[Blacknight659]

I am very happy about the K-1 being launched and may very well one day purchase it. I am only afraid that all of the development power will be pushed into the FF system and we will be lacking in APS-C innovation. I know there are still wonderful lenses available to me, but I am still hoping for more WR versions of their already awesome glass (12-24 WR please!).

anyone else feel the same?

[disord3r]

The fact that they even bothered to include the APS-C crop mode at all in the K-1 tells me they're still thinking about it. Plus, their lens market for the foreseeable future is still almost entirely APS-C based, so I doubt they'll all of a sudden forget about the format. There may not be as many new APS-C bodies pooping up as the recent past, but something still tells me they aim to be the ranking alternative to the big three. And you can bet that if the K-1 does well and begins to be mentioned in the same breath as the big three among professionals, they will step up the APS-C game.

I think the issue will become the number of models they offer. They will likely pare it down a bit, but I would expect that new bodies will still appear occasionally to keep up with en vogue features.

[savoche]

I'm not worried. Ricoh seem to be very good at re-using tech across their formats, all the way from APS-C to 645. There is no indication that this will stop. Besides, the K-1 has been under development for years. In the mean time several new APS-C bodies have cropped up, as well as updated versions of dedicated APS-C lenses. Besides, I believe that they will sell far more APS-C bodies than 35mm bodies for a long time yet.

No reason to lose any sleep over such worries.

[filoxophy]

Savoche said it.

[Lightograph]

Absolutely! Savoche said it.

In fact my guess would be that the next version of APS-C will be testing bed for the new technologies that they would incorporate in the FF K-1 Mark II. For example more focus points and higher FPS.
Looking at Nikon's D500 I will not be surprised if the next APS-C model will be in those lines. Imagine a light weight compact (traditional strengths of Pentax) APS-C model with fast Auto Focus and FPS and an aggressive pricing will attract a lot sports and action photographers to Pentax.

[interested_observer]

Pentax indicated that their 645Z was an extended K3 system. Now, with the K1, you can easily infer that the system internals stretch across the K1, K3 and 645X - all have a common base that are extensible for the particular sensor in place. The 5 axis stabilization system for the sensor will show up on the crop body along with all of the other features, more than likely one generation more advanced.

Pentax does not need to keep 5 body lines continuously updated each year, so overall I would believe that the pace of advancing capabilities - AF and others will continue at a steady pace.

[Ilovemypentax]

If Pentax wants to make something different they should make the following...


Leica rangefinder knockoff FF 36-40 mp for $2500.


M43 simplified with shutter dial.


A 6mp FF digital back for a Hassy for $2500

[boriscleto]

If Pentax wants to make something different they should make the following...


Leica rangefinder knockoff FF 36-40 mp for $2500.


M43 simplified with shutter dial.


A 6mp FF digital back for a Hassy for $2500

Thankfully Ricoh has no interest in doing any of those things.

[apete]

I am very happy about the K-1 being launched and may very well one day purchase it. I am only afraid that all of the development power will be pushed into the FF system and we will be lacking in APS-C innovation.

I am not afraid because:
1) APSC and FF may share most technology thus almost anything that is in K-1 can be soon ported to APSC (except of sensor of course ;-)
2) FF is (and for at least a couple years will be) far too expensive for most. Unless they can offer brand new FF as cheap as K-50 is... ;-)
3) FF is significantly bigger and heavier and size does matter.

Besides... if bigger sensor is so so so freaking good, why have not we all yet moved to 645Z?????

[jddwoods]

I can certainly see there being fewer new DA lenses and almost all future lens production being DFA. Makes sense since DFA is just as compatible with APS-C and DA is. I just hope they keep the high end APS-C K-3 line in production. I am sure the beginner and intermediate APS-C will continue in production.

[maxfield_photo]

I don't think they will forget about APS-C shooters either. One has to realize that for 15 years they've neglected the FF shooters, and so they need to do a bit of catching up, but once that's done, I think we will see both FF and APS-C lenses.

But even during the interim, it's not all bad for APS-C shooters. If one puts a lens which is full frame compatibleon their APS-C body, they will enjoy sharper corners and less vignetting, plus, I quite like some of the standard FF zoom lengths as much, if not more on APS-C bodies. For example, I use a FA* 28-70 on my K-3 right now, and I think it's the ideal focal length(s) for studio fashion. It won't let you go wider than "normal", thereby preventing facial distortion due to perspective, but you can quickly zoom in to a portrait length. I don't expect I'll ever see it's equivalent, a 43-105, in a full frame lens.

[redrockcoulee]

I can certainly see there being fewer new DA lenses and almost all future lens production being DFA. Makes sense since DFA is just as compatible with APS-C and DA is. I just hope they keep the high end APS-C K-3 line in production. I am sure the beginner and intermediate APS-C will continue in production.

I am not sure if that is true when speaking about wide angle lenses or the kit type lenses but otherwise I do see more lenses designed for FF as that lense can be used of APS-C as you said. There is a large size difference between the DA21 and FA20 for example, more than a half stop diference in aperture would account for but the 35 and 50 mm lenses are the same or very close to it. I guess I would also add the walkabout zooms like the 18 to gazillion or even 18-135 type being created separately. Not sure if there will be more than two models of cameras in that format though and suspect that two models in FF might be the limit as well.

[biz-engineer]

I am only afraid that all of the development power will be pushed into the FF system and we will be lacking in APS-C innovation.

This sentence is inexact in the way that once the design of a new camera model such as the K-1 is finished, the work for this product moves to sustaining (firmware updates). For Ricoh, the substantial amount of work that will swamp the optical team for a couple of years, but it is not on the camera design side. So, the design of a new camera model could have already started (could be AF module upgrade for example), whether that could be a new APSC or new FF, or mirroless , I don't know, I don't work for Ricoh. But, employed people don't stay cross arms waiting, they are usually given new engineering projects as soon as the previous projects come to an end. IMHO , the next camera model is likely to be a new APSC if you consider avoiding overlap of product life cycles. I'd push them to align their AF system , as it can put people away from Pentax camera for a good reason (you just have to look at flickr Pentax K-3 gallery to see how many photos are missfocused , IMO not acceptable for cameras of this price).

[Not a Number]

Psst - you can use FA and DFA lenses on a crop body. Most technological innovations would find their way into APS-C bodies as well. I doubt Ricoh will abandon the APS-C format any time soon.

[stevebrot]

anyone else feel the same?

Not me. Development effort follows the money and crop-sensor cameras constitute the bulk of the dSLR market at present. I believe it is safe to assume that many of the K-1 features will trickle down to one or more APS-C models in the near future. That being said, I would not hold my breath waiting for the following features to be supported on a crop-sensor body:

• The rear tilt screen design*
• The third control wheel
• ISO 204,800 or even half that

Of the K-1 features that may migrate down, I would expect most (all?) to be limited to the top-end body and would include:

• 5-axis SR*
• 33-point AF (SAFOX 12)
• Improved pixel shift
• LCD overlay viewfinder*
• USB tethering

* Less likely


Steve

* I was reminded in a following comment that the K-S2 features an articulated rear LCD. I was referring specifically to the unique, complex, and fairly bulky design of the K-1 screen. I would expect that some sort of articulated screen will likely be present on at least one future APS-C model, just not the same design as on the K-1.