[monochrome]

What we all Pentax users need to make them thinking about us is World Wide Strike just try to imagine what impact would it be if we stop Buying, stop talking, stop everything about pentax for say a week !

Aside from the fact that it is impossible, what earthly benefit would that have?

[Tonto]

Take my K mount lenses
Have a 100% pentaprism VF
Be weather sealed
Have in-camera SR
Have super clean low ISO performance
Have accurate AF (fast wouldn't hurt my feelings either)
Be durable and reliable

Pretty much the same but would like better flash performance/higher shutter spec maybe TTL instead of PTTL and a step up overall from the K5.

Price below $3,000 with a wide standard lens. Would reduce in price over a year or two for those that can't afford initially.

[kenyee]

the new version is 2 grand

And you want good FF or so-so FF?
The good zoom lenses that are sharp edge to edge are roughly $2K on Canikon. They're nearly as sharp as primes.

That $850 5DmkI is indeed tempting just to play w/ FF's shallow DOF...the 5DmkII is a much better camera except for the crap AF...

[Pål Jensen]

Ford could likely sell way more Ford Focus than it can a GT40 or Mustang, but if they didn't cater to the slightly more premium models, they simply wouldn't have any sales in their lower Focus models in the first place. .

Ford, along with GM + all the japanese manufacturers (Toyota introduced Lexus), stopped selling premium, or indeed larger cars in Europe because the market is totaly dominated by the German premium makers; Audi, BMW and Mercedes. The Ford Scorpio was dropped with no replacement; the Opel Omega (GM) likewise; Peugeot never made a replacement for the 605. Toyota stopped selling the Camry (they sold 6000/year on the whole continent before it was dropped). Whats selling in this segment is Audi A6, BMW 5-series and the E-class; they are the FF's of the car world. Ford and the rest, have no problem selling millions of "lesser" cars.
The European (and increasingly the global) car market for large, upper level cars (as long as we are talking volum cars) pretty much paralells Pentax (and others) problem regarding FF.

[Pål Jensen]

You're right, the total marie for Pentax FF would likely be more like 35,000 per year (Nikon has a greater % of the FF market than Canon and Sony and Leica combined), but production may be 100,000 in year 1, and falling substantially thereafter, which brings another problem of sustained production. Keeping the factory lights on and inventory supply chain going for less than 10,000 units/year could be brutal. To keep it all together, they'd have to make sure that their APS-C offerings are still subsidizing the bulk of overhead, so internal cannibalization of the market is another factor.
.

Spot on and explains the way Pentax introduced the 645D. This to ensure a steady demand for the product.

I doubt however that Pentax could sell 35 000 FF cameras, let alone each year!

[bossa]

I know I have already said this (along with others) but I'm still hoping that Ricoh brings out a FF GXR module with a Pentax mount before I get any chance to sell off my stuff for a Canikon.

[jeffshaddix]

They wouldn't need much to convince me. The sensor would need to be at least as good as the K-5 ISO and DR wise. WR and SR are a must. Other than that, Full HD video @ 60fps, focus peaking, and a top notch optical viewfinder. For just this I'd expect a $2250 price point after initial market settling.

If I had my drothers, I'd add an interchangable viewfinder (with an optional EVF, and full-time mirror up mode), a swivel LCD, an option to fine-tune auto-iso speed with a scroll wheel, an uncrippled K-mount, and last but not least, a new 5-way SR system like the new Olympus. I'd expect a price tag near $2750 post market settle for this.

[ElJamoquio]

Spot on and explains the way Pentax introduced the 645D. This to ensure a steady demand for the product.

I doubt however that Pentax could sell 35 000 FF cameras, let alone each year!

Didn't they sell 10,000 645's in a year?

What's the ratio of 3 series BMW's to 5 series BMW's?

What's the ratio of 'common' Ford's in Europe to 'luxury' Ford's in Europe?

[RioRico]

I know I have already said this (along with others) but I'm still hoping that Ricoh brings out a FF GXR module with a Pentax mount before I get any chance to sell off my stuff for a Canikon.

Right on, right on. I really expect that engineering, producing, and selling a GXR-FF-K mountor would be more economically feasible than developing a standalone FF-K body.

Among the benefits of such modularity: Lower expectations. The mountor needn't have all the pro bells+whistles of Canikonyca FFs because it wouldn't be intruding directly on their turf, just as the 645D doesn't, just as the Q doesn't impinge on APS-C sales. The basic GXR-FF-K mountor would be the budget entry into FF territory. A more 'pro' model could come later re: demand, but it WOULDN'T require dumping an obsolete yet costly FF body.

The secret of success in a saturated market is to find a viable niche. GXR is a good candidate IMHO.

[bossa]

Right on, right on. I really expect that engineering, producing, and selling a GXR-FF-K mountor would be more economically feasible than developing a standalone FF-K body.

Among the benefits of such modularity: Lower expectations. The mountor needn't have all the pro bells+whistles of Canikonyca FFs because it wouldn't be intruding directly on their turf, just as the 645D doesn't, just as the Q doesn't impinge on APS-C sales. The basic GXR-FF-K mountor would be the budget entry into FF territory. A more 'pro' model could come later re: demand, but it WOULDN'T require dumping an obsolete yet costly FF body.

The secret of success in a saturated market is to find a viable niche. GXR is a good candidate IMHO.

I don't really know enough about the camera but at least it already exists and offers the opportunity.

[Wired]

I would just love to see a Pentax FF camera. I can't find any other current reason to upgrade from my K5... it could have some fancy 42mp backlit aps-c sensor, crazy video modes, and blah blah blah but I still would hold out for the unicorn FF.

To keep me away from the D800 it just needs to take Pentax K mount, have a crop factor for APS-C glass, and have an optical view finder... none of this mirrorless crud.

What would I prefer?

Under $3000. Prefer $2000 CAD
Size not much bigger than K5 if at all.
36-42mp sensor
dual SDXC card slots
6fps in raw
higher resolution LCD with tilt (for those times when live view is needed)
accessory grip (not built in, I want it compact)
non-crippled K-Mount
1600iso that is as clean as K5's 800iso
wifi raw transfer to android/ios/blackberry 10/windows/osx
Q quick dial
setting similar to nikons Auto ISO (alter the lowest shutter speed automatically depending on the focal length, and we can set a multiplier to adjust the factors by which that slowest speed is automatically calculated and set)
all the standard Pentax features we know and love

[RioRico]

Let's see, how could I inflict subtle torture here? I know! Start yet another a FF poll! Multiple choice:

Will a Pentax FF be 1) a basic standalone dSLR, 2) a pro dSLR body, 3) a basic MILC, 4) a GXR mountor, or 5) won't happen anytime soon?

This should keep members busy for awhile. And since I don't really care (*) I won't even have to monitor the results!
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(*) I don't really care because none of these would be within my budget anytime soon, not unless I get another inheritance, and my remaining uncle hasn't mentioned me in his will. Oh bother.