true?

[Sandy Hancock]

Welcome Mario. I have moved this thread to General Photography, because it is certainly neither news or rumour.

The problem with your suggested approach for Pentax's (second) launch into the mirrorless market is that most of the money is in lens sales. So it would only be viable if they introduced an entirely new mount and lens line.

The K-01 was actually ahead of its time in many ways, and (in my opinion at least) only failed commercially because of poor market acceptance of its styling and high release price. If it had an electronic view finder, or a full frame sensor, I suspect its history would have been very different.

But Pentax is inextricably tied to the pentaprism, and therefore the optical viewfinder. Personally, I like that, and I suspect I'm not alone. If the K-3 Mark III is up to expectations, I think the industry dogma that DSLR's are dead may prove to be just that.

[photoptimist]

But why would Pentax go mirrorless at all? The mirrorless market is very crowded now with Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fuji, and L-Mount. Why would Pentax want to become MILC-maker #6?

It's just like with cars -- just because more people want SUVs doesn't mean all people want SUVs and that all car companies should jump to making SUVs.

If anything, the seeming abandonment of the DSLR architecture by Canon and Nikon is an opportunity for Pentax to become the only choice for photographers who prefer an optical viewfinder for various artistic, aesthetic, ergonomic, and technical reasons.

Smaller makers of any kind of product will find more success by focusing on a niche (high market share of a small market) rather than being another me-too option in the most popular design (a tiny market share of a big market).

Pentax should maintain its differences rather than try to copy others.

[Fogel70]

Hi Everybody, I'm a new user from Italy. I have a Pentax K5 for four years and i'm happy to use it. I'm happy to read that the new K3 iii is a great camera and i think that i'll buy it for next christmas. It must be a great improvement rispect to K5.

I don't know if this is the right place to post my think.
I think that Pentax dosen't produce a mirrorless because is necessary a very big investment, mostly to create a new and complete line up of objective. In this historic moment, with a marketplace for photograpich equpment in sharp decline, i don't think that Pentax have the possibility that make so risky choice.
For me a good idea for Pentax to jump into mirrorless is to produce only the camera and use the L-Mount lenses. In this way Pentax can concentrate on creating o good camera with tipically feature such as tropicalizzation, ergonomy, stabilization, ecc and pospone the production of the lenses specifically engenired for mirrorless. L-mount, for my knowledge, is an "open source" protocol so should be possible (easy?) to create an adapter for k-mount to l-mount

What has Pentax to offer that the other manufacturers of L-mount can not offer?

Designing camera that can compete with Panasonic would be very difficult. Panasonic is more than 10 years ahead of Pentax on mirroless.
So Pentax would have to find a unique nich that Panasonic, Sigma or Leica do not cover. So it would most likely be a very limited market.

Otherwise it is a large risk that Pentax will come out with an inferior camera that only Pentax user base may like, and it would basically only compete with Pentax own DSLR sales.

[FozzFoster]

Why is it that this demand that mirrorless is the only way is seen on a near daily basis, when it simply just isn't true?

Online influencers repeating the same fallacious statement over and over, probably.

Also, from my memory, mirrorless wasn't on anyone's radars until Sony made a full-frame mirrorless for 'cheap'.
This sucked a whole bunch of prosumers over to buy Sony who wanted an affordable full-frame despite OVF or EVF or ergos or anything really, just wanted affordable FF.
This prosumer market is actually one of the last cash cows for photography - consumer is going the way of the smart phone.
So when CanoNikon saw their sales move to Sony with their FF mirrorless, they were all like 'shoot looks like we gotta make one too'.
Now everyone one is making mirrorless and the online influencer geeks love tech anything tech, so EVF = 'cool'.

I firmly believe if anyone is interested in enjoying being a photographer (not only just getting 'The Shot') then OVF blows EVF outta the water.
But it's hard to convey that fact through text/stats and the online geek techs just love the stats...

[Kevin B123]

Why is it that this demand that mirrorless is the only way is seen on a near daily basis, when it simply just isn't true?

