I've suspected this all along. I can't say what will happen obviously, but it was not Pentax's original intent to produce an APS-format camera, which is apparent due to the MZ-D.
The main reason all the major mfrs. went with APS sized sensors is that the market was ripe for DLSR's, the FF sensor cost was prohibitive, and the R&D to get the technology right would either take too long or be too risky as with Contax. At the same time they realized if they produced specialized lenses for APS sized sensors, they could sell additional lenses marketed towards those w/o a bagful of existing lenses and to the wide-angle customers who were going to lose some of that capability because of the w/a crop. Retaining the lens mount compatibility and size for legacy lenses was a necessity in order to 'bait' us 1st-generation DSLR buyers who had legacy lenses they wanted to use. If this were not the case they likely could have achieved even more efficiency by totally redesigning the lens mounts. All the while they realized that sensors costs would come down even as mega-pixel resolution went up, and the market would mature to the point where FF bodies could once enter the market. All mfrs. had to more or less, get a DSLR to market or go extinct. If a FF body does come about, they can once again sell a new product and produce optimized lenses for it, i.e., more sales. Unlike the past where the major improvements in photography were due to new film emulsions, the digital camera is essentially a personal computer with an eyeball and, we are now in the new product-planned obsolescence cycle we have with personal computers. Tom C. >From: "P. J. Alling" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> >To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: Dpreview's D200 jpeg overall conclusion: same problem >different >Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:37:32 -0500 > >Who says that Pentax can't have two different format "miniature" format >DSLRs, or you'll just have to suck it up and eventually replace all >those DA lenses while the APS sensor DSLR are phased out. Pentax gets >more profits from lens sales and can stay in business and create more >new products. > >Paul Stenquist wrote: > > I'm still not buying it. Too many DA lenses popping up. No DFA lenses > > other than long glass. And APS-C sensor technology will undoubtedly > > progress. Add to this the bad angles you encounter using full frame > > with the Pentax K mount and the forthcoming 645D, and I'm betting no > > full frame DSLR from Pentax. But we'll see. I will be pleased if they > > do make one. More choices are a good thing. > > Paul > > On Dec 20, 2006, at 4:21 PM, Tom C wrote: > > > > > >> Hey.... I thought that's what myself, Rob Studdert, P.J. have been > >> saying > >> for several years now, followed by loud boos and hisses about how the > >> industry has abandoned the 135 format.... > >> > >> > >> Tom C. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>> From: Mark Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>> Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> > >>> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> > >>> Subject: Re: Dpreview's D200 jpeg overall conclusion: same problem > >>> different > >>> Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:43:53 -0500 (EST) > >>> > >>> Sylwester Pietrzyk wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>>> Actually my quite reliable sources told me that next semi-pro body > >>>> from Sony will have FF sensor and it will be priced well below > >>>> Canon 5D. > >>>> > >>> Not surprising (well, maybe the price part is!), especially since > >>> Sony > >>> makes their own sensors. > >>> > >>> As the pixel-count wars show no signs of abating and noise > >>> performance > >>> at ISO 1600 and up is a hot topic, manufacturers will have no choice > >>> but to increase sensor size on their top models in the future as they > >>> go beyond 10-12 megapixels. > >>> > >>> > >>> -- > >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > >>> [email protected] > >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > >>> > >> > >> -- > >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > >> [email protected] > >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > >> > > > > > > > > >-- >Things should be made as simple as possible -- but no simpler. > --Albert Einstein > > > >-- >PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >[email protected] >http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
