3 new Pentax DSLR in 2009 !

[simonfencer]

New stuff is always fun to speculate about. I just hope that the K30D (or whatever it might be named, the successor to the K20D) is compatible with K1o/20 battery grip. In this economy I think the smart move is to not orphan any camera accessories if at all possible.

Paul
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonfencer/

 

[ropen]

Hi, Manu!

Don't you know that Anastigmat STILL thinks that K20D has the 12Mp Sony sensor with 2.6 more Mp added in firmware and a Samsung label on it? )

Regards, friend!
Radu

Hoya announces financial reports result of 2008 (2nd quarter)
including 3 new Pentax DSLRs !

quote :

Next year, we are planning to launch some three types, including
minor design
change versions, of single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. With a desire
to offer cameras
which will demonstrate our advantages, as announced in the Photokina
held in
Germany, we will relaunch ourselves next year as a manufacturer of
all-weather
cameras which are strong outdoors, highly water-resistnat,
splash-proof, and dustproof,
small and light, easily portable and tough (durable).

link http://www.hoya.co.jp/english/investor/2009_2Q_meeting_summary.pdf
--
Alexius

--
Manu

 

[ManuH]

The APS-H rumour has been around for a long time, I remember before the launch of the K20D, a lot of people thought it was going to have an APS-H sensor.

Anyway I don't think it's that wise to have a multicrop sensor, too confusing for the general photographer public IMHO. It would also mean new lenses to match to it, that's not as easy as it seems, particularly in these times.

The 3 DSLR cameras will be:
K20D GPS - early 2009 - about 15% more than the "regular" K20D;

Well OK, why not.

K20D's successor - spring 2009 -

If the K20D GPS is real, that's probably a stopgap mesure to make us wait until the K30 is ready, it means probably summer 2009 or even autumn...
That's the most awaited camera because it's the flagship.

they just officialy postponed DA*
60-250 for Spring 2009 - "and releasing and commencing the marketing
of interchangeable lenses at the same time as new cameras";

Hey! I hope you're not serious about the DA* 60-250! This lens is already 2 years late. Enough is enough.

K200D successor - as close as possible (maybe in the same time) .

A K300 is easy to build: just get the K20D sensor in it, upgrade 2 or 3 things, maybe even put a second dial. This is the camera that will bring the most money because there will be almost no new R&D on it and will sell well.

645D could be a victim of the current state of the economy or maybe not.

I think nobody expect it now. Like the 60-250 the wait has been too long and now everybody has found alter alternatives.

--
Manu

 

[ElFenix]

If the quote has been translated properly, the information in the commas is additive and the sentence can be constructed without it. So, assuming the quote is correct, they are releasing three types of SLR cameras.

I agree. When I read "some three types, including minor design change
versions, of single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras.", my understanding is
that they will have three types of cameras, and one of these types
will be the slightly redesigned SLRs. I'd guess a second type would
be a line of waterproof/rugged P&S cameras, and the third type...oh
well, there's always the 645D.

Thiago Silva - http://www.flickr.com/photos/thiagosilva/
Victoria - BC - Canada

'If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a
camera.' (Lewis Hine)

 

[ManuH]

Hi, Manu!

Don't you know that Anastigmat STILL thinks that K20D has the 12Mp
Sony sensor with 2.6 more Mp added in firmware and a Samsung label on
it? )

Haha I wouldn't be surprised

And remember, Pentax is DOOMED because it has no FF ! Their only chance is to get the Sony 24MP sensor and sell that K3x for a meager 6000$. You can imagine how the market share of Pentax would suddenly jump and current Pentax users upgrading their K-m K100D or DS in flock to this Holy Grail camera.

--
Manu

 

[janneman02]

K20D's successor - spring 2009 - they just officialy postponed DA*
60-250 for Spring 2009 - "

Yes, that confirms we are really talking about offciial Pentax announcements.....

--

The difference between genius and LBA is that genius has its
limits.

• Janneman ( adaptation of the Kings quote from Albert Einstein)

 

[Hythloday]

It depends on how you look at it.
The K100D Super has an improved SR function, an anti-dust function
and the power contacts for SDM. But it is in functions and features
and circuit board and camera design essentially the same as the K100D.

The K200D has a different imaging pipeline with 10Mp Sony CCD and
different image processor compared to the 6Mp K100D Super. It also
adds weather sealing, new firmware with more JPEG-options,
RAW-to-JPEG processing, adjustable noise reduction and so on. LCD on
the back is also larger.

I would say that the step from K100D Super to K200D is bigger than
the step from K100D to K100D Super.

