I remember being gutted when I was outbid on that lens and been looking for one ever since...

A rear opportunity just the wrong tine of year for me...

I think once sensor prices fall below a certain price point then product lines will be dropped, similar to CPU manufacturers.

I think I am right in saying apart from Sony no camera manufacturer makes sensors so they have no interest in lens manufacture which is why APS will eventually be dropped.

As for lens prices as with anything, once a product becomes mass market prices reach normal levels. Full frame lenses have been in production for years already, there isn't much R and D in ff lens development.

Of course aps-c is the current best selling sensor bodies. Once ff sensors come down to aps c price levels then aps will be dumped by most manufacturers. Maunfacturers are there to make profit not sustain old technologies. FF bodies allow manufacturers to sell FF lenses to new users, don't under estimate the lure of the bottom line.

Take a read of the innovators dilemma by Clayton m Christian.

It's a fascinating read a out how top business fail and get beaten by newer start ups wi disruptive technologies.

Full frame dslr is now ten years old the 1dx launched in 2002 it's old technology and is now at the end of its high margin life which is why it will soon become fit for consumers. What you will see is an increase in dslr processor power to handle all these huge megapixel files being banded around from camera to laptop etc...

The point and shoot market is virtually non existent due to the improvements in mobile phone cameras, in turn photography is seeing a surge in popularity because of this and consumers are demanding ever higher quality dslr.

25 years I dont think sensor technology will even be around, there will be a device hooked up to our brain patterns that scan our vision to capture images.

Seriously APS-C sized sensors will not be manufactured after five years time..

Of course the lenses will drop in price, a larger market will result in costs being driven down...Better low light performance the k-5 is good but ff is better particularly for me and concert photography.

Thinner depth of field adds creativity.

Larger sensor gives more give in cropping scenario..

I told you on post 4!!!!

Bodies are falling in cost so rapidly it's hard to keep up, that shows exactly what was my point, I expect in the new year we will see around £1000 mark....

With ff bodies now starting around £1500 it will be inevitable that sensor manufacturers drop apps-c from their range, so if pentax don't go ff they will just have to drop out the dslr market altogether, which I cannot imagine them doing. I give apps-c around three further years and then it will no longer be manufactured.

By going wholly ff any company will be thinking about all the new lens sales....

Pentax still are very innovative the Q and the k-30 are very innovative.

As for the schools choice of brand, ordering all those cameras requires back up and I guess only Nikon could provide that. Nikon are also very supportive of educational institutions. Our local college is a Nikon academy and gets access to all sorts of goodies, uts this market that pentax should he fighting for, get your cameras into the hands if students and chanced are those students will stick with that brand.

I go it all over with my gear, never been mugged,get asked to take people's photos a lot!

Is Salisbury known for muggings??? I wouldn't worry about it... Thieves will be looking for Nikon or canon surely