Updated: Full Transcript of Kitazawa's Interview in English (Machine and Human Translated)

PENTAX Ricoh imaging incorporated company

Is a full size tinged with a touch of reality? The new product of the Ricoh brand is also due to be put on the market.


PENTAX Ricoh imaging incorporated company development generalization division manager Toshiyuki Kitazawa 72 1978, Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. (that time) entrance into a company.
A camera designing department is assigned.
In charge of the mechanism design of a camera.
He is a development person in charge at Z-1.
2001, the head of the development department Digital LS, in charge of the digital SLR.
In 2006, it will continue up to now through a imaging system operation division division assistant vice president.
It is consistently engaged in camera-related development.
Favorite cameras are K-r, K-5, and PENTAX Q.


Year 2 0 1 3 of seasonal keyword PENTAX Ricoh (description and editorial department)

- it is alike by of a great desire full size, and say that the full-size machine is studied and developed. if it appears, a single lens reflex camera type possibility seems to be high 

- moire removal function in camera K-5?s -- a low -- the new product of - Ricoh Brando new product Ricoh Brando who is also studying the technology in which moire is removable within a camera.

- although high definition-ization depended pathless was realized and who is is an appearance.
It may be a different type from GR DIGITAL or GXR.
Seemingly it is a camera which the core Ricoh fan can satisfy.


Is new mount or compatibility of a full size K mount maintenance of a melon?

(Update: I only translate the interview below in full but not for the whole article, please note my translation in bracket and in Italic.)

About what time is the schedule of a full-sized camera, excuse me? 

(What is the schedule for a full frame camera?)

Kitazawa: -- it is a full-sized talk -- it is -- suddenly --.

(It's about the full frame camera, so suddenly.)

It is a continuation of the interview of ? last year (smile), and is from the talk of a full size and 645D Miller Les. 

(Let's continue our talk about a full frame camera and a mirrorless 645D that we discussed about in the last year's interview.)

Kitazawa: Is it its concentration (smile)?

(We are putting our efforts on these.)

Has development of ? full size started? 

(Has the development of full frame begun?)

Kitazawa: Development is already started fundamentally.
Since it is dependent on the circumstances of marketing, it cannot be said whether lends and there is any producing commercially not at all.
An important thing is what PENTAX goes into a full-size market and made.
Clarify the place where NIKON, Canon, and Sony are damaged, and the difference where PENTAX can do it.
What is the place which the visitor expects from us?
It is how to discern the hit thoroughly and to incorporate in the product.
Development takes time. Although are just going to say that he is following the place which should include an interchangeable lens and it becomes empty.

(The development has already begun but the final sales of the product will depend on many factors. It is important for Pentax to determine the marketing position of our product and how it is differentiated from the other existing products by Nikon, Canon and Sony. What are our customers expecting from us? Those are what we are to incorporate into our product. But development takes time and we would follow the trend to make an interchangeable lens full frame.)

Although it was the nuance that Miller Les without a mirror shock of Mr. Kitazawa was better at the last interview although it is ? full-size camera, which direction is considered?

(It was talked about the mirror vibration of reflex and Mr. Kitazawa did prefer mirrorless in the last interview. What direction will be taken for the full frame camera?)

Kitazawa: It is a very difficult question (smile).
Miller Les, the type of a single lens reflex camera, and 2 have appeared in the camera of the APS-C seal by PENTAX Brando now.
If many things are compared, it is sufficient in each and the various visitors' opinion is heard, it is rather used by lightweight as Miller Les.
Are there fairly many the visitors who would like for the single lens reflex camera type with Miller to make photography a hobby, or to create the photograph itself?
The present visitor of ours thinks going [ into such a category ] kana.
There is an uncanny merit that a novel design can also do a ミラーレス camera and only ぶん which naturally does not have Miller can make form thin small.
Furthermore, also at a low price, it can do.
Although it may have been called mirror レスフル size till last year, many things are seen, and it is when.
At the time of た, if a full size says which is individually considered by priority now, it is a way "with a mirror."
It is whether goods have responded to that for which the visitor asks.
Kana which is not easily accepted even if it takes out what suits neither the visitor's user-friendliness, nor a demand, although it is also important to create new value.
As for me, the inside seal thinks suitable kana rather than a large full size of the merit to which Miller Les rather reduces a mirror shock.

(It is a very difficult question. Mirrorless and SLR are actually two kinds of camera products in APS-C which Pentax have. The opinions from our various customers are being heard. People do prefer lightweightedness for mirrorless. As for other customers who like the reflex, they are mostly hobbyists and are more serious to take photographs as creation. The advantages of mirrorless are that it could be made thinner and smaller and at a lower cost as well. For the time being, it is considered that if a full frame camera is made, it should be in the direction of having a mirror. It is just because we are responding to what our customers want. It is also important to create new values of the product such as better user-friendliness. As for myself, I do prefer mirrorless so as to avoid the mirror shock.)

Miller Les and a single lens reflex camera have a merit and a demerit, respectively.
They are a variation of an interchangeable lens, and the difference in user-friendliness as the one.
There are also merits, such as if the single lens reflex camera of a telephoto lens is easier-to-use than Miller Les, a possibility that the conventional lens can be used. 

(Mirrorless and single lens reflex do have merits and demerits of their own. Mirrorless is a variant of the reflex but their operations are different. The reflex has the advantage when using a telephoto lens than mirrorless, which is better to use with a standard lens.)

Kitazawa: Well.
For example, supposing it gives Miller Les, does it do whether it does by new mount by the present K mount, and will also be argued.
If Miller Les is given at any rate, new mount will be used, a back size is shortened with light path length to a slight degree, and also the diameter of mount is made a little larger than K mount, and it is meaningless if it does not aim to make it the light flux of a bright lens arrive easilier etc.

(Well. Suppose it is a mirrorless, we should choose whether to use a new mount or keep the K mount, which is arguable. If an ideal mirrorless system is to be made, a new mount should be used, which should have a shorter back focus register distance but with an increased diameter than the K mount, which will be more meaningful.)

A new single lens reflex camera or Miller Les -- at any rate -- whether mount is temporarily built newly also as a single lens reflex camera by carrying out or the conventional K mount is inherited worry, and it is どころ. 

(Is a new mount being built to replace the K mount, no matter for the new reflex or mirrorless camera?)

Kitazawa: It is a large trouble there.
In the case of PENTAX, mount came without changing and was called the demon's compatibility all the time.
The visitor needs to trust PENTAX and that should follow all the time.

(It is the big trouble here. In case Pentax keep the mount, compatibility can be maintained. Our customers need to trust us and we are studying the issue for the time being.)


Last Story: Official! Full Frame Pentax System is Coming!! (Latest Interview with Pentax Ricoh Head)

Above machine translation is done by Excite Japanese Translator Online. So, please don't blame me for the poor translation but I think the meanings and messages are there! :-)