[Alex645]

For the brand, I'd love to see an entry level DSLR that is sub $400 with a kit lens. Right now for students and their parents looking for a new camera, the Nikon D3400 and the Canon Rebel T6 are at $400. The Pentax K-70 with 18-55mm zoom is $700 and even a discontinued K-50 is around $500 or a K-S2 at $600.

I realize the Pentax has more features than the entry level Canikon, but I wish Pentax had something in the same entry level price range so that cost is not such a significant difference.

[mikesbike]

A DFA fast wide angle prime with DC and WR. Say a 24mm f/1.8 or f/2, and having good edge-to-edge sharpness, even wide open.

[Pentaxis]

I think there is a market for a camera with much of the functionality of modern developments that had an optical viewfinder BUT with less complexity, smaller size, and lower weight than current SLRs. How people have accepted having to stare at the back of a camera is a mystery to me. Much of the complexity, too, is just unnecessary for most people. Just because the tech exists doesn't mean that it adds much value.

In summary:

- What problems does the new camera need to address? Prohibitively high cost, too much complexity, lack of reliability (related to complexity), too heavy, absence of optical viewfinder (in non-SLR cameras), lack of "elegance" in most plastic cameras, too small optical sensors (MUST match to 35mm format to garner all the benefits of the millions of available k-mount lenses).

- Model the camera's form and functionality on a classic range-finder camera. Leica? Use high quality materials, metal or plastic. I have a plastic Chinon SLR that is very robust and does not feel at all cheap.

- K-mount, for sure. The availability of manual focus k-mount lenses is staggering and is not going away for decades.

- 35mm full frame sensor

- Manual focus lenses accommodated.

- "High tech" optical viewfinder, with processor computed frame markers, focus aids, and/or zooming to match the focal length of the fitted lens and reduce or eliminate parallax effects.

It seems to me that most of these technical elements already exist generically: the real bang for your buck would be money invested in totally redefining optivcal rangefinder design.

[alamo5000]

A good 20mm ƒ4 landscape lens is the only thing that would get my money right now.

I was thinking more f2.8 that didn't weight 2 pounds. A 4th Amigo would be good.

Maybe it's just me but if you look at the lenses actually made by Pentax the 3 Amigos were the last full frame lenses actually made or designed by Pentax. Yes they have the 50mm and the 85mm supposedly coming but it seems to me that Pentax is off it's game in the lens development area.

They've proven to the world that they can make stellar electronics IE camera bodies that can compete with the best of the best, but the current lens lineup of modern glass needs to fill out more.

If they are going to make a habit of creating more prime lenses like that 50mm that is coming (WR and fast) then I think we are onto something. We just need a whole array of focal lengths.

If I could waive a magic wand we would have a nice WR and fast series of FF primes. 20mm. 24mm. 28mm. 35mm. 50mm. 85mm. At the very least that is what they should have to compliment bodies of the K-1 caliber. It just seems like they take FOREVER to get lenses to market.

[benoitvservant]

Re-release of all Pentax lenses ever made as KAF4 PLM versions. *_*

that would be VERY AMAZING

[jpzk]

So ... what WILL be the next big Pentax project?

[monochrome]

So ... what WILL be the next big Pentax project?

Something BIG is coming.

[normhead]

Something BIG is coming.

Bigger than the monsters they've been releasing lately?

[monochrome]

Bigger than the monsters they've been releasing lately?

I hope that question is answered in February, or maybe April. The OP did ask about the next BIG project.

[jpzk]

but I wish Pentax had something in the same entry level price range so that cost is not such a significant difference.

But ... but .... this wouldn't be a BIG project

[Cthulhugan]

Bigger than the monsters they've been releasing lately?

A digital 8” by 10” view camera would be “BIG” ... :-)

I suppose it would be theoretically possible to get a 4” x 5” sensor from a wafer, but the yield would be abysmal.

[surfar]

Tick Tock, Year of the Prime!

[btnapa]

What next step would make you spend more money on Pentax?

How about a 150MP 6x7 camera with new gen lenses!

[Sandy Hancock]

Full frame 645 would be a great response to the new medium format offerings from Fuji and Hasselblad. The number of used 645Z bodies hitting the marketplace suggests that the competition is starting to bite.

I'd love to see how wide my 645DFA35/3.5 really is. Then again, I could just get a film body and save my money

[Gedeon]

Something BIG is coming.

Big like a 400mm f2.8 ?