K20 and beyond

I found this bit of information (or rumour) on what might be in store for Pentax beyond the K20.

As quoted on the digidirect website
Full frame on the way maybe : :

So No. And who really wants one? Could you afford one? What about all those nice * lenses you have which are only for an APS-C camera?

Now what I would like but realise is probably impossible is a camera the size of the Ds, with the attributes of say the K10D.
A nice small lightweight camera. Mmmm. Maybe I should have gone for Oly

Whatever it is that rolls of the production line next year or the year after I shan't be buying one (unless I win the lottery meanwhile ).

Full frame yes. It will come, maybe in a few years , but it will come, and don't expect the camera to have it to be any bulkier than current Pentax DSLRs. If anything, expect them to get smaller. With all electronic equipment things will never get bigger as technology advances. I can see a full frame DSLR being the same size and weight as an MX/LX within 5-10 years costing less than a current K100D Super. NO problem, I'll take money on it. You will also be able to select to use a smaller portion of the sensor to enable use of small sensor specific lenses. Or you can crop down anyway so your lenses won't be redundant. The only worry to me would be that the definition available would demand a whole new range of lenses for the pro/serious brigade to make maximum use of the bodies capabilities.

Five or ten years, you say?

Well, I can disclose some very interesting news, that you may not be aware of.

Six years ago, Pentax initiated a top-secret project to build just the camera you mention.

The prototype was ingenious, and almost exactly the same size as an MX. The really clever thing, though, was what you alluded to - miniaturisation. Knowing that people expected everything to get smaller with the relentless march of modern technology, those fiendish Japanese managed to do what everybody thought was impossible. They took a 24x36 sensor ("full-frame", as you call it), and miniaturised it!

Obviously, they didn't want the world to get wind of this, so they gave the project a clever code-name; one that people would never dream of connecting with a camera.

They called it the *ist D, and the rest, as they say, is history.

G

Pentax will make a 35mm DSLR or not as seems sensible to them at the time. If they are sensible they will keep reviewing the situation on into the future, and as he says "Who Knows?"

You can rest assured if they decide to make one it wont be Canon 5D size. Remember the MZ series, 35mm and smaller than Canons APS attempt.

Gwyn, As for a camera with the features of a K10D and the size of a DS, have you seen the K200D perchance? no front wheel or Pentaprism finder, but otherwise you're looking at a K10D in a K100D shell with a sprinkling of extra goodies for good measure.

Mongoose, yes I looked at the K200d, but I don't want to take the backward step from a pentaprism really. Maybe when I can look at it in real life I'll be convinced otherwise. Not that either the K20d or the K200d is yet available here, sometime in the next two to three weeks
I'm hearing a few rumous elsewhere that are making me hold off for a while anyway on buying anything. My source can't say too much or he will lose his job, but I'm hoping he can say a bit more soon!

the lack of a pentaprism is a shame, but I wouldn't write it off before you look through one. The viewfinder on my DL2 isn't as good as that on my K10D, but it is very useable and TBH 90% of the time I don't notice the difference.

Moving from a pentaprism MX to a pentamirror K100 I didn't notice too much difference ( the only thing I really, really miss is the split prism focusing screen). What do you gain with the pentaprism?

just a bigger, brighter image. The prism is better at transmitting light so the magnification can be higher without resulting in a dim image.

Some people seem to notice it more than others. For example, some people actually manage to survive with an Olympus 4/3 camera or Nikon D50.

My friend has bought an Olympus E410 cheap from Asda, and he has got 5 Pentax lenses sitting doing nothing And he can't understand how to work it, and he won't read the book of words. I don't go out with him if he suggests a trip to take some pictures. Victor Meldrew or what?

Now you are really making me curious... Are the rumours Pentax related?

To whoever said they were considering the Oly, DON'T! The small dark display and lack of provision for manula focus will drive you nuts after a K10D...

And if you insist I have an E500 going cheap...

For the same reason I discounted the K200D, it shares it's viewfinder with the K100D and is both smaller and duller...

Reading down this thread I wondered if Pentax will stop any development to teh K10D software. It seems that a good deal of the K10D has gone into teh K200 with the addition of some soft nice to haves... The question that runs in my mind is if the software is compatible, or if some of those features may ever appear in a K10D form for easy download?

Cheers

Bob

Sadly, Pentax are not in the habit of updating firmware of discontinued cameras. So probably the K10D's will stay as it is for ever.