What is Pentax waiting for??

So now Sony has a 16, 20, and a 24 megapixel APC size sensor. Also a 24 and 36 FF sensors. They are using them and Nikon is using them, so why is Pentax sitting on the side lines. How hard is it to put a 24 MP APC sensor in a K body. I just don't know what to make of their lackidasicle attitude about upgrading their product line.  We just went through another show with scads more offerings from most everybody except Pentax. I know Ricoh just bought them recently but they must have had something in the queue before other than the K-01. I find it amazing that they are still discussing whether FF will fit in their plan. I have the glass but the K-5 is quirky enough that it frustrates as much as it pleases. I am reluctant to upgrade to the IIs for fear the real upgrade may just be around the corner. BUT who knows. The interviews they give when they do give them are full of vague possible maybe sometime concepts. I just want to know if  they are actually doing anything other than discussing what to do next. End of rant. Sorry just needed to get that off my chest after seeing all the new stuff released here on DPR.

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DaveJC

They won't use them until they can get them to outperform the IIs and at the moment they don't seem to.

As far as FF goes not sure the mass market really wants bigger - I think they'd prefer smaller and better which is what we are seeing happen.

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Regards Dean - Capturing Creation
N.B. All my Images are Protected by Copyright

K-5, quirky?

Hi,

Patience....... Cut them some more time -

• Don't forget that they are still in a post-purchase position with parent company Ricoh.  Everything they have on the sale at the moment was commenced in the Hoya era.
• They're a smaller company than any of Canikony - model development and production has to be slower (and fewer).
• I'd rather have a well planned and tested product out a bit later than have them churning out annual additions because that's what the market has come to expect.
• The market has come to expect that because the DSLR industry has been developing rapidly over the last decade with quick and massive leaps in technology and IQ.  Those improvements aren't happening as fast now, and I suspect that we're looking at incremental development between models.  In other words, it's getting harder to make gains, differentiate models and differentiate between brands.

Plus - we still have very good and competitive DSLRs in the K30 & K5 and variants.  The 16mpx sensor appears to be something of an APSC sweet spot.   A move to an APSC 20 or 24mpx sensor may not evolve to be be as sweet as it appears unless they can do so without detracting from some aspects of IQ.  And the FF option? - I'm betting we won't see anything but a concept (possibly at Photokina)  or a model on sale before 2014.  Happy to be wrong.......

Cheers, Rod

I used to think FF was necessary to achieve the quality I needed/wanted.  Now I realize that the K-5IIs is probably as much as I need for IQ.

What I realize that I want from Pentax is a COMMITMENT to something long-term, whether it be FF, APS-C, or otherwise.  Pentax lenses are great, but expensive, and to invest a ton of money into them only to find that Pentax decided to go ahead with FF afterall would be frustrating.

For me, Pentax needs to state with conviction how they see their future.  Problem is, I do think Pentax's decision making is still very whimsical.  It's a culture I may never understand, and unfortunately to many of us it's really frustrating.  When they're on their game, Pentax makes some of the finest photographic tools around.  I just wish they were on their game with more consistency.

I've been on the fence a lot lately, but am just hoping for that conviction that I may never hear from them...

If there's a better sensor available than the Sony 24mp used in the NEX7, I'm willing to wait. In the meantime I expect they're working on other improvements too.

I know there's endless howling about the lack of a FF Pentax, but I think there's good reason to be hesitant to enter that market. Pentax and/or Ricoh need a MILC and Pentax needs a K-r level DSLR far more than a FF.

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Dan

The K-3 with 20mp sensor with the image quality on the K-5IIs (possibly better) including no AA filter is coming in April, likely to be announced in the next couple weeks

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Mike from Canada
"I am not a great photographer! God is a great creator! All I do is capture His creation with the tools He has provided me."
'I like to think so far outside the box that it would require a telephoto lens just to see the box!' ~ 'My Quote :)'
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Mike,

Nice crystal ball. Mine keeps getting hazy. Hope you see clearly. As technology marches forward, 20mp maybe the next sweet spot for APC. That would be nice.

