It's funny, no one has ever complained about Canon's absence from the medium format and large format film markets, or Nikon's absence from medium format film cameras (they make nice LF lenses at least).
The DX sensor is just another format.
It has some advantages, such as with telephoto lenses, and in camera image stabilization, it has some disadvantages, such as wide angle lenses.
Why do people not realize that to get a 24x36mm sensor, they need a larger image circle than what a typical 35mm lens gives if they want in camera image stabilization?
It's a compromise, and personally, I'll take in camera IS over a full frame sensor any day. IS has real, honest to gracious advantages in more situations than an FF sensor has.
I'm just not seeing what the deal is.
I think Pentax does need to decide where they want to be in ten years though. Very soon, they are going to have to decide if they are going to be a mass market camera company, and try to take low end share away from C&N, or are they going to try to be a lower volume niche market company selling high quality equipment to discerning buyers.
The lens line they are building is a great start. No one but Pentax is making lenses with the qualities of the Limited right now.
Well, perhaps Leica and some of the Cosina stuff, but guess what? They have both positioned themselves in the high quality niche market.
I think Pentax would do better with a high quality, compact digital SLR, something along the size lines of the istD or new KM, but with mid range or better build and performance than they would do by splitting their user base into haves and have nots by making a FF camera.
If they go FF, they have to decide if they are going to keep the DX line, and keep making DX lenses, or if they are going to orphan the present user base by dropping the format.
The latter puts them in the unenviable position of being comparable to Canon, circa the mid 1980s, when they pretty much screwed their entire user base.
Nope, give me a DX sensor'ed Pentax with the build and performance of a D300, in a package the size of an istD or K-m, and I'll be a very happy user.
And if they see the need to go big or go home, make the camera a 645 lens mount, and keep in body IS with a somewhat smaller than 645 sensor.
Last edited by Wheatfield; 10-03-2008 at 09:57 PM.
Reason: spelling/grammer