Originally posted by BigMackCam If you're building a mirrorless camera, there's no need for a mirror box, so the camera body can be considerably slimmer, with a correspondingly smaller distance from the sensor to the mount. New native lenses would have to be developed for that smaller flange focal distance, and it makes sense to put those on a different mount to avoid confusion with K-mount lenses designed for a much larger registration distance. That confusion existed (and still exists) for people using M39-mount lenses, some of which are designed for rangefinder cameras and others for early Zenit SLRs.
If Ricoh produced a mirrorless camera with a short registration distance and new mount, it would make sense that they also produce an AF-capable K-mount adapter, so that K-mount glass can be used on the new camera. That has two benefits - it allows owners to make use of their existing lenses, and fills in the gaps in the new lens line-up until a full range is developed. Sony did this with their LA-EA3 and LA-EA4 adapters, allowing Minolta AF / Sony A-mount glass to be used on E-mount cameras. Nikon also has such an adapter planned for its forthcoming mirrorless model.
It makes little sense in the current market to produce a mirrorless model with the same registration distance as existing K-mount cameras. In doing so, you lose some of the size and weight advantage of the more compact body (if native lenses are used), and prevent people from adapting a whole range of legacy glass - which is quite a popular use-case for mirrorless cameras, and responsible for a certain number of sales (it's why I bought my A7 MkII
).
You explanation makes a lot of sense. Thank you!
I was worried it was one of those, "Let's just change it to say we changed something, then we can talk about how we have this cool NEW thing!" - like a lot of other companies are doing right now...
As long as they keep innovating and branding Pentax for the better, I'm on board!
Even if they don't make the lens or the camera I want today, that's fine. The goal here is to expand upon the brand.
Do it successfully, maybe we'll see third-party merchants return.
I was surprised by how many people wanted to see the 150-600mm developed for the K-mount!
It was third from the top when I got my results...
They come out with that lens in WR body with DC motor... For under $1500...
Just tell me where to sign!