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Monday, March 23, 2009

A Latest Interview with Pentax Europe

Here is an recent interview with the Marketing Communication Manager of the Division of Imaging Systems of Pentax Europe by one of Germany's bigger print magazine, the Foto Magazin, in the current month's issue (4/2009), as posted in a major German DSLR forum:-

http://www.dslr-forum.de/showpost.php?p=4660033&postcount=656

And a human translation in English has been made by a DPR poster:-

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=31381584

So, in short, those are what Pentax/Hoya will do and will not do:-

The Negatives

- Full Frame DSLR system? No - because there is no FF lens system built yet.

- Digital MF difficult to make? Yes - "Development of MF cameras slipped down on the priority list."

- Limits of sensor resolution reached for APS-C and FF? Yes. Well, isn't that the FF has a higher limit than the APS-C here?

- EVFs? No.

- LiveView? No and Yes.

- DSLR with video mode? Didn't answer.

- Future DSLRs with CCD or CMOS? Didn't answer.

The Positives

- They are still striving to improve the picture quality! Lower noise, more image details, wider dynamic range. But, who else isn't?

- LiveView? Still Yes, although also No, she said for some models, say entry level ones. But, the damn cheap Canon EOS 1000D still has the LiveView with full functions. So? And so do some basic models of Olympus.

- They will continue to make the OVFs! But that representative stated very wrongly for the advantage of the OVFs - they are not to be used with the DSLRs at power off! The true and only important advantage is that they are offering much better visibility! How can we take any photo with a powered-off Digital SLR?? Funny..

- Not sure for CMOS or CCD - they are still striving to source better sensor! Maybe just because they don't rely on Samsung anymore and/or Samsung won't give Pentax much support as they were, and in fact Samsung just haven't told Pentax/Hoya anything about their latest plan and development, but just kept them in the dark!

- She admitted that, "For Pentax, speed is an issue. Higher FPS is certainly desirable". Well, glad to hear that Pentax are still willing to increase the speed and system performance of their DSLRs, finally!

- "No manufacturer would disregard video.." - But she had just not answered directly the exact question about DSLR with video above! So?

- "Size and weight are as well important … but we have to have a close look at ergonomics too … what's the use of tiny cameras if you can't operate them decently?" Good! We shall have no more those bulky K10D and K20D clones anymore, but hopefully a brand new more compact body design which is yet feature-rich.

Well, anyway, let's see what will soon happen at the PIE.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous24/3/09 11:03

    *

    Product type: Lens-interchangeable medium-format digital SLR camera
    Model name (tentative): PENTAX 645 Digital
    Product information:
    o Extra-large, super-high-megapixel CCD image sensor with more than 30.0 total megapixels (tentative)
    o Compatibility with existing smc PENTAX 645 interchangeable lenses
    o Market launch scheduled for 2010
    http://www.pentax.jp/english/news/2009/200905.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous24/3/09 13:23

    Does anyone see a business plan leading to profitability and market share? Any reason for Hoya to remain in the DSLR business? The deal with Samsung seems over; but no one wants to admit it. Pentax seems totally uninterested in the NX; and Samsung did not even mention Pentax in THEIR interview. Pentax cannot fund the FF lenses and bodies in this economy. All they can do is raid the parts bin and make a smaller camera using the 14.6 MP, or perhaps the mystery APS-H - but here's Pentax saying that their MP race is over. So ..... what's left, except feeding the LBA's and their lens hunger? Faster FPS? So what? Nothing new here. What they need is a superior AF system - but instead of true USM micro-motor they have screw-driven. Note that Tokina's new lenses have a motor expressly for Nikon mount.

    "Photokina 2008: Lens maker Tokina is working towards adding autofocus motors to its Nikon-mount versions, which will enable AF with the budget D40/D40x/D60 bodies. The first optic to benefit will be the popular AT-X Pro SD 12-24mm F4 (IF) DX wideangle (gaining a 'II' suffix in the process), and a motorised version of this lens is being exhibited for the first time at Photokina; more lenses in the lineup are expected to be updated in due course."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous24/3/09 14:42

    "Size and weight are as well important … but we have to have a close look at ergonomics too … what's the use of tiny cameras if you can't operate them decently?" Good! We shall have no more those bulky K10D and K20D clones anymore, but hopefully a brand new more compact body design, which is yet feature-rich.
    ----------------------------------------
    K10D/K20d is too bigger in size? let us did not hope to Hoya! Hoya have a close look at the ergonomics? NO!

    A more compact (small) body = ergonomics?
    *************************************

    Well, anyway, let's see what will soon happen at the PIE.
    ---------------------------------
    Rice, maybe you would see a camouflage coat K-m soon :-)

    PIE2009, Hoya's achievement to shows up:

    http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/dslr/2009/03/24/10506.html
    http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/dslr/2009/03/24/10507.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. They should make *new* camera body/bodies, but not only just know to play with the colours!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous24/3/09 22:04

    RiceHigh said...
    "They should make *new* camera body/bodies, but not only just know to play with the colours!"

    I think Pentax is dumb releasing only a few of these one off different colour models. It would have been better use of resources to work on new lenses, like a DA*400 f/5.6

    Pentax marketing is just stupid as they are not listening to us thst actually buy their products. Oh well there is always Canon.

    ReplyDelete