Pentax 17 to be Shipped on July 18 (in Japan at least)

 See this info in the Japanese Amazon. It seems that the date of shipment of the 17 has been fixed.

And, there are some additonal technical information of the 17, in pictures with Japanese, which are almost self-explanatory by themselves.

News from Ricoh - K-1 III is Still Under Development and etc.

From a latest post in the Xitek Pentax forum, an interview with the Ricoh senior officials (from the product development and planning divisions) in a recent marketing event in Taipei was cited.

The key messages delivered are summarised as follows: 

 

1. The K-1 III is still under development. More time is required with a higher precision aimed on the design as well as owing to the difficulty in sourcing certain components and parts for the new camera.

2. The film camera project is in good progress but further details will not be disclosed. Nonetheless, collaboration with other film product manufacturers will be made for determining a right selling price and marketing strategy.

3. Feasibility for the revival of the Q system is being carried out, subject to the requests made by the Pentax fans in Japan. But considering the limitation of the Q system, it would be unlikely.

4. The 645 system is in its end of development, production of the remaining products will last for a certain period of time.

5. Mirrorless is not a viable option for Pentax.

6. New DFA* wide angle lens(es) and replacement of the DA*50-135 are being considered according to market needs.

The Pentax 645 Digital Lineup is Really Done

See the official discontinued lens list here, even the DFA 55/2.8 SDM and DFA 90/2.8 Macro SR lenses are now included:

So, the Pentax 645 digital lineup is really done, as it is shown and can be confirmed, regardless of any official statement made about this fact. :-(  And, those 645 gear of Pentax has become collectors' items now, just like the Q gear. 

Leak on the "New" FA 50mm F1.4 Lenses

 

“Pentax Information” on April 13

https://www.youtube.com/live/ovA100SWIRQ

What will be announced?

DPR is Doomed

I received this message from the Dpreview Admin yesterday and thought that was a hoax at the first glance but it is actually true:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/5901145460/dpreview-com-to-close

So, the DPR is really doomed, even earlier than Pentax. :-o

Ricoh Imaging Business Strategy Update (March 15)

Ricoh Imaging Japan gave a briefing about their latest business strategy on cameras and products on March 15. The following presentation screenshot refers:

All in all, the interchangeable lens business will be "re-launched" whilst the 360 business will fade out. Ricoh will focus more in industrial / professional optical and related products and components in more areas such as those in the automation and innovative technology areas.

Nonetheless, it would be interesting to see how they could "re-launch" the Pentax lineups, actually I would say *revive* instead, IMHO.

DA*300 has Become the Lens of a Mini-satellite

See this official press release:

https://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info/2022/20220311_031667.html

This Pentax lens was chosen because of its full metal barrel construction as well as its high resolution but yet compact size. By the way, the lens contributes to almost half of the size of the Japanese mini-satellite named "Kitsune", which was launched to the space via an US rocket in February this year.

The K-3 III Variants

 

Accordingly to this "confidential" diagram, there are six variants of the K-3 III to come. The first one is a deep-black coloured body, the second one is with a modified shutter release button for a different touch, the third one is a monochrome model, the fourth one is a MF model (maybe with a MF focusing screen?), the fifth one is a gun-metal coloured body, and the last one is an astro-model with a modified sensor filter for astro-photography.

Btw, it was also told by Ricoh officially in their recent local marketing event that there will be no new Pentax full frame body in the near future and the K-1 II will still be the current model for the time being.

Three New Pentax/Ricoh Cameras in the Pipeline?

Source: e-Sertifikasi Portal (in Indonesia) via Nokishita @Twitter (in Japanese)

The models R02020, R03030 and R05010 are new, which should be under development. Whether they are in the Ricoh or Pentax brand is yet unknown, though. Furthermore, I list below the recent registered R-numbered camera models by Ricoh for your better wild guessing. ;-p

R01010: Pentax K-1 Mark II

R02010: Ricoh GR III

R03010: Pentax K-3 Mark IIIkey

K-3 III to be Released Shortly?

