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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-15-2017, 04:17 AM  
K-3ii marked as discontinued
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 660
Views: 88,979
It is impossible because Asahi, Pentax and Hoya never invested in cherishing Pentax legacy — apart from keeping the K-mount. Not sure what Ricoh does now, they seem to dabble a little, but that is all superficial. There are no books on photographers who used Pentax, there are no Pentax galleries of masterpieces, no continuation of legacy lens names and camera names , like Leica does with its Luxes, Noctiluxes, and Crons, the entire M series. Leica has a talent to turn each product line into an icon. Just watch, the SL, the TL, they do it remarkably well.

On the other hand, Pentax is a Japanese analogy of a people's camera, that was meant to be sold everywhere. When something is meant for everybody, it is meant for nobody in particular. So while everyone remembers Pentax from somewhere, and the value of memory is high, not a single owner of that brand cashes on it by further investing into it. That never changes.

That is why I wrote a while ago, that it would be best if old names are used again, and for premium lenses Takumar designation resurrected. That is heritage, and a great one. But there is no snowball chance in hell that managers who never worked for the company would thought of that. If they had, then the K-1 would have been delivered earlier too, and Pentax own lenses for it, not Tamrom rebadges. But they don't understand it to invest just a little into it, and reap revenues in the long run.

So the saga goes as it always did — Pentax is a people's camera, which means, nobody's in particular camera brand. And users are far more passionate about it than Pentax corporate owners. Users invest all their passions, and learning, and talent, while Pentax corporate owners invest a bare minimum. It was always like that, nothing has ever changed.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-14-2017, 09:03 PM  
Ricoh Imaging Square Osaka moving and expanded
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 37
Views: 10,374
Aperitif bar?
And an old Ricoh's monster copier, chassis only, and tons of paper, so that the kids than play inside?
Speaking of that, a kiddie pool too, with squeaky toys and lots of WG50s.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-14-2017, 05:56 PM  
K-3ii marked as discontinued
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 660
Views: 88,979
I think many would be happy to heave at least 50mm by the mid-2018 on their cameras. But it only shows the problem I was writing above — highest entropy of any system out there.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-14-2017, 05:24 PM  
K-3ii marked as discontinued
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 660
Views: 88,979
Actually, to experience best from the K-1, and not second-best, premium DFA*35mm or DFA*50mm are needed. Under all circumstances of classic photography, those lenses would deliver better and less compromised image quality than any zoom, quality which human eye can immediately recognise.

But thanks to high level of entropy in the system, caused by random wishes of uninformed and less skilled users and not carefully delineated plan, more experienced users still cannot enjoy best possible optical quality delivered with K-1. Only good-enough quality, and chances are that even 3 years after the launch of the camera, there will be no lens that can show its capability.

Users don't know yet what are real capabilities of the K-1 camera.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-14-2017, 03:22 PM  
K-3ii marked as discontinued
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 660
Views: 88,979
I have no great doubts that those engineers have a new system ready. It is only a matter of month of revealing it, not decade. But they are not rattling their sabres showing it up in advance, disturbing folk or market still relatively happy buying current stuff.

But the player that had burned the bridge on this path is Sony, and the crest of the wave is the A7II/A9 — when A9 tech starts diffusing into lower models, same what Nikon does with D5 tech, and A9 tech comes to future crop mirrorless, say some A6400 sold for $700-800 … then Ricoh Imaging cannot afford to say, "Oops".

The pressure on a small player is enormous. Not only big players like Nikon and Canon have better advanced DSLR tech, which they diffuse into lower models and are doing it right now, Sony now has the same, and Panasonic too.

Leica too is there — I mean, Leica!? Has anyone seen how all the tech from the top end Leica SL distilled into Leica TL2? Leica TL2 can do even more, same 20 fps as Sony A9.

For Ricoh Imaging it is the other way round — their most advanced tech is a medium range DSLR model (in terms of market position and capabilities), from which they diffuse tech and economy of scale up to FF and MF, and down to cheaper crop DSLRs.

Not everything is in mighty specs, though. There is still a lot in photographic experience. But some moments demand some radical steps forward, and this is one such moment for the entire industry, and it seems all players have silently agreed how to stay on board. All but Ricoh Imaging, who reveals nothing new. (But it doesn't mean they have nothing to show yet.)

