[quote][You don't need to be the biggest to be the best or survive and prosper, leave the pro lines to others unless you have a killer product (and the backup to go with it), /quote]

Think about this one in a world wide perspective... Pentax also does need to get themselves into stores. For most of the people out there (people that reside outside of fairly large cities) there are no physical stores located anywhere near them to actually see the Pentax name. The ONLY place for most people to get Pentax products for a majority of markets - is to go online.

It's already drastically effected sales, cannot see it changing anytime soon

To address some of the items by number; nothing at all personal, just addressing the facts...

1. The Pentax 645z is probably one of the top ten cameras CURRENTLY on the market, depending upon what photographs one takes. As with most any medium format camera; they aren't quite aimed at a number of markets such as sports and/or action photography, but there most definitely is a market for it. Is it stealing ANY business from Hasselblad? Not much, if any. Hasselblad (just like Mamiya) have a rather niche market. For both of those companies it is based along items such as: proven reliability (the fifth Hasselblad in the H series), the legendary optics of near perfection, the sensors, etc..

2. You have me on this one, and I must agree. As a matter of fact I'm well into the process of proving this one. That the K3 is considerably better than what Canon and Nikon are offering at literally double the price. Might I also clearly point out... The K3 has better weather sealing than any cropped sensor interchangeable lens digital camera on the market with one single exception - the Nikon AW1 (waterproof) Even when adding in the full framers from Canon and Nikon.... Sure items like the flagship Canons and Nikons are highly weather resistant, but that is where it ends... Canon does offer WR lenses, where are the ones from Nikon for the full frame?

Skip to: 6. Full frame possibilities for Pentax... If Pentax ever did full frame in a non medium format dslr it would most likely be something similar to a Nikon Df sensor, at about that megapixel limit. I could never see Pentax trying to compete with a full framer such as the Nikon D3x.


A few things that Pentax desperately needs...
1. Better flash line up, better GN's. Especially when companies such as Metz are getting out of the flash unit business. Pentax could really use some Quantum units and more professional line models.
2. More lenses from BOTH Pentax and other companies. Would really like to see the full Sigma line offered for Pentax; especially the macros. Would also not mind seeing items like extension tubes. Why not bellows that are priced at under a few grand? Whatever happened to Zeiss in PK?

Given items such as hardware specs & requirements for programs such as Adobe, screen resolution, cooling and all... Anyone here able to make due with using a laptop?

Sure there are some laptops on the market that can easily exceed 15k Euro, even without being tethered to additional hardware. Just there to observe what everyone out there could get away with in terms of hardware and/or software.

Also noting, that IF anyone out there is in the market for a new laptop, try to wait at least a month or two. Numerous 4k laptops are due to hit the market along that timeframe

Let me also add in...

I have a very old (even unlabeled) adapter for my t-mount telescopes to convert them to PK. Anyone happen to know who makes the best PK to t adapter presently? I've seen quite a variety in the quality of these. Unfortunately I've even heard of a few getting literally stuck onto camera bodies. Ouch

Interesting perspective about the sizes of cameras such as The Pentax K3's, S1's, and even K01's...

But consider this. The S1 is almost as small as they can get with a PK dslr. Sure they could make a mirrorless, but at a bit of a cost.

One has to remember the distance between the lens mount and the sensor; which is considerable. There is literally no way around that one if keeping the existing PK. But also consider this math... There is a way to use that existing cropped sensor distance and also manage to fit in a full frame sensor.

One of the best items that Pentax has going for it is in keeping the PK mount, and even expanding upon that mount in the future with use of full frame glass. Which is exactly the reasoning that Pentax is remaining with PK over all of these years. Unfortunately, where it would be a nice wish... We'll never see PK in a Sony sized camera

I have the Pentax WiFi card, but rarely use it. Find myself switching it out a lot on bodies such as the K3,becaus the capacity just is not there; even though the K3 has dual card slots. Also noting that one the K3 just one of those card slots is for the WiFi card, the second one won't accept it,

"Hearing" this one directly from three companies: Pentax, Nikon, and even Microsoft...

Most camera companies will be "shying away" from including WiFi directly into their professional and even semi-professional camera bodies. Most of the camera companies higher end models just to not regularly update their hardware frequently enough.

Think of it this way... How many camera companies (and even models specifically) have kept up with having the proper hardware included? Have any of those "updated properly" with technology such as 802.11ac ?

Much rather have most of that technology in the card as opposed to in camera.

Anyone here use telescopes attached to Pentax camera bodies?

I have a few myself. Everything from "borderline" telescopes; which are actually just preset mirror lenses, then to short length (real) telescopes), all the way to a Meade 20" (bot a Meade Max mount and working on a secondary). The Meade is great and I've used it with two Pentax bodies, but the focal is really too big for non Astronomy dedicated sensors.

I'll be posting some new photographs soon on my trip across the pond to witness the NASA launch today. Interesting to see the numbers of companies (and even agencies) from here in the United Kingdom that are also directly involved in making NASA work!!

Help, I need counseling AS WELL.

Not sure if this would qualify as bragging, an obsession, or lack of self control? Maybe a bit of all.

I now have every single PK lens currently produced; with *perhaps* two exceptions; the 560 and also the still presently released flagship tilt and shift. Not sure if I'll ever get that tilt and shift though, as it is more suited for full frame.

More on that lens status; wondering if there will ever be a reintroduction of new Zeiss PK?

Those price level changes were announced many months ago to Hasselblad owners and prospective owners. Most of the price level changes were due directly to upgrades in sensor technology; Hasselblad moving to CMOS. Almost all of the new CMOS level sensors have not changed prices (at all) since their release not all that long ago.

But these new CMOS sensor units will also eventually go down in price (only) once new Hasselblad technology does get released.

Hasselblad still does hold the undisputed lead in medium format; especially in terms of build quality, and (even more so) optics.