From Pentax: Full Frame Camera in Development!

[Todd Ka]

As predicted by those of us here who are able to exercise reason and logic, Pentax is officially developing a FULL FRAME camera because they recognize that the market is headed in that direction. Read more about it here: http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/

 

[jonska]

And straight from the hogwash peddler himself too.

Which is not to say that it is not true, of course.
--
Shooting since '59 and still waiting for a keeper

 

[Todd Ka]

opinions are often quite negative his news coverage is fairly accurate.

 

[kbanes]

Well technically, your post headline is not quite correct. The FF Camera is not "in Development".

As the quote says, "...have started to plan for the development of a Full Frame DSLR."

"In Development" and "starting to plan for development" are far from the same thing.

But, I guess that its good news for Pentaxians, nonetheless.

kbanes

 

[Todd Ka]

So they are actively in the process of developing a plan to develop a FF camera, so the process of developing a FF camera has begun. How is that not "in Development"?

 

[richardplondon]

"We have started to plan for the development of a Full Frame DSLR."

Could be a contingency, could be a backup plan, could be smoke and mirrors, anything. Or it could be understatement and they have it all nearly ready to spring along with a glittering panoply of lenses. We don't know, and there are good reasons for them not to tell us right now, in most scenarios.

Pentax did not merely "start to plan to develop" a medium format digital camera, they actually "started to develop" one and seemed to have made progress. They did not merely "start to plan to develop", "plan to start to develop", or "start to develop": they "completed development" of the 60-250 lens IIRC.

As we have learnt, that is not the same as bringing it to market.

RP

 

[dotnik]

The K10D took about 2 years from plan to availabillity. There was a delay though. Without delay it looks like official presentation at PMA 2010. Not bad.
--
.......
Have a nice day (a picture is worth a thousand words)
Jim

Link to Pentax SLR Forum Best images:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=23551175

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[richardplondon]

So they are actively in the process of developing a plan to develop a
FF camera, so the process of developing a FF camera has begun. How
is that not "in Development"?

Most governments have actively planned what to do in a major earthquake. There's a flood plan, asteroid strike plan, virulent athlete's foot infection plan.

Despite these horrifying prospects, we are mostly still alive and many of our toes remain pleasing to the eye and nose. The disaster plan turns out not to be the beginning of a disaster process.

You plan so that you are ready in case something happens, such as a decision to proceed. Without knowing what proceeding with a plan might consist of, you can't even make a decision to proceed. So of course you need a plan, for every possible turn your business might take in the foreseeable future.

RP

 

[Todd Ka]

So they are actively in the process of developing a plan to develop a
FF camera, so the process of developing a FF camera has begun. How
is that not "in Development"?

Most governments have actively planned what to do in a major
earthquake. There's a flood plan, asteroid strike plan, virulent
athlete's foot infection plan.

Despite these horrifying prospects, we are mostly still alive and
many of our toes remain pleasing to the eye and nose. The disaster
plan turns out not to be the beginning of a disaster process.

You are describing governmental emergency response plans, sometimes described as contingency plans. These are very different from industrial product design and marketing plans.

You plan so that you are ready in case something happens, such as a
decision to proceed. Without knowing what proceeding with a plan
might consist of, you can't even make a decision to proceed. So of
course you need a plan, for every possible turn your business might
take in the foreseeable future.

Pentax has correctly recognized the trend toward full frame and is planing to bring a FF camera to the market in response to that trend. Hence a FF camera is in development.

 

[*isteve]

2010 would be about right. Sadly that will spell the end of dedicated APS lenses like the 50-135.

I'm equally sure that 2 years will give them plenty of time to assess the success or otherwise of the current mid-range FF cameras and Sony's offering.

The K10D took about 2 years from plan to availabillity. There was a
delay though. Without delay it looks like official presentation at
PMA 2010. Not bad.
--
.......
Have a nice day (a picture is worth a thousand words)
Jim

Link to Pentax SLR Forum Best images:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=23551175

Inspiration Challenge - in depth feedback guaranteed

'Don't overestimate technology - nothing is knowledgefree'

--
Steve
When I can master technique I'll be a photographer.
When I can realise a vision I'll be an artist.
When I get paid I'll be a professional.

 

[Rupert60]

Even a pea brain could tell us what RH did. Not that I am saying RH has a pea brain, in all fairness to peas.

Guys, I have hammered this until it hurts, but I'll try once again. First, always follow the money. Always! Where is the money? Hoya? Pentax? Nope, the money is with Samsung and there is a lot of it. How much ? Do your own Wikipedia. I would bet my mangy hiney that there is a FF sensor in use by their R&D team at this moment, and they are working to bring it to perfection. Will Pentax get it? Of course, that is part of the deal. Apparently RH lives in a part of the world that makes him unfamiliar with Samsung, or unwilling to face the horror of seeing a successful Samsung/Pentax relationship developing for the last few years turn into the giant Samsung has publicly predicted. FF? As sure as a Texas heatwave, and sooner than you think.

--
'This is more serious than I thought.....but it is still fun!
http://www.pbase.com/rupertdog Take a look- It's Free!

 

[JanneM]

opinions are often quite negative his news coverage is fairly accurate.