However, if they decide there is just too much pressure, and work to be done, too much money to spend to gain little or nothing, and decide to close the shop and do something else, I would not blame them at all.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-14-2017, 02:07 AM  
K-3ii marked as discontinued
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 660
Views: 88,979
Leica has DSLRs, rangefinder and mirrorless systems. Even if "all world goes mirrorless", so to speak, many will still crave for something different, like the good ol rangefinder, or pentaprism. Those things are classics, like good Italian handmade shoes are.
For example, new Leica M10 came with a much brighter rangefinder than previous models, and people are going bananas about it; the line for the M10 is miles long. Then, great part of charm of the Fujifilm X100 series, its almost cult status, is its hybrid OVF/EVF. Not a single EVF camera has such a devout following, as those cameras with some classic charm.
Let someone make a DSLR with 100% view 1.0x magnification pentaprism, and a few fine lenses, and people will go crazy about it. When EVF becomes commodity, people will crave for rarity, and pay for the unique experience.

It is all about unique experience.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-13-2017, 06:39 PM  
K-3ii marked as discontinued
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 660
Views: 88,979
They have to have something that looks and performs as a new technology. Some elements discovered in mirrorless camera development must find ways into DSLR. If they introduce hybrid EVF/OVF, as they say they work on it, it means that the mirror must be semi transparent, and then it means that AF must work too under such a condition. It means some lens must then support PDAF and some sort of CDAF. Etc. One complication leads to another.

The switch from screw-drive to SDM, then DC, PLM, etc. all of it mean complications, because all those various things a camera must support. That itself is a big complication. From an engineering point of view, one solution is best. But we have too many already. With each new day, if things are not resolved, there will be more complications. Because, let's say, 40% of people would want 18-55 to be PLM too, and 50mm prime too. Some would wish a new DC zoom, some SDM primes. Some want small form factor of screw-drive lenses. Etc. So how many versions of same FoVs we end up having through totally different technologies?

Things are getting more and more complicated, lens system becomes a big scramble, and current users demand all that mess to increase, and increase in complexity and entropy. And that is Achilee's heel of Pentax — their traditional users are a hindrance. I am among them too, and I hate that fact. Because of such users and their random demands, Pentax system will never be up to date in any particular field, and if it is in some segments, then full of annoying quirks and overcomplications.

I can bet that right now, because of all that, those poor guys are working so hard, on a most complicated and impossible camera world has ever seen.

It is not fair by any stretch of imagination. But you ask for it, and have to live with all that comes with it.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-13-2017, 04:09 PM  
K-3ii marked as discontinued
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 660
Views: 88,979
That is the terrifying thing! Instead, they should have released brand new DFA* 35mm. Because one more 'convenient' zoom is what throws the entire system in the state of higher and higher inconvenient entropy.

---------- Post added 07-14-2017 at 10:03 AM ----------




All manufacturers are bound to have a mirrorless-like-kinda-sorta system. If they keep on K-mount, and DSLRs, they will not be very successful, only please certain old people for a while. If they modernise K-mount, and simplify cameras and make them lighter too, then they will drop support for some old tech, it is inevitable. Screwdrive support will most likely be gone in some new cameras.

If with modernisation of the K-mount they introduce new, lighter lenses suitable for new tech cameras (hybrid DSLR/mirrorless), then we will see a parallel lineup of cameras developing. KP and K-1 will be traditional DSLRs, and the new line — however named — will be future oriented, simpler, and with new lenses built for it.

There is a chance for fresher start. Those lenses must work for PD and CD focusing, so they must be brand new. They are still K-mount lenses, theoretically, but totally reworked for the new line of cameras in mind.

There will be some confusion, and that is inevitable. But the current trend is even worse, and not supportable.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-13-2017, 03:36 PM  
K-3ii marked as discontinued
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 660
Views: 88,979
Pentax has too much heritage on their shoulders. And some weird operational behaviour; it is perhaps the only optical company that stopped improving on its (sort of) standard set of lenses after .. late 1980s, perhaps. That means that there is no such thing as v1, v2, v3, etc. of the same lens occupying same FoV and aperture, in the constant part of the lineup that is technologically always up to date. For example, instead of issuing DA*55/1.4, they should do DA*50/1.4 to replace FA50/1.4, and keep that 50mm FoV always up to date. Instead of releasing FA31 or DA21, they should have released new DA*28 in the same quality as the DA*55. Etc. Better be up to date with a dozen lenses, than have a zillion lenses that never reach v2, and become relics of the past.

With Ricoh, things got even weirder, which can mean two things, though.

(1) Instead of standardising and cementing certain segment of the lens lineup and improving on it constantly, so that it is always rock solid and excellent, they seem to listen to Pentax users way too much, and released new lenses with new FoVs that make little lasting sense. (Because Pentax users have never been accustomed to some consistency anyway; last time it was visible in .. 1960s maybe, before zooms started crushing the lawn of consistent FoVs). Therefore you have things such as 16-45 (!), 16-85 (?), 17-70 (?!), 18-135 (?!!), 20-40 (?!?!), 18-270 (!!!?), 28-105 (?!?!?!?) etc. etc. all released before new, modern and long-overdue 50mm, 35mm or 85mm, which are the benchmarks of the system. Such releases are more a spur of the moment, convenient for the time, but with little lasting value because we know those lenses will never reach v2.

