[Metal278]

I hope I have the right forum, if not I apologize.

I remember reading about 10 years ago (2005 - 2006) that Pentax and Samsung had signed an agreement to collaborate in the development of DSLR cameras and would share components. I think the Pentax K10 and possibly the K20 shared bodies and some internals with a Samsung camera. What do people know of this and what has happened to this agreement - is it still in effect, or when did it end.

Currently Samsung has very little profile in the market and a very small range of cameras, are they still using Pentax components? Out of interest, what is their quality like and do they use the K mount

[mcgregni]

I believe that the companies moved apart. The last Samsung sensor in a Pentax DSLR was the K7 . I think Samsung moved away from an SLR design and have moved to mirrorless with their Nex range. They have a new mount for that also.



The previous generation of Samsung DSLRs that were developed alongside the Pentax versions, as well as the accessories, are still compatible with current Pentax bodies (ie the lenses, flashes etc).

[Adam]

I hope I have the right forum, if not I apologize.

I remember reading about 10 years ago (2005 - 2006) that Pentax and Samsung had signed an agreement to collaborate in the development of DSLR cameras and would share components. I think the Pentax K10 and possibly the K20 shared bodies and some internals with a Samsung camera. What do people know of this and what has happened to this agreement - is it still in effect, or when did it end.

Currently Samsung has very little profile in the market and a very small range of cameras, are they still using Pentax components? Out of interest, what is their quality like and do they use the K mount

It essentially ended when the K20D came out- that was the last rebadged body. Pentax is using Sony sensors now and has been since the K-x came out (2009).

[ogl]

I hope I have the right forum, if not I apologize.

I remember reading about 10 years ago (2005 - 2006) that Pentax and Samsung had signed an agreement to collaborate in the development of DSLR cameras and would share components. I think the Pentax K10 and possibly the K20 shared bodies and some internals with a Samsung camera. What do people know of this and what has happened to this agreement - is it still in effect, or when did it end.

Currently Samsung has very little profile in the market and a very small range of cameras, are they still using Pentax components? Out of interest, what is their quality like and do they use the K mount

Only K20D and K-7 were with Samsung sensors. Samsung versions of cameras - K10D and K20D = GX10 and GX20 had some small difference in design and in software. K10D is 100% development of Pentax. Only K20D is product of collaboration.
This agreement was died after K-7's launch. Nothing to think. It's a history altready. For many years.


Samsung has strong position on Korea market and NX system is very good system with good choice of lenses and it has more bodies than Ricoh.
Samsung never used Pentax components: GX10 and GX20 were rebadged cameras with Samsung firmware and some tweaks in design.
Some of electronic components inside camera were made by Samsung. K10D had more Sony's components inside than Samsung.

[RMabo]

The first re-badged as Samsung was the Samsung GX-1S (Pentax *ist DS) and the GX-1L (Pentax *ist DL). Then came the GX-10 (K10D) and then the GX-20 (K20D) with Samsung sensor and some co-development. Some Pentax lenses was also re-badged as Schneider-Kreuznach för the Samsung versions, essentially they were the same as the ones labeled Pentax, but with some cosmetical differencies (blue ring instead of green, different focus and zoom rings, optically they were the same). Like the 18-55, 50-200, 12-24 and some others.

Oh, why the collaboration ended? Well, Samsung wanted an entry into the DSLR-market and working with Pentax looked like a good thing, but Pentax was shaky and Hoya took over Pentax which changed some direction for the company. Also, Pentax felt the Samsung sensors wasn't good enough. The first for the GX-20 was competetive, but the 2nd generation used in the K-7 showed to Pentax that the development was too slow and that Sony had a better plan for the future. The current Samsung sensor is very good, but it has taken Samsung some years to be as good as Sony and others here.

Another parameter to consider is that Samsung wanted to move into mirrorless, and Pentax wanted to continue with it's K-mount. So these two companies simply felt that they had different directions in the future, they wanted different things.

Looking at the Samsung NX-cameras I do see some inspiration from Pentax in the look and feel of them, but they have no Pentax technology in them and Pentax does not use any Samsung parts since the sensor in the K-7.

[rawr]

All that is left of the Samsung/ Pentax connection nowadays is a Samsung K-mount to NX mount lens adapter (Samsung ED-MA9NXK). A few third-parties also make similar adapters.

Even the flash system and flash pinout that Samsung used on K-mount has changed in NX.

But the partnership probably gave Samsung useful experience in camera and lens development. I think the relationship ended amicably.

[Metal278]

Thank you for these replies, they have answered my questions well. It was obviously a short lived collaboration.

[fwcetus]

It was obviously a short lived collaboration.

...or a long-lived collaboration -- my K20D (circa 2008?) is still going strong (even though it's now the backup for my K-3)...

[pentasonic49]

I still have a K20D but have sold my K10D, the only external difference as I recall, was the 10 or 20. The Samsung equivalents were very slightly different externally which was only apparent when fitting a battery grip.