He has only ever been accurate by chance. The man is unbalanced, and Pentax happens to be his delusional obsession of choice. He should be getting help; unfortunately it doesn't seem that his social environment is giving him that. And much as I hate to say it (giving myself some small responsibility here) the attention given to him is only fuelling the obsesion and making it more difficult for him to seek and get the help he needs.

--
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jannem/
Blog: http://janneinosaka.blogspot.com

 

[richardplondon]

You are describing governmental emergency response plans, sometimes
described as contingency plans. These are very different from
industrial product design and marketing plans.

Sure, I realise that, just making a point. A plan is a plan, not action. People often have several alternative plans, they are fools if they don't. Maybe at the same time as planning, you commit to carry it out, maybe you intend or hope to do so, maybe it's just in case things change, and you need a change of plan from your current one.

Pentax has correctly recognized the trend toward full frame and is
planing to bring a FF camera to the market in response to that trend.
Hence a FF camera is in development.

You know this for sure? Just from this vague statement? Where have they said a FF camera was "in development"?

At best, they have said that their intention or expectation was that a FF camera would at an unknown moment, not this year, START to be in development. At worst, they have said that they were making contingency for that.

At least, I have to judge by this quoted translation into English. Maybe the original also included words to the effect of "...and we swear on our lives to bring it to market this time, even if it turns out commercially disastrous, or technically too ambitious for us".

RP

 

[sfa1966]

2010 would be about right. Sadly that will spell the end of dedicated
APS lenses like the 50-135.

Why so?

If (say) 70%+ of the sales thereafter are still of APS cameras, the dedicated lenses would surely still be viable ...

Lots of people are simply not interested in FF (I am one of them).

--
Cheers,
sfa

A very limited photographer ...

 

[Joe Barnhart]

All the interview said was that Pentax had "noticed" the Canon and Nikon 35mm bodies and:

"He Chaitian-chi: We have taken note of this new trend, and is planning full-Picture product development. But recently we will focus on areas of APS SLR specifications. To be sure, this year we will not launch a full-Picture SLR products."

Note they are PLANNING a "full picture" product development, some day in the future. This is the same sales babble you get any time you ask for a product that a company doesn't have. "Yeah, we're planning to do one of those, but lets talk about these great new models today..."

Anything from RH's site must be taken with a whole truckload of salt, not merely a pinch.

 

[Jonson PL]

"We have started to plan for the development of a Full Frame DSLR."

Could be a contingency, could be a backup plan, could be smoke and
mirrors, anything. Or it could be understatement and they have it all
nearly ready to spring along with a glittering panoply of lenses. We
don't know, and there are good reasons for them not to tell us right
now, in most scenarios.

Pentax did not merely "start to plan to develop" a medium format
digital camera, they actually "started to develop" one and seemed to
have made progress. They did not merely "start to plan to develop",
"plan to start to develop", or "start to develop": they "completed
development" of the 60-250 lens IIRC.

As we have learnt, that is not the same as bringing it to market.

Good point

--
kind regards
Sune



“The Pentax K20D, Canon EOS 1D Mark III, and Nikon D3 lead the pack in DSLRs for serious HDR photographers.” Jack Howard, administrator at Popphoto.com's forums and online technical editor

 

[Rupert60]

There is a Samsung guy at this moment walking around with a FF shooting photos and laughing at your post. Bank on it. Do you remember the first time you heard 14.6 MP CMOS Samsung sensor? These guys were way ahead of us back then and they haven't lost a step since. If there is no sunrise tomorrow, get back with me for my retraction, but until then, FF is a sure thing. I'm not even very interested in FF, but I do know it is coming and sooner than later. For Festus shooting, I like the crop factor, and the ISO on the K20D fills most of my low light needs, but for those wanting/needing FF, have not the slightest doubt about its arrival in sight.
--
'This is more serious than I thought.....but it is still fun!
http://www.pbase.com/rupertdog Take a look- It's Free!

 

[jeffkrol]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0102/01021106pentaxdigitalslr.asp
sorry to do that
Just a reminer of how things can go...
--
360 minutes from the prime meridian. (-5375min, 3.55sec) 1093' above sea level.

'The exposure meter is calibrated to some clearly defined standards and the user needs to adjust his working method and his subject matter to these values. It does not help to suppose all kinds of assumptions that do not exist.'
Erwin Puts

 

[Franka T.L.]

Well, reading the original interview in Chinese, I had to say, the wording used by Pentax means actually " We noted the trend also, and we are now in the process of statring to plan for the R&D of such line of products. Still, in the near to short term, we will be focusing on APS-C sized product. .... "

If you understand Japanese and Chinese, you would understand such wording do not mean that there is an actual plan or any firm action to do such product yet. More a prep or feasibility study instead.

Considering Pentax resource, I am not a bit surprised

--

• Franka -

 

[Rupert60]

Don't do that again, those Samsung engineers are all ROFLTAO at your post, and we need them to concentrate on taking more test photos with their FF prototype. Shortage of money? Franka, Samsung is bigger than the entire economy of most nations on earth, do you really think they can't afford a FF camera? Maybe you don't want them to succeed at this camera business, but lots of people didn't want them to succeed at phones, televisions and other electrical devices either, and it didn't seem to slow them one iota, so I doubt that your skepticism will bring them to their knees. And BTW, the world is not flat anymore either.
--
'This is more serious than I thought.....but it is still fun!
http://www.pbase.com/rupertdog Take a look- It's Free!