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DaveJC

Mike

Having a success in the K5 (and II -s ) I can understand the company's desire to succeed once more.  This is not the time to trip!  So if you are correct there is much riding on what they share in a couple of weeks.  I hope and expect the best.

John

I can think of various reasons, none of which mean they are being 'lackadaisical' ..

Big investment decisions are not that easy for a relatively small company probably under pressure to show a decent bottom line?

Presumably they won't have the capital to invest in every new product line, so they are probably having to weigh up priorities?

Components such as sensors may not be made available by suppliers to small companies at economic prices? Or even at all?

Their development team is not as large as Canon's or Nikon's, so there could be a human resource limitation?

They are afraid that a FF camera would kill demand for the 645D?

I can see there might be a 'credibility' argument for having a FF model in the line-up, and I would quite like to use my M, K and FA lenses in the manner for which they were designed. But for my own use I don't share your sense of urgency.

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tim

There is a thread on the other forum discussing some possible upcoming releases from the various camera companies including Pentax. Someone posted in the thread that the 24mp sensor had issues with cross talk that only came to light late in the product development for the K-3/K-3s, which caused a delay in releasing a camera with a newer, higher resolution sensor. So, then, the speculation is that the next DSLRs from Pentax will have the 20mp sensor instead.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/73460885@N05/

16Mp is already more than most people need, i think the sensor manufacturer are hitting the limit of conventiona sensor with the 24Mp (the new Toshiba looks pretty good in the nikon).

I prefer less Mp (16) and have a good higher ISO and DR performance.

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Leopold
Pentax forever
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Could be a good reason, i saw on Photorumors that Pentax should release the K-3/K-3s in April , will see.

If the 20Mp is as good as the 16Mp it's OK but the 24Mp was not as good.

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Leopold
Pentax forever
http://smarcoux.zenfolio.com/
http://www.limagier-photo.com/
http://www.firstlight.com/galleries.php
http://steevemarcoux2.wordpress.com/

The 16mp and the 24mp were essentially the same era technology and therefore the 24mp was about 1 stop worse... the 20mp is 2+ years newer technology! I'd bet there have been some improvements

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Mike from Canada
"I am not a great photographer! God is a great creator! All I do is capture His creation with the tools He has provided me."
'I like to think so far outside the box that it would require a telephoto lens just to see the box!' ~ 'My Quote :)'
http://www.michaelfastphotography.com/galleries/VP-BDI_3a.jpg
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?sort_order=views%20DESC&first_this_page=0&page_limit=180&&emailsearch=mighty_mike88%40hotmail.com&thumbnails=

More resolution means less moire with no AA filter. I want higher resolution because I often crop hard. I sure wish they would release the TC.

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Dan

I wonder if they're trying to figure out what to make...  A knock-off of the D600 would be a let-down, and who knows what it would have to compete with when canikon releases their next generation of affordable FF.

Retro seems to be in vogue at the moment (Fuji rangefinderesque bodies, Oly om-d, Sony RX-1, etc) so I wonder if they'll go that direction.  Perhaps a digital ZX-5 with a simple, small body and control dials.  Leave off all the crap that requires menu diving and just make a photographic tool.  But I digress...

W

Totally Agree - More MP and lesser iso performance is not for me.

How many here actually print larger than A3?

I am very happy if Pentax continue to have the best APSc DSLR on the market.

I am actually thinking that a MX1 could be nice.

I really can't understand this FF craving - Lugging a FF camera and lenses around is not my idea of fun.

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Regards Dean - Capturing Creation
N.B. All my Images are Protected by Copyright

I print US C (17 X 22 in.) and get beautiful prints from my K-5.

http://larrydbrown.com

The new D7100 may have sent Pentax back to the drawing board. Nice body! I can't wait to see what Pentax will do in response.

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Dan

You do realize that it takes about 2 years to design, test, and then do large scale production for a camera? K-3 probably is already well into that process ...

The direct "response" to D71000 (if it even needs a "response") won't be on shelf till 2015 ...