I had two K100D cameras and now have one K100D Super and two K200D bodies. The anti-dust function is an essential difference for me (whether it is good or no good). I missed that on my K100D's.

 

[vitalsax]

Anastigmat wrote:
Pentax is now the only 35mm DSLR maker out of

the original Big 6 not to have a full frame DSLR.

so u meant only canon, nikon and sony now have that, right?--
Vic Barper.

 

[ManuH]

The difference between the K100D and the K100D Super is bigger than
the difference between the K100D Super and the K200D.

Yeah, what are you drinking? The only difference between the two K100D is SDM support on the Super. The K200D is another beast with weathersealing and a 10MP sensor, new LCD, jpeg style etc. Indeed not much difference ... ...

--
Manu

 

[K1000Photographer]

Hi, Manu!

Don't you know that Anastigmat STILL thinks that K20D has the 12Mp
Sony sensor with 2.6 more Mp added in firmware and a Samsung label on
it? )

Haha I wouldn't be surprised

And remember, Pentax is DOOMED because it has no FF ! Their only
chance is to get the Sony 24MP sensor and sell that K3x for a meager
6000$. You can imagine how the market share of Pentax would suddenly
jump and current Pentax users upgrading their K-m K100D or DS in
flock to this Holy Grail camera.

... Not unless it can fit in the space of my trusty ME.

The issue is people want to see that FF camera in the line up, as well as huge lenses they would never buy. For me, I realize APS is the best compromise and the best way to keep size down and quality up.

If Hoya sees the need for FF as a way to signal they are a serious camera producer, they may as well trump everyone and go for digital MF.

 

[Martin Brand]

"Essentially, the products we are now producing and selling were developed last
summer or autumn, with a roadmap that lacked strategy in my view. "

"lacked strategy". When I went to business school, I was taught that when you are not the big player, you have to have some Unique Selling Point to get people to notice you. This is what I believe he is referring to.

--------

"As I said in the previous meeting, we remade a completely new roadmap for the next fiscal year in accordance with the "scrap & build" policy:"

"scrap" the old roadmap - so they started anew, presumably with an emphasis on the USPs that they determined would be strategic.

---------

" creating unique cameras of a new and different field, "

"unique", "new", "different". they will try to put an emphasis on something that the others don't really offer, both in marketing and in the development of the product. so what is this new emphasis?

-----------

"we will relaunch ourselves next year as a manufacturer of all-weather

cameras which are strong outdoors, highly water-resistnat, splash-proof, and dustproof,small and light, easily portable and tough (durable)."

"relaunch", so they want to change their whole market positioning. he could not be clearer on what the positioning will be

1) strong, resistant, dust/splash-proof, tough, durable
2) small, light, easily portable

point 2 seems to also be confirmed by the recent Samsung interview:

"The GX-20 was not very different in appearance to the GX10," he admitted, "but from the GX-20 to the next model will be a much bigger change." He would not reveal any specific features, specifications or even the name of the new camera except that it would be SMALLER IN SIZE THAN ITS PREDECESSORS, and would be launched in the second half of 2009."
【

 

[janneman02]

No???
I thought so....

Just some observations.
Yes, the doom and gloomers have a point, it looks baaaaad.
I wonder why they'd even bother with new types....

Now that we are talking about types....
There is an argumnet growning of types vs. models.

But please look carefully, they say "3 types of SLR's". Yes, SLR!!! Not DSLR!!!!!
Together with "type" this may mean only one thing:

There will be a dslr but something different would be to launch a SLR (yes, film based) (why bother iwth SLR instead of dslr if there was not te be a SLR??)

Third type will be Pentax Evil thing.... it is some sort of slr but of a different type..., no?
Pentax will call it a mini slr or whatever....

But a few typos in the text do suggest that they did not have their most proficient English writer at hand and they may indeed have mixed up "type"and "model"
--

The difference between genius and LBA is that genius has its
limits.

• Janneman ( adaptation of the Kings quote from Albert Einstein)

 

[Hythloday]

Yeah, what are you drinking? The only difference between the two
K100D is SDM support on the Super. The K200D is another beast with
weathersealing and a 10MP sensor, new LCD, jpeg style etc. Indeed not
much difference ... ...

Then I have a special version of the K100D Super. My camera also has an anti dust function.

So, it is not I who have been drinking, but you yourself

 

[ropen]

The APS-H rumour has been around for a long time, I remember before
the launch of the K20D, a lot of people thought it was going to have
an APS-H sensor.

I don't get hang up about numbers. APS-H was Canon design but Samsung IMO has to do their best choice based on their foundry (300mm waffers?) and knowledge. Could be larger/smaller according to the lens posibilities.

