"Dieses Jahr wird das Poster größer werden müssen." = This year the poster will have to be bigger.
First via Blog reader franky and then human translated by Blog reader Mistral75.
It might hint that a new Pentax interchangeable lens camera body would be added this year.
2. Pentax UK posted something at the Facebook:-
"Hi Guys
We can confirm that Japan has now ceased production of the PENTAX K-r. However, it will continue to be available to purchase in Europe until at least May.
Customers and users of the K-r can be assured that, as with all Pentax SLRS, future lens introductions will be compatible with the K-r body.
We can also confirm that rumours about the K-5 discontinuing are untrue."
I do find that the above message clear and precise.
3. IR has had an interview with John Carlson of Pentax Imaging (USA) at the CES:-
http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/01/12/imaging-resource-interviewjohn-carlson-pentax
Go read the interview yourself, and of course it is in English. But I do have some negative impressions on what are being answered and the way JC took in answering the questions, i.e., the negative or tricky words and phrases that John likes to use, as usual:-
"Whether we have the resources to do something in between those, I'm not in a position to say." "That's one where the production is finished with that product. I hesitate to call it "discontinued", because there is still product in the channel." "As far as what's on the road map, it's not something that I'm able to share." "As far as when something's going to be released for the 645, I'm not sure."
Btw, what "channel" are those K-r stuff still distributed in the US? Even B&H, the largest US dealer of photographic gear, has listed it discontinued for quite a while. Do a quick search over there and we can see a full page of discontinued K-r items plus the last item of O-GPS1 that is "temporarily out-of-stock". After all, I just wonder what John still wanted to play down?! >:-[
Last but not least, I am really tired of the marketing BS about the "decent image quality" of the Pentax Q or alike, which is helpless and is just BS, after all!
Update: Have just come across this funny but actually very well put post by a Pentax user at the DPR forum and would like to share it here. I think it's a must read, since that guy writes and summarises things far better than me! :-o
A brief summary for the lazy one: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: DPR
Anyway, it's sad to see that many Pentax users who responded in the thread were actually pissed off! >:-(
4. Next, I'd like to give you all something more authoritative, DC Watch has just interviewed the head of marketing and product planning of the Pentax Ricoh Company at the Japanese headquarters!
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/interview/20120113_504147.html
(in Japanese, Google English Translation Here)
This time we get more useful information, in particular, here is what the PR Japanese head talks about the K-mount (and my own translation):-
■ Kマウントレンズも新しいタイプに挑戦
――今後のレンズの展開は?
「まずは望遠系のレンズを充実させます。センサーのサイズが小さいため、コンパクトな望遠レンズは作りやすいですからね。ポケットに入れておける望遠ズームが作れます。皆さんが想像しているレンズより、ずっと小さく、ずっとしっかりした作りの望遠レンズを作れると思っています。2012年は Qのシステムを拡大していきたいですね」
The interviewer asked about if there is any development of new lenses in K-mount. The PR head answered that they would concentrate on the development of new lenses for the Q system first as it is easier to make compacter lenses with the smaller sensor size of the system and that a pocketable zoom can be materialised as such. In 2012, they would develop new telephoto lens for the Q.
――Kマウント用レンズの拡充も望まれていると思いますが、今後の予定は?
「もちろん、QだけでなくKのレンズも予定しています。しかし、システムとしてある程度、必要なレンズは揃っているので、その点がQマウントとは違うところですね。システムができているので、従来とは違う切り口のレンズを出していきたい。特徴のあるレンズをKマウント向けには出していきます。既存レンズのリファインに比べると絶対的な開発時間がかかるため、どんどん投入というわけにはいきませんが、新しいタイプのレンズに挑戦していますから、もう少しお待ちください」
The interviewer chased the Pentax head that many Pentax users did want much for new K-mount lenses. The head then answered that the development would be continued, mainly focused on the minimisation of lenses and new types of optics would be developed. But they would need more time as more resources were required since it was more difficult. He further asked the users to be patient and wait for longer.
After all, I like the way which the Japanese PR manager answered the questions than what JC did. I think that Japanese guy has been more sincere and honest in answering those questions and most importantly in a straight-forward way of which the message contained is clear without any ambiguity, not even to mention that he should know more about the PR future than what JC knew. Indeed, I would rather see Ned Bunnell was interviewed than finding JC (whom IR liked to contact) but it seems that we could rarely see Ned anywhere publicly in the light these days.