Pentax Full Frame Comment

If I was to move ship I'd goto Nikon. Very unlikely that will ever happen though. I'm happy with Pentax since 1986. Friend of mine bought a D800 and while the quality of pictures are fantastic that's down to him, not the camera.

Yes I agree John, I have seen comments from those who are not entirely happy with their investment on FF.

Still I feel Pentax should come up with FF products not falling behind others. I am glad that they considering it and not rushing to produce some quick solution.

Best regards,
Gajan

Sounds familiar? And then when the first software update comes out.... 'wow the autofocus motor has somehow been upgraded!'....

I love the FOV of my F-50 1.4 on my Pentax MX, but do I think that or rather the DOF is worth the expense to upgrading. I love listening to people banging on about DOF then finding out they've never used a 35mm camera and are just regurgitating interweb hyperbole.

I would suggest to that person, go pick up an old 35mm, runs some rolls of film through, if you comeback to me saying - 'That was AMAZING, UNBELIEVABLE, I can't live without it' - then you know what you've got to do, or then again......... you won't.

Instead of developing a whole FF system why can't Pentax just release a 20-24mm 1.8? That might just help slam the brakes on this rancid snowball.

There is a tendency for people to feel they aren't improving in their photography, and look to their equipment to give them that bit of a boost. Inevitably they find out it doesn't work like that, get disillusioned, and often end up returning.

This is different from the Markljs and Ben Kanareks who quickly rise to the top and legitimately need/want to upgrade to a system which offers even better IQ, in the right hands!

Every time I get my films back I wish my DSLR was also FF

There's a difference between wishing, and parting with A LOT of money, though

That seems odd, why of all things a 20-24mm f/1.8? I'm not sure who that would appeal to, given that most wide angle photography is done at small apertures, particularly landscapes.

Now an 80-400mm would surely be more immediately appealing?

Well this was shot at 35/2.4 on my Z70 (using the DA35):




If for some reason you wanted to replicate that look on a Pentax DSLR, you'd need a 24/1.4 or something like that. It would have to be an amazing lens to be as good as the 35/2.4 is wide open though.

Granted this wide-angle, shallow dof look is a bit of a niche requirement.

That there is the very reason why I would like a ff option, so that lenses have a dual purpose. The body costs more but you can save on lenses as each one that is compatible has two focal lengths.

I can understand why, say, a professional landscape photographer (or even a highly accomplished amateur) might feel the urge to upgrade to FF, which currently means leaving the Pentax stable. A likely dilemma for Pentax is that their share of the market is small and the market for full-frame DSLRs is also currently small. So, x% of y thousand, where x and y are relatively small numbers, is a financial conundrum.

That seems even more true if Pentax gauge their chances of pulling across established professional photographers currently using other brands as slim.

It is hard to know whether 'full-frame' will eventually become the new standard for DSLR cameras. It may, particularly if the manufacturers' costs, competitiveness, and optimism drive prices down. Timing counts for a lot. Pentax are not necessarily disadvantaged by not having FF now -- the lack might be wise -- but if the ball starts rolling, they need to be ready to play.

Of course they also need to produce a distinctive FF offering ... but that's mere detail.

Its not just about going FF. If they do, Ricoh would be introducing a camera into a market of limited size. One already dominated by the competition. It would be simply madness just to produce a FF offering, and try to capture market share. New innovation would be required to give an edge. Are Ricoh really ready to go the professional route ?
A much better option in my opinion is to improve the auto focus system on the K5 variants, impoved flash capability and offer tethering, thus giving Ricoh with their Pentax brand, the best APSC camera in the range. This would turn far more heads in the market place and be far more economical and achievable.

Maybe I'm unusual but I love wide angle shallow DOF shots. For exaple I'd like the sigma 18-35 1.8

Interesting. Niche is probably true of ultra-wide, wide aperture lenses. Fine for composing and focusing purposes, but I would think most users actually stop down to f/8 and beyond or even leave the camera on Program.

I have fairly often been surprised to find some very experienced (you'd think) photographers who have never gone beyond Program or even Green mode.

Of course there's always a gap between what we say we want, even think we want, and what we'll actually spend hard cash on.

But Ben Kanarek has just told the world about his latest work - a video using the K-01. He still lists various Pentax cameras amongst his kit.

the first company to make a digital 8x10 view camera, and I'll be jumping ship. even if it only has a 4x5 inch sensor, I'll live with the crop factor, but bitch every chance i get about the lack of an 8x10 FF sensor.
because that's how I roll, and it only has to make sense to the people on the 'net that think bigger is better.

after all 35mm was tiny compared to the real FF cameras!

The IQ of the K5, the K5ll and the K5lls are all very good and in most areas provide 90% of what Pentax users want. However, the two distinct advantages of FF are increased control of DOF and cleaner higher ISO. If Pentax could produce a full frame K5 equivalent, I would buy one tomorrow. I really like the K5 and enjoy every aspect but some of the work I am now getting requires better control of DOF and higher ISO that will be very clean at ISO 2500, these to factors are my only desires. I don't want to buy into another system but with the Nikon D610 to be rumoured for release at the end of October, my money may head Nikons way, I certainly will not purchase any more Pentax lenses, as I contemplate my needs as a photographer in terms of paid work. I guess i could use both Pentax and Nikon? The main factor will be cost in relation to what I need to shoot for work purposes. Selling my Pentax equipment and investing in Nikon might be what I have to do? If Pentax released a full frame model that could do what I need, I would choose Pentax every time. Pentax really need to listen to the customers before they loose them for good, I know some come back to Pentax, but how many don't?