I'm new to this forum, but have been using Pentax for 10+ years. My first Pentax was K10D which at the time seem really ahead considering quality/ergonomics/price. I love Pentax usability, convenience and raw image quality as well as unique features as astrotracer. I've been a strong advocate for Pentax and persuaded friends to get one instead of canikon.
However I also share the increasing frustration and that's what lead me to the this forum in the first place. I've already considered jumping ships a couple of years ago, but the owned lenses and ergonomics made me stay with Pentax. And yet the frustration accumulates. One of the reasons why I chose Pentax was the weather sealing. I've carried my gear to various harsh and hard to reach places, dirty environments and expeditions in these cases every gram counts, but once I'm there I'd like to be able to make at least a decent video and carrying another dedicated video camera is just not an option. I do not have very high requirements for video, but when technology keeps improving, and so does expectations. When every other brand, smartphones, drones etc. is capable of 4k video with autofocus, and your beloved Pentax with your beloved lenses leaves you with subpar capabilities it is really frustrating.
And it's not only about the video. I prefer aps-c for it's smaller size and better portability, but this line is neglected for quite some years now. Pentax is slow with new modern lenses and many third party lens manufacturers simply gave up with Pentax and do not support the mount.
Studio work with no tethering is doable, but not convenient. Even a bit more intense action when af-c is required (not talking about fast sports) keeps you wondering if you really get your shot in focus, or finally in family/social situations when other people use the camera it's a lottery if a shot will be in focus or a subject would not be covered by the narrow focus points area. This takes away the joy of taking pictures.
Sure one can say if your friends cannot focus a picture use a phone instead, or buy a dedicated videocamera, or buy another brand for action. Well what does it leave Pentax for? The niche is getting increasingly narrow and offers no place for wider usage. It makes the overall impression that there's not much to expect from Pentax especially in aps-c front. Long gone are the days when Pentax was the only brand offering ibis, weather sealing and good image quality. Yes there are some die hard loyalists (I still consider myself being one), but what about attracting new users? It's just sad that Pentax is not willing to improve on those areas. As much as I don't want to jump ships it seems that there just are no other options for the next upgrade