Pentax Full Frame Comment

I think it's worth a step back to work out where people want Pentax to go and what they want Pentax to be.

What I'm saying is that if you want Pentax to become a more significant player in the market then you'll have to start providing what the wider market wants. I know lots of people who were looking to improve their photography skills and were at the point of buying a better bit of kit. None of them chose Pentax. I suppose this is a separate conversation than for on a thread about a mythical Full Frame camera, but the question is, why didn't new or existing other brand users come to Pentax, given it's got great IQ compared to the cameras in the price point from competing brands?

We (this forums users) are already here with Pentax, but what's going to sway others over this way? Is someone presently residing in another camp, who is now looking for a Full Frame camera, going to leave and buy Pentax's first generation version?

Video for instance gets a special mention. Pentax does feature in present day video, but namely due to people using legacy lenses on modern other brand bodies. Quick Vimeo example here

To say if I want video I'd get a real video camera is a bit off the mark, given DSLR's are real video cameras. Your standard handycam is basic as and suitable mostly for wide shots, where as a DSLR provides all the benefits of stills photography, just across multiple pictures per second. Narrow depth of field and image detail etc is where DSLR's shine, and the obvious interchangeable lenses etc are all leagues ahead of a basic handycam. Many professional wedding video companies are now utilising DSLR's solely now for video work. Please check out this example link here

So, I'm not saying everybody wants all these extras. I personally opted for the K-30 and opted to still stay with Pentax again because of two main points - Image Quality and features for the price. I knew the video was more limited than the other major brands, but I forgo this as I was after a stills camera most. I don't need GPS, wifi or a touch screen either, but I don't see Pentax gaining momentum unless it can offer more than the others for a more competitive price. That's not easy to do, but many points of potential improvement are simply firmware based, assuming the processors can handle improved video bit rates, or focus peaking during recording, or mechanical stabilisation during recording etc. 1080p/Full HD is still only a 2MP image.

I wonder how much of the purchase decision is down to camera features and performance, and how much to company marketing.

In 2010 four out of the five leaders in camera market share were Canon, Sony, Samsung and Panasonic, the other being Nikon. But those four all have interests in wider fields than just cameras, mostly in real volume commodities like TV, video, games consoles, photocopiers and printers.

While they may not spend any more than Pentax on camera marketing, I'm sure the constant presentation of their names by the other divisions has an impact on peoples perception of the worth of these companies and hence the decision on who to by from.

The question is; how can Pentax attain an adequate market share to justify their investment? We on this site are not their problem, neither are other Pentax users who stay with their products. So the question must be, (as Richard and many others have pointed out), what can Pentax add that will attract people who are not in the fold? I have read so many advertisements from Pentax owners selling their gear to move to full frame - too many to dismiss as mere salesmanship. I am very happy with the K-5, but would like my next Pentax, maybe in 3 - 5 years time, to be full frame. I could never afford the lovely 645D!

I suspect that advertising is less of an issue than high street and internet outlet presence. As has been pointed out, reviews give Pentax good publicity already.

Is it worth noting that I held back on buying a Pentax DSLR until such time as it had video - I didn't want to have to buy another video camera, the previous one having failed (thanks Cannon), or to trade in an earlier DSLR for one with movie capability.

If Pentax want to offer something different, perhaps a mirrorless full frame with either optical or digital viewfinder would catch a market - what the K-01 should have been . It would make sense to include other features that users want even if it makes the camera more akin to a mobile phone! (My next camera will actually be 40mp windows phone ).

Perhaps my suggestions are not well thought through, it's just a gut feeling. I agree with most of what is being said, and am confident that when (if) Pentax release a full frame camera, most of us will breath a sigh of relief and maybe even buy it.

I'll finish with this: I am a pluralist, and still capable of enjoying full frame and larger with Pentax's lovely old film cameras.

According to Wikipedia Nikon also make ....


binoculars / monoculars, binocular telescope, laser rangefinder, field microscopy, precision equipment, microscopes, ophthalmic lenses and instrumental products.

Pentax also make ....

binoculars, spotting scopes and telescopes; medical fiberscopes and endoscopes; medical fine ceramics products; information and communications products; components; industrial products; eyeglass lenses

And Ricooh make:

Cameras and office equipment such as printers, photocopiers, fax machines, offers Software as a Service (SaaS) document management solutions such as DocumentMall, document solutions such as GlobalScan, Print&Share and also offers Projectors.

Go into any high st. camera shop (if you can find one) and see how many Pentax cameras are on show, compared to canon, nikon and even sony.

If Pentax were there,(and staff were encouraged to sell them!) things might be different.
Ricoh needs to improve Pentax's 'public awareness'

Agree!

I'm lucky that my only (Since the demise of Jessops) Camera store has three DSLR models on the shelf K500/K50/K5II and the Gr and the MX1 (Wilkinsons) some Lenses incuding the 100Wr, and even a secondhand K20D with a 16-45 and a 12-24! The exception rather than the rule I fear...
On the plus side of that, since getting them in the ubiquitous in store S.P.A.D. (Doing him a disservice here but you get the picture) Says He loves them and prefers them to anything else out there, because they all feel like "Real" Cameras! He's pushing to get "Pro Centre" Status for my local store and all the other Wilkinsons too...

Pentax and Nikon also did surveying instruments...
http://www.pentaxsurveying.com/en/

The K-3 is almost certainly APS-C, but bigger than
20MP (24MP??) so it's pointless talking about FF

When was the last time you saw marketing for surveying instruments?

When was the last time you saw marketing for a Jack Hammer

Stuff like that might be advertised in trade journals, but it's
mostly in the catalogues of the hire firms.

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So has very little effect on camera sales

It would do if you'd just blown £100,000 on a scanner
Unless they give you a free camera

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The not yet announced  Pentax K-3 camera was listed at the  official Japanese PPG (Pentax Photo Gallery) website. Those are the rumored Pentax K-3 specifications:


Ricoh Pentax K-3: 24MP APS-C Sensor
Hardware AA Filter-less
Software AA Filter
PRIME III Image Processor
86k RGB Segmented Light Metering with -3EV Sensitivity
27-Point AF with -3EV Sensitivity
8.5 Maximum FPS (Tentative)
4 Stop SR
100% 0.95X Optical Viewfinder
Fixed Air-gapless LCD
Built-in Interval Shooting up to 2000 Frames and Internal Video Composite
MPEG4 AVC/H.264 Full HD 30p/60i Video
New Stereo Phone-out Monitor Jack
3 User Modes
USB 3.0
Weight: 800g
Price: $1299.99 for body only

Could be nice.

"Built-in Interval Shooting up to 2000 Frames"

Can't understand these ridiculous limits.

3 User modes? The K-5 has 5 user modes. I use all 5 of them.

Hope the above spec is pulled out of thin air by someone having a speculation over a pint of beer.


Unless it offers spectacular High ISO performance it's a pretty rubbish upgrade from the K-5/K-5II

Maybe it means 3 user modes on the mode dial for instant access? Like the K30 has 'U1' and 'U2'.