Camera-makers are seeing the traditional OVF pentaprism as on the way out over the next few years in favour of EVFs and hybrid stuff, so there may be more call for recessed lenses of the K-01 kind. A way round FF/APS-C would be to put a powerful FF Sony sensor inside and then allow APS-C lenses to use it via a mask system. This would still probably yield at least 16 megapixels in the smaller image circle, with the high-end boys using their FA limiteds and the like at FF.

Another line of lenses to add to the mix are video lenses which really will become important to every camera-maker I'd guess.

Interesting times! At least Pentax now has an owner with deep pockets because they'll be needed.

Another suggestion is that it's a 400mm with a 1.4 TC on the end. But who knows ... whether it takes good pics is what matters.

The Pentax chap in the UK is just a messenger. A Pentax chap in the US was equally inept a few weeks ago talking about something else. There's a history of this. Any decent outfit has to send out its marketing folks well primed with all the information, the key selling points et al. The fault here likely lies with those higher up the chain, imho, quite possibly in Japan. They've let down their team, left them in the dark and failed to monitor their performance. It's a legacy: thank you, Mr Hoya.

FWIW, I once worked for a company under a similar lash to that Hoya imposed on Pentax: we'll close you or sell you, no more investment, you, you and you are fired, your new boss is an accountant, his boss couldn't care less about you, etc, etc. It is utterly destructive of morale and inspiration. Pentax will take a while to recover from this, but all the signs are that Ricoh are on the case and taking swift action.

So enough already of all this whingeing. Pentax isn't perfect but Ricoh didn't buy it to turn it into another Fuji. There is already a Fuji. Octogenarian multi-millionaires are not the Pentax market, I surmise.

The K-01 sounds a fine camera, at least on paper because it is too soon to know much about the practice, even though it is not for me.

I like the design a lot and if this sells well in the Far East (Japan and China) then it may well do the job for Pentax. Over here in the West, on the far side of the world, we are yesterday's news and I doubt this is really designed for us.

I doubt I would buy one, though. No EVF or tilt-screen is fine on a very compact camera because, hey, it's compact and largely for snaps and I can put it in my pocket. But on something that's nearly full size with a top-line sensor and which costs quite a few bob - no way ever, a single fixed LCD is too limiting especially if you use glasses or wish to use a larger lens. The only way I'd be able to see the LCD clearly on this is by holding it at full arms' length. And with a heavy lens on - I think not.

Stunned, really, that Pentax haven't made provision for either but I guess they must have done their research and concluded that lack of demand for such features meant they weren't needed. And that could easily be absolutely correct. Oh well, we'll soon find out. The new Prime M engine is an exciting development. I do wish this camera every success. Pentax needs it after all.

I like the look of this, a solid design which says camera and photography rather than plastic gadget. But price, features and ease of use will be decisive and those we don't yet fully know. The competition is fierce, so if Pentax don't get those right this model is all too likely to have a difficult life. If the K-01 checks out, though, and my limiteds fully work on it, I could easily see myself buying one. Here's hoping ...

My fave tends to change every few months. At the moment it's an smc-A 50mm f1.4 which I've just had serviced and generally reset. It's a joy to handle now and something about its rendering makes it great for black and white street shots, quite open so plenty of the shot is out of focus.

No idea what my fave will be in a few months. I'm just getting into zooms for the first time ever and am testing the waters with a DA* 16-50mm. So I guess it could be that one. It's clearly a super lens, the colours and overall rendering it yields are superb. And it is another one that is a pleasure to use. We'll see.

I use a Spyder 2 bought cheap off Ebay and Argyll colour management combined with Dispcal (both free software). Total cost no more than 50 squids, lasted for 2-3 years now at least, and very useful. The Spyder 2 seems a bit of an unloved step child, though, I think because of firmware things. If doing it again, I would get another make of equipment though stick to the software which is brilliant, imho.

I recently had two smc-A 50mm lenses serviced by Harrow Technical, one of them being repaired as well. Nice guys, took about two weeks, prices seemed fair, no complaints. But they are the only outfit I've used so nothing to compare them against. Would I use them again? Yes.

Reworked, improved, WR, lens motors as needed: 12-24mm, 16-50mm, 17-70mm, 50-200mm, 55-300mm.
Cheap 'n' cheerful 50mm and 70mm-ish primes.
New DA 28mm.
NEW DA 135mm.
New DA 70-200mm f4.
Bury SDM with a stake through its heart.

Make a start on adding motors to every lens in the range. This what the market mostly wants these days, right or wrong, I would guess.

Now dream on ...

Hmmn, I wonder where the extra factory capacity, parts and sensors are coming from, not least with so much in that part of the world taken out by the Thailand floods.

Talk of many new models would imply a fairly massive investment from Ricoh and that Hoya were spending heavily on R&D with new models nearly ready to go into production, whereas it would appear Hoya tried to spend as little as possible pending getting rid of Pentax as soon as they could.

My guess is three models this year, one of them in the Q line; and some new lenses, which may be Q ones rather than K ones. An expansion, if any, sounds a bit more likely in 2013 since Ricoh would by then have had some time, though not much, to get their act together.

Alternatively, I suppose, the new models may be Ricoh-originated but now branded to Pentax. Oh well, whoever knows isn't saying.