[PF Staff]

Exclusive Pentax Forums interview with Ricoh Imaging representatives at CP+ 2018 near Tokyo.

Read more on the PF homepage...

[mee]

They completely deflected on my submitted question (thank you for asking it anyways!). But they did give a straighter answer on lenses.. "we'll first enhance star lens series.. then we will expand the limited lens series.." Monochrome should be happy about that last bit of news.

Also mentioned they'd like to introduce 4k video on an upcoming camera (once the hardware can support it) and on sensor PDAF (as seen in K-70) to more models.. neat.

[MarkJerling]

Very interesting!
The comments around the K-3ii's successor is interesting. It sounds as if they have been putting almost all their resources into lens development and that the K-3ii's successor may be some ways off in the future. Is that the impression the interviewer got from the interview as well?

[Kunzite]

Would the same people work on lenses and cameras?

[monochrome]

Very interesting!
The comments around the K-3ii's successor is interesting. It sounds as if they have been putting almost all their resources into lens development and that the K-3ii's successor may be some ways off in the future. Is that the impression the interviewer got from the interview as well?

The impression I got is it was a typical polite Japanese non-answer.

[MarkJerling]

Would the same people work on lenses and cameras?

Don't know. Have you watched the interview?

[Kunzite]

Of course I did.
APS-C lenses were surely affected by the need to complete the D FA line. APS-C cameras were surely affected by the work on the K-1.
That much is clear. What is not clear, now in the morning, was the link between the two I thought I saw in your post, late last night.

---------- Post added 07-03-18 at 09:45 AM ----------

The impression I got is it was a typical polite Japanese non-answer.

I don't think so.
We have, in this and the past interviews, "typical polite Japanese non-answers" to compare with - including "no".

[ffking]

But they did give a straighter answer on lenses.. "we'll first enhance star lens series.. then we will expand the limited lens series.."

I found that very interesting - I read that as confirmation that they see Pentax as a premium brand, as mentioned last year. We talk about slow pace of releases - lovers of cheap lenses waiting for new ones are having it really hard!

[clackers]

I found that very interesting - I read that as confirmation that they see Pentax as a premium brand, as mentioned last year. We talk about slow pace of releases - lovers of cheap lenses waiting for new ones are having it really hard!

Or people waiting for a K-3 successor even though they're not making the K-3 or K-3 II anymore.

FF lenses are where their limited resources are being thrown first, not APS-C bodies.

He was quick to destroy the idea of some marketshare expanding budget camera below the K-70, too.

[Kunzite]

Yes, he gave us straight answers when he could. That's what I was talking about when I said we have a "no".

He didn't say anything about the GR supposedly to be launched as early as September. We shouldn't derive timelines from this interview.

Once again, I don't think there's much competition between developing FF lenses and APS-C bodies.

[clackers]

Once again, I don't think there's much competition between developing FF lenses and APS-C bodies.

Although, you might want to watch 0:48 to 1:20 again.

That's unusually clear for a hedge-all-bets, create-no-controversy Japanese exec.

[RobA_Oz]

Once again, I don't think there's much competition between developing FF lenses and APS-C bodies.

Although the optical designer is a specialist engineer and the initiator of the entire lens design process, I can see some areas of commonality in the design of housings (structure, as well as ergonomic) electronics and mechanics (including user controls as well as internal mechanisms) for both lenses and camera bodies. Obviously, there are some viewfinder optics in the bodies, as well. I can't see the design teams being totally separate in a small operation like Pentax, but I can see the managers having to optimise the use of those design resources across the various lens and body projects within the unit.

[Kunzite]

I did watch it, a few times already; I'm still not interpreting in the same way. They put their resources mainly in development of FF lenses... but why would you think the camera development groups were included as well?
Context is everything.

@Rob: sure, the camera needs optical expertise (viewfinder, AF system) and the lens needs mechanical and electronic expertise.
However, I don't see it as an absolute: FF lens development postponing APS-C camera development.
By the way, remember the DA* lens for this summer, and the rumor of other DA* following?

[clackers]

I did watch it, a few times already; I'm still not interpreting in the same way. They put their resources mainly in development of FF lenses... but why would you think the camera development groups were included as well?

(Shrugs shoulders).

He was explicitly asked a question about camera bodies, and instead of just saying 'APS-C products are in development', specifically answered about prioritizing FF lenses.

Couldn't be clearer ... to me, anyway!

I will need to upgrade my APS-C body at some stage, too, but I don't think this should be sugar coated, it simply won't be tomorrow.

[Kunzite]

"Given the overwhelmingly positive reception of the K-1, how would you compare the objectives of Pentax's full-frame line with the APS-C line?"
He wasn't explicitly asked about camera bodies.