Originally posted by captmacq stop with the ff. its not ff, its noise and auto focus that drives people away
Captmacq is right. This poll is absurd. There are many reasons why people go with their chosen camera format and manufacturer. I just don't understand the curmudgeonry against Fullframe. APS-C will always have its place in the market, so will Fullframe. Do I feel threatened that Pentax is supporting MF? No, why should I?
Do you not think that Hoya had ROI studies done on Pentax (departments and business plans) both before and after the merger? If it wasn't for Hoya the Pentax 645D would have never seen production. What markets does the 645D appeal to? Advanced amateur, semi-professional and professional. The same markets that Fullframe appeals to. Hoya is a highly successful company. Pentax has a lot of potential in many different markets. Hoya will make Pentax a success again. It's not in Hoya's interests to have a weak Pentax.
Check out this graph illustrating the patent applications for Pentax. Notice the spike after Hoya acquired the company?
New products are coming, will I purchase each one? Probably not, but I will have choices as to what to buy. I purchased my K20D as an upgrade from my K100D. When Pentax released the K-7, I thought about purchasing it, but I don't want another APS-C camera. I want my next camera to be a Pentax Fullframe DSLR.
Does Toyota or Honda only make one type of engine or one type of car? You don't grow market share by not giving your customers choices or repeat customers a path to upgrade. Pentax is now offering APS-C, soon MF and hopefully in the future Fullframe.
Some interesting links that compare Fullframe to APS-C:
Episode 011 - APS vs Full Frame Shootout!
John Greengo compares the Fullframe and APS-C formats.
At 17:12, John visually illustrates the differences in depth of field between the two formats.
There are differences! For further comparison check out:
EOS 5D vs. EOS 20D - Full Frame vs. APS-C Sensors - Bob Atkins Photography
One of the oldest sayings in business is, "Give the customer what they want." If enough Pentaxians desire a certain type of camera or lens (I'm sure Hoya/Pentax has already done legitimate research unlike these polls) then I'm sure it will be made.