Quite right and the differences between EVF and OVF will become very stark when the K-1iii is released, the imagined large OVF will be a shear joy to use and those in the know will love them.

I doubt an influencer will care since they don't actually take photos as far as I can tell.

Much as I like the idea of a Z body, I don't want to pay for video I never use and I'm not the only one. It seems a huge chunk of the customer base is force to buy something they don't want.
Maybe that is why take up is slow.

[MarioRossi]

I'm not a fan of the EVF, i prefer the view of an optical viewfinder. And i'm not a fan of the mirrorless principally because the handling isn't good for me e the autonomy is very poor. I like the feeling of the mirror and shutter. I'm sure the choice to remain in the world of DSLR is good for Pentax in this historic moment.
My speech was just to reason with the possibility of joining the L-mount consortium.
I think that creating a mirrorless can improve the know how of the company (Pentax can already create execellent reflex).
Suppose that within ten years the mirrorless can overtake the actual technology limits and overtake all features of the reflex. Having a knowledge for making a modern mirrorless can facilitate the leap to this technology.
I think that is better to sell a mirrorless to an old pentaxian instead of not selling a reflex. Is just a my opinion, i don't want to create flame :-)

[11GTCS]

Honestly, having just done a big photo week with my mom (who shoots a Z7), I wasn’t really impressed with the system. I love mirrorless cameras for their strengths, but the ergos and features of the camera just weren’t there to me for the price. As far as Pentax mirrorless, I wouldn’t hate if Pentax made a mirrorless camera, but I don’t really think I’d want it to be anything other than K mount, and I don’t think it’d probably sell that well. Otherwise, my mirrorless line will start and end with Fuji for now until I can swing another Leica M.

[Kunzite]

Hi Everybody, I'm a new user from Italy.

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

For me a good idea for Pentax to jump into mirrorless is to produce only the camera and use the L-Mount lenses. In this way Pentax can concentrate on creating o good camera with tipically feature such as tropicalizzation, ergonomy, stabilization, ecc and pospone the production of the lenses specifically engenired for mirrorless. L-mount, for my knowledge, is an "open source" protocol so should be possible (easy?) to create an adapter for k-mount to l-mount

Very very bad idea!
On a superficial level, it's a shortcut to have a mirrorless without needing to make any lens for it (which is indeed the real effort). Just a camera, if it doesn't work, not much is lost... right?
Not quite. Look deeply, what you're describing is creating an easy way for Pentaxians to migrate to the L-mount. And that doesn't even mean their one good camera; it likely means Panasonic.

If Pentax wants to keep a DSLR user base, to convince people they really do believe in the future of SLR photography, perhaps they should not do such things? Think of the message they'd be sending... effectively sabotaging their efforts but also not really competing on the alternative market. Nope, it won't happen.

Besides, I don't think Pentax should jump into mirrorless at all!

[mtgmansf]

Hi Everybody, I'm a new user from Italy. I have a Pentax K5 for four years and i'm happy to use it. I'm happy to read that the new K3 iii is a great camera and i think that i'll buy it for next christmas. It must be a great improvement rispect to K5.

I don't know if this is the right place to post my think.
I think that Pentax dosen't produce a mirrorless because is necessary a very big investment, mostly to create a new and complete line up of objective. In this historic moment, with a marketplace for photograpich equpment in sharp decline, i don't think that Pentax have the possibility that make so risky choice.
For me a good idea for Pentax to jump into mirrorless is to produce only the camera and use the L-Mount lenses. In this way Pentax can concentrate on creating o good camera with tipically feature such as tropicalizzation, ergonomy, stabilization, ecc and pospone the production of the lenses specifically engenired for mirrorless. L-mount, for my knowledge, is an "open source" protocol so should be possible (easy?) to create an adapter for k-mount to l-mount

