Web Analytics RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: Latest Pentax Interview with Pentax Ricoh HQs' Senior Official by DC Watch

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Latest Pentax Interview with Pentax Ricoh HQs' Senior Official by DC Watch

Thanks to Blog reader "qwe" for his alert, we have the latest Pentax Ricoh interview by the Japanese DC Watch, as follows:-

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/interview/20121010_564928.html

The above is in Japanese, you can read also the machine-translated English pages by Excite here and Google here.

The interview has just been published today, it seems that the tone of Pentax Ricoh has changed considerably since the last series of Photokina interviews (by IR, PF and etc.) a few weeks ago. This time, the interviewee is the head of (product?) development division of the Pentax Ricoh HQs, Mr. Toshiyuki Kitazawa:-


(Mr. Toshiyuki Kitazawa, Head of the Development Division of Pentax Ricoh Company Japan.)

So, I would like to summarise the more important things and key messages contained from my best understanding:-

1.The aspiration of a Full Frame camera and body for even better image quality by the users is understood.

2. The trend of traditional DSLRs (with mirrors) for being go up to the Full Frame sensor size and with lower prices is recognised.

3. They have started to develop a Full Frame digital system. However, the current faced problem for not marketing a FF system right now is the lack of a complete FF lens lineup, which is yet to be developed.

4. They are continuing to liaise with sensor manufacturers and try to source a suitable sensor unit for the new body.

5. He believes that the APS-C format still has its advantages, for its compactness and flexibility, and which the image quality is already not bad. As such, the development of APS-C and FF will be carried out in parallel.

6. A Pentax FF would come true within the fiscal year of 2013/14, but still maybe later.

7. The advantage of a camera body without an AA filter is for its highest possible resolution out of the sensor but with trade-offs of possible moire and false colours and noise, which is less likely to happen with the higher pixel density of model sensors.

8. Pentax has planned to make more AA-filterless camera bodies in the future, with new technologies being developed and involved.

9. The Q system will continue its development as an unique product line of its own.

I like the style of this Japanese Pentax Ricoh guy than the previous PR sales guys at the Photokina. I do have a far better impression on the way he is talking things in a far more practical way. He has touched on something technical but it is not too difficult. All in all, I think his statements are concise, clear, direct and fairly honest plus humble enough of himself, on what are being asked! Good! :-D Of course, at the end of the day, we don't have to agree with what he says and the Pentax plans as told, nonetheless!

Update (10-11): I have just checked that Mr. Toshiyuki Kitazawa is an engineer by himself who owns quite some patents related to cameras over years. See this profile of his for details. Now I know why I have had a good impression on him by feeling at the beginning! ;-) I don't like those sales guys btw, who often have too much crappy sales talks for most of the time but without knowing better for the technical stuff behind! >:-( They will never tell you something concrete also, neither, at the end of the day!


Related:-

Yet Another Pentax Full Frame Rumour

Comments (16)

Loading... Logging you in...
  • Logged in as
Hi, Rice, just a quick question and my apologies if I am asking something evident but, do you think they will keep k-mount on the FF system?
1 reply · active 648 weeks ago
Yes of course. If not, what will they make and use?
Hi, Rice. How do you think, when they started to work on FF?
2 replies · active 648 weeks ago
The guy said that they have already started their development.
Only now? Just after photokina? O_o
OMG, they must stop pushing on break pedal!
Maybe FF fanatics on PF will notice this and absorb it, or move on to Nikon already instead of complaining endlessly like spoiled children!
I guess we will have to wait until after 2014 for:
- A flash system that can make a proper TTL exposure and has a decent build quality.
- A prime lens between 21mm and 35mm.
2 replies · active 648 weeks ago
sigma make a very nice 24mm. Pentax still sell a 31mm linited and there are also 28mm F series available now and then on fleabay....
Those are all useless. We need a proper modern DA, DA* or DA-Ltd lens.

Sigma 24mm - huge and ill-proportioned on APS-C, focus ring turns in the wrong direction, no quick shift.

FA31mm - ridiculously over-priced, inferior coatings for digital (purple fringing), no QS, built-in hood makes no sense on APS-C.

F28mm - ridiculously over-priced for used lens with no better than DA-L functionality, inferior coatings for digital, no QS, hexagonal 6-bladed aperture.
annnnnd looks like i will be shooting film till 2014
I love my pentax glass and the FF look

arg!
3 replies · active 648 weeks ago
2014 will come soon, if we can pass through the day of December 21, 2012! ;-)
Ricoh.pentax's avatar

Ricoh.pentax · 648 weeks ago

LOL
I hope Pentax Ricoh (thats you! ;->) can give us a K-mount FF before the end of the world comes!! ;-D
They must realize their marketing mistake from Photokina. Activity on PF is way down except the marketplace where long time users are bailing out. Some of the most active posters made the switch after no FF announcement at Photokina. Everyone said wait until Photokina. They did and there was no FF. They should have made these statements then.

This interview is a positive step. They can still compete if they bring a FF model at the D600 price point with a larger viewfinder, focus peaking, and no AA filter.
Guess D600 has to wait. Three Amigos - come to mama!
1 reply · active 647 weeks ago
Well, the D600 has already been on sales in Hong Kong! No shortage of supply!

Post a new comment

Comments by