(2) On the other hand, if they release those odd zooms for the K-Mount and weird plastic primes for the sake of spur of the moment, but at the same time are aware of the problems of constancy of quality of a certain segment and are serious to do it, then it can only mean that they work on a COMPLETELY NEW system (most likely mirrorless) which will have those consistency problems sorted out from the start.

Because no one in the world can fix the Pentax lens lineup as it is now. They need a new system, with 5-6 six great lenses for starts, and have all these odd things for the current K-mount still being sold until people realise new system is better tended garden.

My hope is on (2), but if they are about (1), then you can wait until doomsday that things are sorted out to your satisfaction; it is impossible. And fruitless talks about lens lineup will never end because there is no logic in the lineup, there is no consistency of quality and performance within it.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-30-2017, 09:49 PM  
Eric Kim becomes an even bigger fan ...
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 17
Views: 4,543
He is rambling on too many things, acts like a sort of life coach, a personal trainer for all sorts of things, or a guru. Then he goes into emotional tantrums, extremes, say "I will never buy a Leica camera again", or, "I shoot film only", (because he got a Leica M6 for free) then half a year later he has an M10 and 0.95 Noctilux, or a digital GR/GR2, which he got as freebie from Ricoh.
I mean, Kim, if you read this, just keep quiet; get yourself a real job, do some creative work in silence, learn without opening your mouth to say aloud every word you read somewhere, and spare us headache.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-30-2017, 09:39 PM  
new ricoh survey
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 149
Views: 15,345
My 2c, is that survey is weird, and looks unifished.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-30-2017, 05:39 PM  
For each Pentaxian buying K-1 another Nikon/Canon shooter jumped ship to Pentax
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 1,039
Views: 100,901
Just to calm down all the guys, neither Nikon or Canon take into consideration what Pentax DSLR does. As a duopoly, they match each other.
Their cameras and lenses are like watching the ping pong game. Therefore comparing a single FF DSLR from Ricoh Imaging, with their FF DSLRs, is a waste of time.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-30-2017, 03:46 PM  
new ricoh survey
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 149
Views: 15,345
This survey looks fishy; really badly done. There is no legal statements, no addresses, disclaimers, nothing. Even the style is not according to Ricoh's PR guidelines. Has somebody hacked their Twitter and posted this to phish for people's emails and marketing ideas?
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-29-2017, 06:59 PM  
For each Pentaxian buying K-1 another Nikon/Canon shooter jumped ship to Pentax
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 1,039
Views: 100,901
6D2 has full HD at 60 frames. K-1 doesn't have that. If the video is judged by results from other Canon cameras, then 6D2 will deliver better quality video too.
6D2 is made to be everyday's man FF DSLR; it is very light yet sealed, 25% lighter than the K-1, fast enough (6.5 fps), has finer and more sophisticated autofocus including Canon's dual-pixel focus. Overall, it has many nice little things balanced well.

K-1 has never pretended to be every man's FF camera. It is not.
I think there is a need for an FF from Pentax in the 6D2 category — lighter, more balanced, less MP — but I don't think it will come.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-29-2017, 03:12 PM  
Eric Kim becomes an even bigger fan ...
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 17
Views: 4,543
Photography is a silent art, and Kim talks too much.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-29-2017, 05:38 AM  
Eric Kim becomes an even bigger fan ...
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 17
Views: 4,543
It takes about ~20 years of dedicated work to develop some sort of style; and even then it is nothing too serious. Gilden started photography in 1968, and Eric Kim started copying him several years ago. He is still at the level of socialising with people; he probably will never be a photographer. Maybe a bus coach or a tourist guide for Tokyo, which is a decent occupation.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-28-2017, 04:21 PM  
Eric Kim becomes an even bigger fan ...
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 17
Views: 4,543
I was never aware Eric Kim has a photographic style.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-26-2017, 04:58 PM  
For each Pentaxian buying K-1 another Nikon/Canon shooter jumped ship to Pentax
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 1,039
Views: 100,901
You can grab a new Leica T + 18-56 VariElmar (excellent lens!) for less that $2K AUD combo, which is around $1500 USD. I think that is a bargain, considering that a similar quality Japanese kit will cost more, and the Japanese camera looks and feels like a cheap crumble cookie compared to the solid quality and engineering of the Leica T.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-26-2017, 03:15 PM  
For each Pentaxian buying K-1 another Nikon/Canon shooter jumped ship to Pentax
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 1,039
Views: 100,901
It appears, or, it is quite possible, that the new TL model will have an integrated EVF. That was no. 1 request.
Judging from the past, Leica very carefully listens to their audience.

