Interview Ricoh's John Carlson (Pentax)

I'm all for having more options, and yes, I would certainly be very tempted by a Pentax FF ... The decision would be based though not only on the body price, but on how much I'd need to spend in addition on lenses ..ie would my current FF compatable ones he up to the job?

But, 50mpCMOS, area you not going a bit too far in suggesting that a Pentax shooter could not adequately do a wedding with the lens and flash system already available? Come on, don't we have a good lens or few that would be ideal for weddings? And what exactly would be limiting with the flash system? .... We have a dedicated model, guide number 54, that works in P-TTL, auto-flash mode for older lenses, and full manual ... It also works wirelessly, and you could use a two-flash setup with one off camera and one on, even allowing HSS in that configuration.

The only obvious practical limitation that I can see would be for a kind of backlit effect, if you wanted to rim-light the veil say from behind, and there was no line of sight. Is it really fair to claim that wedding photographers need look elsewhere?

Just for interests sake, you can't buy pentax at any major retailer in New Zealand. The they are just not there.

Whilst the p-ttl may have improved with the k-3 before that it was dreadfully unreliable.

Back to the FF pentax needs FF to remain a genuine competitor to the other brands. Not just for FF sales but as inspiration for entry level togs. How many togs on this forum including myself have outgrown the Pentax brand and moved on To other brands.

If pentax do make an FF body i know it will be a fantastic piece of kit, but the timescale is going against it now.

As for Sony I know a large number of videographers are moving from 5d mk3 to Sony A7 bodies, I have also met a couple of Sony togs at the festivals this year. The top two brands are being slowly eroded away by Sony and Fuji it's a shame Pentax aren't also making a dent into these markets as they should be doing. The whole camera market is really fragmenting at the moment.

Place yourself into the perspective of a client looking to hire a photographer.

True professional wedding photographers typically have a genuine need for full frame. The size of the sensor matters more than the mp count. Which is why items such as the Nikon D4 do so incredibly well with a sensor of that mp count. Compare any two cameras; most any full frame out there will easily win against any non full frame model; the exceptions are incredibly rare.

Larger area sensor also means being able to get away with better optics. What does that mean exactly? Try 24mm-28mm on a full frame, then try it on a non full frame. So imagine if one would need a wider focal length for that non full frame; that literally equals a lessor optical shot (due to 1.5 focal factor). The same rule applies at any focal length, but narrows in telephoto.

Then there is flash photography. Nothing wrong with the Pentax line up of flash, but preferably when used OFF hot shoe. But true professional flash units such as Quantum are not available to the dedicated Pentax hot shoe, and Quantum is not alone.

Is wedding photography possible with non full frame? Sure, but now the tools are limiting the artist.


Also interestingly enough... I have a rather interesting collection of Pentax gear; gear that spans well in excess of thirty years and almost two hundred lenses; every current Pentax camera body on the current market, every current PK lens with two exceptions. Yet I have also outgrown Pentax.

It will continue to happen again, and again - with more people. Once they are also invested in a name such as Canon or Nikon, what are the odds of them coming back - for most people?

That was my point, I just feel that most of those who need a "FF" body have already gone, I think it's likely too late for Ricoh to bring one out , shutting the stable dooor when the horse is already in the next county so to speak. Also everyone seems to be assuming it will be a DSLR it could be a big fat "Q"?
Personally I'd like to see a MF and an APSC "Q" With some short register versions of the limiteds and an adaptor so you can use all your + glass on the APSC version but again thats my point. One "FF" body won't cut it it'll be no good because it's too expensive, it'll be no good because it's too cheap and feature limited, it'll be no good because it's not a D4, it'll be no good bcause it's not a D810 and the list goes on, we all would love to see a Pentax "FF" but how many would really buy it, when not all of us envision the same camera, Nikon Canon and Sony do not just offer one "FF" camera they offer a range to suit peoples needs, in almost every respect there will be a camera from the other manufacturers that bests the Pentax in some crucial area or another, whatever Ricoh brings to the table, diluting the Pentax market further, I just don't see them selling very many I think they'd sell more cameras if they went mirrorless, despite having found to my cost that even the mighty Fuji X-T1 Did not come up to my expectations in quite a few areas, done right though they could sell bucket loads of mirroless DSLR/Rangefinder clones, they could also enter the M4/3 market too, all of it costs money and they will have to develop a raft of new lenses and bodies to stem the leaks in the business model, whatever way they decide to go, I just don't feel that a single "FF" camera is the way to do it anymore...
Perhaps a digital 645 Q Brought down to the pricing levels of the higher end 35mm "FF" would in the end be better for Ricoh?
Right there you have a unique selling point and an upgrade path...
But then again what do I know, it's a toughie trying to second guess the market at moment and maybe it would be better for Ricoh to diversify into as many formats as possible and do a Sony? Throw mud at it until something sticks, they've definitely sold the A mount short but the E mount is gaining popularity and fast, could Ricoh afford to do that too?
I'm not so sure anymore of A: whether Pentax as a name on a Camera will survive long term or B: wheter Ricoh is really in it for the long haul, evidence of the latter does seem a bit thin on the ground, whatever they need a really big push in 2015 but how much can we really expect?