Anyway I don't think it's that wise to have a multicrop sensor, too
confusing for the general photographer public IMHO. It would also
mean new lenses to match to it, that's not as easy as it seems,
particularly in these times.

Not 100% necessarely so IMO, also in APS-C crop the resolution would be plenty some other DA lens will work better than others at full resolution.

The 3 DSLR cameras will be:
K20D GPS - early 2009 - about 15% more than the "regular" K20D;

Well OK, why not.

K20D's successor - spring 2009 -

If the K20D GPS is real, that's probably a stopgap mesure to make us
wait until the K30 is ready, it means probably summer 2009 or even
autumn...

No, more like it a test bed for the idea of a GPS enabled camera IMO and a sign that Hoya works at new things. With the accent on weather sealing, and robust cameras I won't be surprised they'll put GPS in both new models for outdoor photography!

That's the most awaited camera because it's the flagship.

they just officialy postponed DA*
60-250 for Spring 2009 - "and releasing and commencing the marketing
of interchangeable lenses at the same time as new cameras";

Hey! I hope you're not serious about the DA* 60-250! This lens is
already 2 years late. Enough is enough.

I am affraid it's official: http://64.233.183.102/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/lens/2008/12/09/9799.html&usg=ALkJrhhRi3x_lFNvPuCbX6dkbT6C2Z_M-w

K200D successor - as close as possible (maybe in the same time) .

A K300 is easy to build: just get the K20D sensor in it, upgrade 2 or
3 things, maybe even put a second dial. This is the camera that will
bring the most money because there will be almost no new R&D on it
and will sell well.

That's is one assumes the old Pentax thinking of small steps but if Hoya repackages the K20D internals in the K200D body it will result in a camera with:

• poor to unusable LV - important for the target audience;
• an AF system with a bad reputation;
• AA batteries?
• it will sell better probably than the K200D but what about when C, N and S refresh their models in this range? Or they drop prices of likes like 40D or D80-90?
• when the K20D's succesor appears with a new AF system will it be wise not to disipate R&D costs and make a lot more units by incorporating it in the middle tier camera?

645D could be a victim of the current state of the economy or maybe not.

I think nobody expect it now. Like the 60-250 the wait has been too
long and now everybody has found alter alternatives.

I don't know either way but if it's close to finish I'd make it if I were Hoya. It cannot make significant damage at the level of production were're talking about (thousands) but enhance the brand name big deal.

Regards,
Radu

 

[Martin Brand]

i am afraid people parse this too much. this is presumably a translation from Japanese, and I would not put any emphasis on nuances such as "type" vs "model" or "slr" vs "dslr".

the "three types" include "minor design changes", so they must by definition be design changes on something existing, ie pentax's dslrs.

if you then add the newly developed "scrap and build" body that the main text is talking about, you arrive at likely one new introduction that puts an emphasis on toughness, small size, together with some other technical upgrades (presumably where they are perceived to lag others, e.g. AF/fps), plus changes to the existing bodies (presumably a trickling down of the K20D features to lower models, and some of the new body's technical features to K20D "minor design change" upgrade).

 

[Yem]

I can't wait to update my DS .. but then I say that after every announcement.

Video and useable ISO 3200 would probably pry open the ol wallet.

 

[ManuH]

Then I have a special version of the K100D Super. My camera also has
an anti dust function.

So, it is not I who have been drinking, but you yourself

Oh maybe it's because I don't count it as a feature since it doesn't work.

--
Manu

 

[Hythloday]

Oh maybe it's because I don't count it as a feature since it doesn't
work.

I had two K100D cameras and now have one K100D Super and two K200D bodies. The anti-dust function is an essential difference for me (whether it is good or no good). I missed that on my K100D's.

BTW, on my K100D Super it does its job.

 

[dolnick]

--I concur with your take Martin. It would be less than prudent for Pentax to take on a FF. Small is the way to go and why not limit yourself to improving your current product line that matches where your sales seem to be going. I would even like to see a "model/type" along the lines of a DP or DLux.

 

[cyg]

So 2 would be K300d and K30d, what is 3?

I know absolutely nothing, but my guess:

1. Updated K20d (recently rumoured), tba early 2009.

2. Replacement for the K200 (K300 or K-c), with the K20d sensor in an "intermediate body", at PMA.
3. The "flagship", ie K1D, 645D, or whatever, tba in 2009, available in 2010.

Let's hope this signals that Pentax is ready for significant change in the bodies.

I think this is the year of
reckoning for hoya's SLR division, let's hope they get it right.

Yes, and yes.