Some other points about the L mount alliance: 1. Panasonic has not released any updated cameras since they came out with their first ones. Why is this significant, because Panasonic is known to be a company that almost always focuses on profitability, which so far has probably eluded them with their FF mirrorless. 2. Only other option is expensive and not particulary great Leica cameras and very good, but very expensive Leica lenses. 3. Sigma has come out with some video-centric cameras that are not great for photography, but they have come out with a few very good L mount lenses. I am thinking about the 14-24mm, in particular. L mount Leica and Panasonic cameras are not up to the standard of the best mirrorless cameras in terms of auto focusing ability and raw/jpeg quality file output over the 24mpx sensor models. 4. There are not very many available telephoto zooms and telephoto lenses beyond 200mm. Lastly, I read somewhere that Sigma was disappointed that Sigma was unhappy with Panasonic's L mount camera output, focusing issues, and updates, but that is just a rumor...

[Kevin B123]

Besides, I don't think Pentax should jump into mirrorless at all!

Indeed it is a stated aim to stay with the DSLR, and further it is believed some users will migrate back to the DSLR fold and some may have already done so.

[Kunzite]

I'm not a fan of the EVF, i prefer the view of an optical viewfinder. And i'm not a fan of the mirrorless principally because the handling isn't good for me e the autonomy is very poor. I like the feeling of the mirror and shutter. I'm sure the choice to remain in the world of DSLR is good for Pentax in this historic moment.
My speech was just to reason with the possibility of joining the L-mount consortium.
I think that creating a mirrorless can improve the know how of the company (Pentax can already create execellent reflex).
Suppose that within ten years the mirrorless can overtake the actual technology limits and overtake all features of the reflex. Having a knowledge for making a modern mirrorless can facilitate the leap to this technology.
I think that is better to sell a mirrorless to an old pentaxian instead of not selling a reflex. Is just a my opinion, i don't want to create flame :-)

About the technical side, once again Pentax doesn't need mirrorless.

Despite the constant propaganda, mirrorless isn't anything special: they're just cameras, conceptually not very different from a DSLR stuck in Live View mode.
Pentax can thus evolve technologically with the DSLR line. Some things are just not as important to them, e.g. video or very fast Live View AF; but if they want to improve those, they can do that as well on a DSLR as on a mirrorless.

Even more, as I said in other threads - the (D)SLR concept can evolve; it can obtain the mirrorless' advantages like the main sensor always getting light, while obviously retaining its optical viewfinder. Perhaps the next generation (after the K-3iii - K-1iii) would indeed use the main sensor for AF and metering.
Such a development would be IMHO much more interesting than yet another mirrorless.

[FozzFoster]

PENTAX PRINCIPLES | brand | RICOH IMAGING

PENTAX believes in the future of SLR photography:

1.
We design new cameras through sheer devotion.
It is our intention to produce cameras that will be the preferred choice for photo enthusiasts, because we love photography and have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of cameras.

2.
Our goal is to produce cameras with the power to capture images that allow for direct communication with the subject.
We intend to design cameras that create memorable images, that make us feel as if we're connecting directly with the subject, capturing our imagination and captivating our senses.

3.
We design cameras that allow our users to enjoy all the processes involved in taking a picture.
We pursue every essential element involved in the joy of photography. From looking through the viewfinder to composing the image, focusing on the subject and releasing the shutter.

4.
We pursue a level of quality and performance that can’t be measured by numbers alone.
We produce our cameras not only by pursuing higher performance based on numerical values, but by integrating our designers’ sensory feedback into the design and development.

5.
We respect and value the photographic experiences of our users and view this as an invaluable asset.
We want to share all the inspiring experiences of our users, from the hardware to the shooting processes, creating and viewing the images.

[D1N0]

Panasonic already makes perfectly good camera's in L-mount so Pentax doesn't need to. But more importantly they (Ricoh) don't want to. They don't want to compete with the big guys, they want to be in the DSLR niche. There will be a AF PK to E-mount adapter soon for people who want to migrate to mirrorless. ( https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1627137-REG/monster_adapter_la_ke1_pe...BID=6867&SID=f )There may be one for Canon RF as well. Don't think any of the other mounts are big enough for it to be profitable.