My educated opinion is that it will have a pop up EVF. (To preserve current and very sleek form factor with no extrusions on the back panel)

---------- Post added 06-27-2017 at 08:21 AM ----------



Who wouldn't? Regardless, the large Leica SL Summilux is one awesome lens, I think by far the best and most versatile 50mm on the planet right now. It is built for the SL system, so it is fully motorised, weather sealed, AF lens, and the image quality is incredible even at f1.4.


→ This reviewer wrote ← that SL 50mm Summilux out-resolves 50 APO Summicron wide open! That is, SL Summilux provides more details in the picture at f1.4 than the best M lens at f2!

That amount of glass is not there for no reason !
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-26-2017, 05:08 AM  
For each Pentaxian buying K-1 another Nikon/Canon shooter jumped ship to Pentax
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 1,039
Views: 100,901
Or this; Contax G — best little system ever imagined. I always secretly wanted this to be repeated by someone in the digital world. Closest that comes to this, is the Leica TL. Not many lenses, but all are superb stuff.
[COLOR="Silver"]
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-25-2017, 05:32 PM  
For each Pentaxian buying K-1 another Nikon/Canon shooter jumped ship to Pentax
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 1,039
Views: 100,901
That bias comes from a mindset that all Japanese camera and lens makers are guilty of — the over production, and doubling, or tripling of the lens lineup. Selling cameras they earn a little, but by selling lenses, they earn money, and over-expansion of the lens lineup that has happened in the last decades have created certain irrational expectations. If the bloggers and digital photography reviewers had some wits, and could use their heads for more than combing, they could perhaps see that it is enough to have ten-sih fine lenses for the entire healthy lineup of any system, that satisfy 90% of users. What remains is the specialty optics for those 10%. But when 90% of lenses are junk, then not even 200 lenses are enough.

My suggestion is to choose a system with less lenses, but a system with uncompromised fewer lenses, those which a user will hardly part with — if ever.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 06-25-2017, 03:25 PM  
Will next tamron 24-70 G2 come as a Pentax FA* lens
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 69
Views: 13,058
DFA 35★ is the next logical prime lens addition, but I wrote 'don't hold your breath' as to its delivery in the next 6-12 months.
I suppose one prime will come together with a new camera, though, and most likely DFA50★. But this is just a conjecture.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-24-2017, 08:11 PM  
Final score - Pentax 84, Sony 82. So WE'RE TIED??!!?!
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 116
Views: 13,074
That is right. Sony advances faster than any other player in his industry. While Canon was riding one 6D, Sony has introduced several mirrorless FF cameras in the same lifespan of that 6D. People may hate Sony for whatever reason, but one day they will make many things right in one or two products, and that will be a very bad day for their competitors.

---------- Post added 06-25-2017 at 01:14 PM ----------



There is no point in rant; A7II is the FF camera, and the price was right. K3 is not an FF. A7II records images. It records videos too and can be called a camera. K-1 too is an FF camera. DPR gave options, for people to think about. It is fair.

---------- Post added 06-25-2017 at 01:19 PM ----------



No, but because K-1 is a DSLR. Although some DPR reviewers love using Pentax and cameras with pentaprism, (and that is true), Sony A7II is a mirrorless FF camera, carefully positioned by Sony to disrupt that FF segment with very good price. Ricoh Imaging too positioned K-1 to disrupt particular DSLR segment, with low price and compromised performance in some areas. So we can call it quits. Both Sony and Ricoh Imaging cheated, also both delivered.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 06-24-2017, 08:07 PM  
Will next tamron 24-70 G2 come as a Pentax FA* lens
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 69
Views: 13,058
Don't hold your breath.

---------- Post added 06-25-2017 at 01:07 PM ----------



Don't hold your breath.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-23-2017, 10:59 PM  
Final score - Pentax 84, Sony 82. So WE'RE TIED??!!?!
Posted By Uluru
Replies: 116
Views: 13,074
One is a mirrorless camera, one is a DSLR. They are also differently purposed — their features are different. Having two as 'an overall great choice' is fine. I wonder how they put K-1 into that category anyway, considering its price is everywhere but in US well above $2000. (And in US it is forcibly priced below $2000, no doubt about it).
So I don't understand this rant; you guys go way overboard, and complain without any second thought.
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