[aleonx3]

Is there anything wrong with buying or putting a lens designed for FF on the APS-C (k-3) camera?

[clackers]

Is there anything wrong with buying or putting a lens designed for FF on the APS-C (k-3) camera?

No, K-3 owners do that all the time. :-)

[jimr-pdx]

The problem is, they don't produce APS-C lenses.

Nikon produces high-end APS-C cameras in addition to full-frame cameras. So does Canon. I don't see a problem here.

The other problem is that Nikon did not replace their true top APSc cam; the D400 is still a mythical wundercam.
Here is a report that the latest it will come out is Q1 --- of 2014!
Despite Nikon's actions I believe that little ol' APSc is still big with Pentax/Ricoh.

[Rondec]

Is there anything wrong with buying or putting a lens designed for FF on the APS-C (k-3) camera?

I would say that the majority of Canon/Nikon full frame lenses are currently mounted on crop cameras.

I think the one thing about Pentax is that they have not shown a particular tendency to protecting upper end cameras from lower end cameras. The biggest reason why Canon and Nikon don't up date high end APS-C frequently or have a lot of high end APS-C specific lenses is because they are afraid it will cut into their full frame sales (both lenses and bodies). I hope Pentax doesn't follow suit, as I think this is a big advantage for them.

Canon and Nikon never really invested in high quality APS-C lenses where as Pentax gave us Da* and Da ltd.

What a strange thing to say. If by high quality you mean how a lens is built, then yes: Canikon have nothing to match Pentax in terms of APS-c. If by high quality you mean the optical performance, then it s highly doubtful that Canikon lag behind Pentax. Nikkor 35mm 1.8 and Nikkor 40mm 2.8 are optically brilliant lenses offering you far better value for money than the DA limited line-up.

[clackers]

Nikkor 35mm 1.8 and Nikkor 40mm 2.8 are optically brilliant lenses offering you far better value for money than the DA limited line-up.

They're not image stabilized, though, right, Dominic?

[indy]

I think the OP was worded to generate drama and thread traffic. The real question is will pentax make the same mistake as Nikon with its D300. Nikon apsc uses were ready to riot due to the fact that Nikon waited so long to release an update. I wonder if this could be a factor behind some of the anti ff rhetoric on this site? The fear that a ff could push k3 iterations to redheaded step child status?

They're not image stabilized, though, right, Dominic?

That is correct, but that does not detract from their optical quality. In my view, IS, SR, VR, IBIS, or whatever you call it is really helpful for videography, but for still photography its value is limited. From my personal experience, SR makes a difference between shutter speeds of 1/50 and 1/10. If I go slower than 1/10, I get steadier shots with SR off. You could try that experiment yourself at extremely slow shutter speeds.

[Rondec]

That is correct, but that does not detract from their optical quality. In my view, IS, SR, VR, IBIS, or whatever you call it is really helpful for videography, but for still photography its value is limited. From my personal experience, SR makes a difference between shutter speeds of 1/50 and 1/10. If I go slower than 1/10, I get steadier shots with SR off. You could try that experiment yourself at extremely slow shutter speeds.

I never turn off SR except when I am shooting on a tripod and I have never seen SR detract from image quality.

Pentax has a significantly more complete (albeit odd) set of APS-C specific primes: 14mm, 15mm, 21mm, 35mm, 40mm, 55mm, and 70mm. They also have a couple of zooms that aren't replicated in the Canon/Nikon universe, namely the 50-135 and 60-250. For Canon and Nikon, there assumption is that if there are advanced APS-C users, they will just use full frame lenses on their cameras. All well in good, but I wouldn't call their crop line up complete.

I never turn off SR except when I am shooting on a tripod and I have never seen SR detract from image quality.

It certainly does in my case when I go below 1/10. In practical terms, I hardly ever go that slow, and I did so consistently for experimental purposes only.

[robjmitchell]

What a strange thing to say. If by high quality you mean how a lens is built, then yes: Canikon have nothing to match Pentax in terms of APS-c. If by high quality you mean the optical performance, then it s highly doubtful that Canikon lag behind Pentax. Nikkor 35mm 1.8 and Nikkor 40mm 2.8 are optically brilliant lenses offering you far better value for money than the DA limited line-up.

lol you just proved my point! As nice as a couple of their aps-c lenses are they don't provide a compelling system that makes you question if you would want a FF camera and associated lenses if you could afford it. Canon and Nikon have made it clear that they want you to buy full frame (or you suck) Pentax appears to be saying buy what ever format suits you, we will give you a great system no matter what!

[bobmaxja]

Ricoh ewxplan very well what they are in the DSLR world. They give 5 reasons and I do not see this changing. THat their main message. Look for yourself
Digital Cameras by RICOH IMAGING

[monochrome]

APSc has it's place - especially telephoto, small(er) camera and lenses (a Pentax hallmark) and price.

I won't be surprised if Pentax releases NEW APSc lenses on the principle that they're perfectly happy to sell a crop camera body and a set of crop lenses to people who don't have the wherewithal to buy expensive FF lenses to use with a crop camera. They really don't have a business reason to differentiate one Pentax camera line from the other - but . .

• What's the ratio installed base of k-mounts in front of an apsc sensor compared to same of a FF sensor?
• perhaps they enjoy using their more complete crop line as a differentiator from their competition.

[osv]

companies are pushing ff because it has a significantly higher profit margin than crop does.

production cost for the bodies is similar, minus the price of the sensor.

the situation with glass is a bit more complicated, but there is probably still more profit with ff.

[aleonx3]

Now that a Full Frame Pentax is in the near future, I wonder if there will be anymore top of the line ASP-C's coming from Pentax ?

Will the K-3 be the last of the line ?

Hehe, If that is what you mean... there will be k-3 II, III, VI, V, IV etc...