I will buy a FF Pentax. I don't "need" one but I would love to have something to put my Ltd's on and all of the rest of my FF Pentax glass. Some of the older glass may not be ideal or up to "digital" standard but that's not a show stopper.

As for Pentax getting into M4/3, that is a huge step backwards IMO. Just because the marketing world tells us it could be a professional system i.e. Olympus etc. I have yet to see such kit used professionally at events in Perth and for such an isolated location, it is not backwards in coming forward with new kit and the appetite for photography there is growing at an incredible rate.

The largest selling DSLR system there is Canon. Nikon second and Pentax third as I see a lot more Pentax kit than Sony.

Pentax need to put a FF out there. As long as the IQ and colour is Pentax what more do you need? I still try to get my Nikon colours to match my Pentax's.

The Fuji and Sony (Minolta) colours are also very very good so I leave them alone.

John Carlson needs a new job, preferably outside of photography.

Best regards

Mentioning Ricoh being in for the long haul, they, surprisingly, have been for decades. They have offered a string of unusual, offbeat cameras continuously and have kept at it, despite being clearly a very niche product.

Thanks to the Pentax input they are now mainstream, and Pentax have more expertise at making cameras than many manufacturers. They don't make expensive cameras that do silly basic things like leaking light through the mount.

Where it will lead who knows, but excellent Pentax cameras and lenses are still easily available at excellent prices. That fulfils what I need.

Sony are having more success with APS-C than FF the A6000 is outselling everything.
I bet they regret not putting more effort into variations of the A6000.

Samsung are also doing well. I don't think Pentax belong in the CSC market
apart form with the Q series which is in at No: 59

Amazon_US_Sales_CSC

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That list seems to have changed already Algi, it must continuously update.

I see the WG-20 makes an entry at number 33. The Q system is usually at a disadvantage in these lists because they list each colour separately. If they added all the Q sales together it might be quite surprising how well they are selling as a group. Or not, as the case may be, it's an unknown.

But I don't buy cameras on the basis of the charts, any more than I bought records on that basis. Some do though.

It is updated continuously and with Samsung doing so well I wouldn't think
the whole sector was all that big.

Apologies to the people on here who don't like "Facts getting in the way of Fiction" Sadly the Fuji cameras often mentioned on here as selling like hot-cakes only have one camera in the Top 20

WOW!!!! PENTAX K-S1 currently NO: 4 on UK Chart

I bet that's never happened before

Forget the Pentax FF bring on the K-S2

Edit: K-5 II at NO: 20

The Sony FF A7's etc. are in the DSLR chart on the UK. Much
lower down. Looks like Pentax DSLR's are BIG sellers on
Amazon UK.
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Contrary to common belief Fuji does not sell that well around the world, like Pentax only in parts, Fuji have quite a few Professional converts whether by sweetners gifting cameras or by choice, I have no idea but they make a lot of noise for Fuji and keep them in the public eye a little more than most but their actual numbers tell a different story...

A bride looking for a photographer,

is it Q1 ... What size sensor have you got?
or is it Statement 1 ... I love your photos !!

I doubt that many within the general population, ie wedding photographers clients, would even know what a sensor really is, let alone appreciate the significance of it being bigger or smaller! Of course they'll be going on examples of the persons work, but if it's equipment that's being looked at, then I'm sure a Pentax camera with grip, say a K7 /5/3 , with an AF 540 fgz or similar flashgun on top, and a nice big wide aperture lens (ie big glass at the front), will all look perfectly 'Pro' enough to make the clients happy! Once they see all that I really can't imagine many asking about the sensor size or resolution ?

I just hope when Pentax offer a FF it's even bigger than the K3, then I'll be able to look even MORE PRO than I do now

In the past Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Minolta, Leica, Contax and all other 35mm makers never bothered with the wedding market. It was (and still is) very small and was dominated by 6x6 cameras such as the Hasselblad ELM and Mamiya TLR's. Today I would consider the Pentax 645Z more suitable for weddings than FF.

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So would I, but the reality of it is the vast majority of wedding photographers are shooting FF or crop. There will be many more shooting a niche product such as Fuji APS-C than are shooting MF