Please Pentax, Pleeease!

Apologies if this has been seen here before, but if Pentax make this... I'm having one!

http://camera.downloadatoz.com/news,137,first-pentax-evil-camera-coming-with-sr-stabilization.html

This is going to be the big new market of this decade I feel. It would be very interesting to see how Pentax would improve the viewfinder issues with EVIL (Viewfinders slightly darker and light to sensor reduced slightly due to the current technology used) . I would hope that the APS-C sensor is based on the Sony sensor in the K-5 (or better) due to the low noise levels.

Pentax always has plenty of imagination so I would expect them to be extremely competative in this market!

I think I'd prefer it to have a 4/3 sensor, but I'd still get it, even with the APS-C.

Pentax really NEED to make a compact interchangeable lens camera. Not to do so would be disastrous. We all know that Pentax make great SLRs, but that's not enough anymore. Lets face it, Pentax have always made lousy compact cameras. Now would be a good time to stop making them altogether and put all their efforts into SLR development and a top quality micro system.
I am hopeful.

Totally disagree with that. When was the last time you tried them out? Pentax, especially currently, have some fantastic compacts on offer.

that is an older rumor... never happened... yet..

Pentax would be better served to put a pelicile mirror, and maybe an articulated lcd viewer into a kx and call it a day.

Most Evils are only smaller than the kx until you put the lenses on them..... now put a pancake lens on the kx....

they could simplify the camera by removing the mirror mechanism... and install a mirror...add a heat sync to the sensor for video, and put in a glass pentaprisim to help with viewfinder brightness....

to clarify what I'm saying...
it costs money to engineer and retool for a new from the ground up camera....
now if you could take the tiniest model in the lineup... improve the video capabilities by controlling the heat from the sensor better... use a partially silvered pelicile mirror... (with Pentax sp coating to make cleaning it easier) and gut the mirror swing mechanisim you got a camera that sits with one foot in Evil territory and the other foot in Sony's d-slr line up... that should appeal to a broader market than another evil camera...

video d-slr shooters, evil shooter as well as d-slr shooters...

the last thing I want for Pentax is to see them spreading thier resources thin with another lens mount, line of cameras and such....

keep the k lens mount, and focus on releasing more lenses in the line-up.....

That composite makes you wonder why they didn't use a Pentax model for a mock up. The electrical contacts inside the lens mount shows it ain't no Pentax.

Of course you disagree, john. - I'd be shocked and disappointed if you did.

But it's true. Pentax compacts are, and always have been a disgrace to the company. Every other manufacturer has made fine, well regarded and in some cases, simply brilliant compacts. Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Fuji and even Ricoh with their GR, have produced great little cameras. Pentax have not made a single decent compact.
I do have one. quite an old one admittedly, but the present line up is not much better.
In the last couple of weeks, I have cosidered buying myself a new compact, as a walk around, always in my pocket camera. A pentax would have been ideal, as I could post pictures taken with it here. A few days ago, I spent an hour looking at what Pentax had to offer. I went back and forth from Pentax's website to SRSs site. I read lots reviews. I read your glowing words about the I-10, here on PU. It seems only you and a few others here rate Pentax's offerings. Outside of this community, Pentax compacts are seen as mediocre at best. One reviewer, I think it was Trusted Reviews, could hardly contain his contempt for the I-10. Most review seem to agree that image quality from Pentax compacts is poor. Unuseable above 400ISO, one reviewer said. The IQ of the W80 was so poor, people returned them in droves. The whole current range seems to be a excercise in style over substance. Gimmicky, low end stuff.

This saddens me greatly. I would love to have a really good Pentax compact. This is the reason that I so badly want Pentax to get into the Micro changeable lens camera market. I, and the rest of the world will forgive Pentax for all the lousy, contemptable, low quality, low end junk they have produced, if they would just stop now and concentrate on a top quality EVIL system.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2010/07/02/Pentax-Optio-I-1...

The RZ10 fared a lot better on Trusted Reviews http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2010/12/02/Pentax-Optio-RZ10/p3

I think Don's point of view is interesting. As usual Pentax are late to the party with this technology and their only options are 1) offering seamless compatibility with their K-mount DSLR system, to benefit from existing users who want a second body 2) do something really innovative and distinct from the 'me-too' offerings of Sony/Panasonic/Samsung/Olympus. Or even better, both!

I think Pentax have enough on their plate without another set of lenses

They need to bring out a 1.4 - 1.7x converter and possibly an 80-400mm first as well as lenses for the 645.

I think most of the compacts are made by Sanyo and Casio.... don't some of the models also have a Casio variant?

With respect, an opinion isn't truth per se, it's your opinion, which you are perfectly entitled to.

Dan's review of the I-10 and mine of the RS1000 and W90 don't seem to bear out what you are saying. I think our reports are as valid as any others.

Have been thinking along the same lines.
Quickly dismissed Pentax as mediocre at best and have been looking at the Panasonic (LX5/TZ-10) or Canon (G12/S95) range as probably the best in this area.

With respect, any review from you John, or indeed from Dan, is inevitably going to be seen as potentially biased.

You're an evangelist for the brand, and that's a good thing. But in the almost four years since I've been here, I don't think I've read a single view you've expressed about anything Pentax that isn't entirely positive, often in the face of some quite bad experiences of Pentax recounted by members here.

Personally, I find reviews more plausible and convincing when they don't come from someone with a known and strong bias.

Not saying there's anything wrong intrinsically with being biased, and strongly positive views can sometime provide a useful counter to strong negative ones.

But the glowing review of the K-5, for instance, over at DPR, has more impact than it would have done if it had been in PU mag, and to my mind is a lot more convincing, precisely because they are the last people to have any pro-Pentax bias.

To mirror Pentaxophile's view, I also believe if Pentax were to bring out an EVIL system I believe it is essential that it be 100% compatible with the K-mount (via an adapter)if it's not going to be an actual K-mount itself. A fairly hefty chunk of it's potential market share would surely be existing Pentax DSLR owners who want it for a second body and hence compatability with their existing lens collection.

It's a chicken and egg thing. I came here because I use Pentax cameras. I use Pentax cameras because they suit me ergonomically. generally anyway.

I don't use Z series because I don't like them much. But I don't point it out as it's not very interesting discussing something I don't like. I'd rather enthuse about something I do like.

There's no bias there and I can assure you there's no bias in any reviews that myself or Dan do. There's probably a, not unreasonable, assumption that I only ever use Pentax, but in fact that is wrong as well, but I don't discuss it here.

ePHOTOzine reviews are honest and unbiased for a wide audience. If I enthuse about the K-r and K-5 it's because they deserve it. How unfair it would be if I had to throttle back the praise to convince. And how difficult to justify to those who don't really know or care what I use and who expect and deserve a fair appraisal.

The only way to do reviews is totally honestly, and I know first hand that there is absolutely no editorial pressure or advertiser's pressure. That too would lead to an unworkable situation.