Mr Nokishita has just twitted that three new Pentax accessories have been added to the list of goods for domestic dealers, namely, "Battery Grip D-BG8", "Hot Shoe Cover O-HC177" and "Eye Cup FU" which are the exclusive accessories for the upcoming K-3 III.

In view of this, should the K-3 III be released and launched into the market very soon?

KP Discontinued

 http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/#digital-slr

Whilst the K-3 III hasn't arrived yet and there is no expected delivery date of any, the KP is now discontinued. What's Ricoh doing in the meantime? They really do not want to sell other APS-C DSLR bodies but only the dated and low-end plastic-built K-70, which also had the infamous aperture-blocked problem for long?  :-(

Development Note of the HD PENTAX-DA★16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW

http://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info/2021/20210225_030071.html

(in Japanese)

A quick google translation returned the following:

Ricoh Co., Ltd. (President: Yoshinori Yamashita) and Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. (President: Shinobu Takahashi) are new products in the Star Lens series, which are particularly high-performance interchangeable lenses for Pentax SLR cameras. , "HD PENTAX-DA ^★ 16-50mmF2.8ED PLM AW (tentative name)" designed exclusively for APS-C size digital SLR cameras is currently under development.

This product is the latest model of the "new generation star lens" that pursues "pursuit of the highest image quality", "large aperture", "high robustness and operability", and has significantly revised the in-house standard for resolution. We are developing a high-performance lens suitable for the standard zoom lens of our APS-C flagship digital single-lens reflex camera "PENTAX K-3 Mark III", so please look forward to the official announcement.

Product Summary

● Interchangeable lens for K-mount digital SLR cameras

Product name: HD PENTAX-DA ^★ 16-50mmF2.8ED PLM AW (tentative name)

• ・ High-performance star lens that demonstrates high resolution even when the aperture is wide open
• ・ The image circle covers the APS-C size image sensor.
• ・ A large-diameter standard zoom lens with an angle of view equivalent to 24.5 to 76.5 mm in 35 mm format and a fixed open F value of 2.8.
• -Adopts KAF4 mount compatible with electromagnetic aperture
• -Equipped with PLM (Pulse Motor) that enables smooth focus tracking when shooting movies at high speed
• ・ AW (dust-proof / drip-proof) structure is used to prevent raindrops and dust from entering in harsh shooting environments.
• ・ Achieves the shortest shooting distance of 0.3m
• ・ Release date: Scheduled for 2021

* The names, specifications, appearance, etc. of the above products are not final decisions. The price is undecided.

K-1 II J Limited (in Four Colours)

 
Source: Nokishita @Twitter

But, I just wish to ask: How and what does these painted "new" bodies help Pentax and her fans?? :-(

Update (Feb 25): The K-1 II J Limited Special Site is now online (in Japanese only). It is mentioned that the golden lens mount is coated by Citizen Watch Co. with its "Duratect" technology. The wooden grip and its paint are also briefed. 

The K-3 III is Delayed and Here Comes the Re-packaged 3 FA Limiteds in HD

We all knew that the K-3 III was delayed without a new release or market launch date announced. :-(

Hence, Ricoh is "kind" enough to let us have something else "new", right before the CP+. ;-P

Here we go:

(Source: Japanese Nokishita Twitter via Cameota. In short, the new features of the re-packaged FA Limited lenses are HD plus SP coatings, round aperture and blades and guaranteed -10 deg.C temperature operation, there is no Weather Resistance, nonetheless. Anyway, my old FA Limiteds have never had any problem working in cold and snowing conditions under -10 to -20 deg.C in the past, so did my other film FA lenses, but getting the lenses wet might cause real problems. As for the aperture ring and aluminium casted lens bodies, these are indeed good old features but nothing new.

Update (Feb 25): The HD FA Limited Special Site is now online (in Japanese only). Online pre-ordering from the Ricoh web store is also made available. The offered prices are not cheap, though.

