Well, I’ve never written down my opinion on Pentax and FF anywhere, partly because I’ve never completely thought it through, partly because all those writing about it seemed much more confident, knowledgeable, authoritative and vocal… Let me just write down my own thoughts. Though they’ll probably get ignored, burned down or both, at least I will have formed an integrated opinion and voiced it.
Yes, apparently FF sensors have a better IQ than APS. But in two years time, a new APS camera will have caught up with the quality offered by current FF cameras. So to obtain that D700 quality that I want, I don’t necessarily need to move to FF. Also, it was clear to me the moment that I bought my first Pentax camera, that it didn’t offer the best IQ on the market. There were definitely better quality cameras around. Most obviously all the professional grade FF and non-FF cameras. It was even quite clear that Pentax arguably didn’t have the very best IQ for an advanced enthusiast level camera, the level I wanted to buy in to. It was however clear that Pentax offered to me the best camera and image quality for the amount of money I could or wanted to spend, so that’s what I did. When I bought Pentax, that was not because they offered the world’s best IQ. To those who argue they still don’t, well that means nothing has changed, so why should I complain?
It is supposed to be an unavoidable evolution that sensor prices will come down a lot, so evidently FF sensor will come into price range of current APS sensors, and the price difference will become irrelevant. FF cameras are also supposed to command much higher profit margins, so camera makers are supposed to have FF cameras to stay profitable. But those two just don’t add up… If the price difference between an enthusiast APS and an enthusiast FF becomes irrelevant, then that can only be because the profit margins have become the same.
And at least in my layman’s eyes, FF cameras really don’t seem to represent the way the market is moving. Most of that movement seems to be coming from mirrorless cameras, trying to pack similar image quality in smaller, more convenient packages. That’s also where most innovations seem to happen, especially since the loss of the mirror and prism allows lots of new innovations.
One of the reasons that I finally made up my mind on this, is the blog of Tom Hogan today on the Nikon quarterly sales report, and his reading is very clear, logical, and based on public facts: the market is evolving towards more sales, but at lower prices and with lower profits. So the market really doesn’t seem to evolve towards FF with a price and quality premium, even if that quality premium is getting smaller.
The second thing that helped me make up my mind also came from his site: current mirrorless cameras seem to target amateurs, upgrading from PnS cameras. But a lot of them are bought by enthusiasts, who want to have a small camera to take everywhere that still offers big camera quality. Most brands don’t really offer an enthusiast grade mirrorless camera yet. But they can, even Sony, and it’s a logical step that someday they will. And by that time they will have a more complete lens line-up that can appeal to enthusiasts, and by then they will have quality problems such as a good enough EVF sorted out too. So enthusiasts will have an enthusiast level camera with a high, albeit maybe not the highest possible, image quality in a slightly smaller package and a modern, all-electronic system that opens up plenty of room for new innovations. By the way, isn’t that what Pentax seems to be all about: great quality in a smaller, innovative, affordable package?
So if Pentax is really planning their own distinct mirrorless camera that could work out great. APS quality. Legacy support for all or most past K-mount lenses, most probably through a well thought out adapter to allow for an all electronic, future proof Pentax mirrorless mount. This would mean jumpstarting the lens collections for enthusiasts (think Limiteds). The Pentax mirrorless with existing lenses and adapter could be the size of the current cameras, while coupled with new designed for mirrorless lenses it could be smaller. This would be completely consistent with the Pentax philosophy so far, but anyway, enough about mirrorless, back to FF…
I am an enthusiast, that means I might want the best quality, but I am not a professional, so I don’t need it. So if I am currently lusting to buy a new camera, that’s not because the quality on my current K10D is letting me down, it hasn’t, and realistically for an amateur it never will.
The main reasons I’d like the K7 would be the 100% viewfinder, the higher resolution screen, faster AF, better WB, quieter shutter, better DNG support and the overall smaller, better rounded package. It will also give me better high ISO and more resolution, so overall better IQ, and all that without having to change to FF.
The main reasons I didn’t buy it before? The current quality of the camera is enough for me, even if I have been printing up to 32 inch wide and using some pictures professionally. I still wanted to improve my photography (read wanted to buy new toys), so if the camera with its older APS sensor didn’t limit me, I bought better lenses, better accessories, better software, and behold my photography has improved.
The reason I don’t buy the K7 now? Well, me too I am awaiting Photokina. They might release a new camera that appeals so much to me that I can’t resist to buy quickly. Or they don’t, and I’ll buy the K7 at an even lower price. Or they release a new lens with completely appeals to me (say a new DA 70 Ltd with weather sealing and F/1.9 or faster, or a DA28 with those same specifications). Or they don’t, and I might buy one of the current lenses. I am currently in a wait before buying mode, especially because of the rapid evolution of mirrorless cameras. Not that I need a better camera, lens or mirrorless, but I just want my next Pentax investment to be future proof. The main thing that could actually prevent me from buying more Pentax gear would actually be their announcement of a FF camera. If they did, it would probably not be good news for their APS line, not be good news in terms of a consistent marketing plan. It would also require a substantial investment from me before I could benefit from the FF, money that I also could spend on a FF camera and lenses from a different brand, not that I would necessarily switch in that case, but it would make me rethink a lot of stuff