The LA-KE1 is Delayed

See this previous announcement made by the manufacturer, the LA-KE1 is delayed:

https://m.weibo.cn/status/4587145295306882

(in Simplified Chinese)

The reason of the delay is about the shortage of chipset used in the adapter. It was promised that the first batch of the adapters should be shipped by 1 Feb.

Let's wait and see how it works and performs.

BCN Japanese Camera Market Shares in 2020

https://www.bcnaward.jp/award/gallery/detail/contents_type=251

(Google translated English page here)

Note that the "Award" in early each year is all about the sales figures and results in the preceding whole year in the Japanese home market. A quick capture of what's reported is as below:

DSLR Shares: No. 1 Canon 51.9%, No. 2 Nikon 44.8%, No. 3 Ricoh Imaging 3.0%, Remaining 0.3%

Mirrorless Shares: No. 1 Sony 27.4%, No. 2 Canon 23.8%, No. 3 Olympus 23.4%, Remaining 25.4%

And, looking at the share figures of our persistent 2nd runner-up (since Year 2013) of the Ricoh Imaging in the past years, the up/down trend is summarised as follows:

2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013
3%	2.4%	3.1%	4.2%	4.8%	6.7%	4.5%	5.2%

Surprisingly, there is a slight increase of the market share by Ricoh in +0.6% when compared to the previous year. Congrats, Ricoh! ;-P

Ultimate Savior for Pentaxians who Had been Hoping for a True K-mount Mirrorless (with Eye-AF etc.)

 A Chinese adaptor manufacturer has announced (Google translated English here) the world first full function K-mount to Sony E-mount adaptor, which will be made available by the end of this year 2020 (and is earlier than the launch date of the upcoming K-3 III)!

This adaptor will have screw-driving AF motor and aperture motor built-in and will support full auto functions of all K-mount lenses (possibly without any aperture block problem ;-P). The manufacturer states that the adaptor will first support A/F/FA/DA/DFA lenses which are screw-driven for the AF and will support SDM/DC/PLM AF function at a later stage via firmware upgrade.

They also mounted the three FA limited onto a Sony A7 III body via their adoptor, of which the combos look really tempting! :-D

And, their also shown a "video" to show the AF in action with the FA77 Limited, which the AF speed seems reasonably good enough, as long as the animated gif was not accelerated. ;-)

After all, I will almost certainly buy this adaptor (as I bought my A7 III two years ago) and still own more than three dozens of the Pentax or K-mount lenses (and most of them are AF ones). Possibly I shall skip and not buy the K-3 III as I found my KP is actually better for my use and shooting style. :-(

Related:  My Pentax Lenses are Given Completely New Lives!

K-New is Delayed

See what Mr Tanaka said a few hours ago:

https://www.twitter.com/thisistanaka/status/1317335422540763136

Google translation of his post as follows:

"It seems that the next model of PENTAX, for example, will be "a little later" than my expected (expected) release date.

I wanted to get it quickly and try it, but I can't help it. Do you want to be patient and wait? As with other manufacturers, given the circumstances surrounding cameras today, we will have to struggle to make better ones."

Pentax (Ricoh) is really helpless and sad these days.

Yaotomi Camera Speaks More about the K-New (aka K-3 III Now)

Japanese Yaotomi Camera has just twitted yesterday and disclosed more information of the K-New, now tentatively named as the K-3 III.

And the launch/marketing date will be delayed to the year end, but should be within 2020.

Yaotomi originally also wrote about the expected price tag of the K-3 III but it was deleted shortly after that. Their explanation is that it was their own "guess" only so it was improper to write about it.

Nonetheless, Yaotomi still keeps their guess that the K-3 III is positioned between the D500 and D7500 if Nikon DSLR bodies are compared. Hence, we can expect the price should be somehow in between but closer to that of the D500, as it was normal that the Pentax new bodies were selling at higher prices than the competitors' comparable offers.

Last but not least, Yaotomi also disclosed that another two announcements would be made before and after the K-3 III announcement, for the K-1 II Silver body and also the three silver DFA lenses, respectively, in their original twitter post.