One More Official Interview: No 135 FF in Near Future, Not Before 645D is Replaced! :-o

In a very recent interview with the same Ricoh senior official in my last blog article by a local Hong Kong photo magazine (current issue, owing to the copyright, I do not upload any image copy of the interview page here), Mr. Murano told the following:

1. The K-3 is a very strong APS-C DSLR as a result of extensive and special R&D;

2. APS-C is the mainstream of DSLR cameras;

3. The market share of 135 FF is only from 10 to 20%, versus the 80 to 90% of the APS-C market;

4. For that 10 to 20% small market segment, there are already a number of choices in the market. While they are able to make such a similar 135 FF body, it will not be of anything special. As such, they opted not to make one! :-[

5. The new 645D replacement project is now undergoing. It must happen before any RP 135 FF comes! (But isn't it that he has just said a RP 135 FF is not viable marketing wise?!)

6. They will not get rid of the name "Pentax", as "Ricoh" is a far larger company with far more businesses than Pentax and that they have no interest to make Ricoh becoming a sole camera brand! >:-o

Yet Another Inteview with Ricoh Official Published Today! (by DC Watch)

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/interview/20131225_628900.html
(in Japanese, Excite English Translation Here.)

The machine-translated English article is quite readable, although the content of the interview itself is not so meaningful and it is most consisted of pure sales talks for what we already knew or things that are trivial, e.g, the SR system is still improving (as it always should!).

Almost Official: 645D Replacement Model is Coming!

In a recent interview by the Japanese Impress photo magazine (Issue No. 1 of 2014) with the Chief Sales and Marketing Manager of the Japanese Ricoh Imaging, it is hinted that the 3.5 years old 645D will possibly be replaced in 2014 in due course:

http://www.impressjapan.jp/pdf/271401/1113110212free.pdf
(in Japanese, Warning: Very Large File in 30MB!)

It is asked by the editor that if something more concrete would be disclosed as early as CP+, the Ricoh official refused to respond and didn't tell anything (but just laughed). Btw, it is guessed by the magazine editorial that the 645D replacement should have a change in sensor format and they even predict that it could use a Full Size 645 sensor! Oh really?! :-o

New Rumour: The Three FA Limiteds Will be Ricohized Very Soon! :-o

http://forum.xitek.com/thread-1248533-1-1-1.html
(in Simplified Chinese, Google English Translation Here.)

A Pentax user who has attended a recent official product briefing session at China, it is said that a Ricoh official told publicly about the "revamping" of the three FA Limited lenses, with details as follows:

- The "update" will happen soon,
- The Japanese style green "pearl" of the lens-changing mark on the existing Pentax 31 and 77 Limited lenses will be removed,
- The new lens will still be screw-driven for the AF, i.e., no SDM nor DC nor whatsoever in-lens AF motor,
- New HD lens coating will replace the old SMC one for better performance,
- A Ricoh red ring will be added (and of course)!

There are some photos posted for the event. Just click the above thread to view more if interested.


Related:

Some "Lost Stories" About the Three FA Limited Lenses

Ricoh Continues to Dump SMC and Ricohizes the Outlook of Existing DA Lenses!

The FA20-35 is Discontinued Finally! :-(

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/lens/index_list_others.html

Pentax has kept this Full Frame FA lens in production for years , why Ricoh discontinues it now? To reserve room for the sales of that mediocre DA20-40 cropped lens? Or the FF K-mount is to be aborted and a new mount of Ricoh is to be made?? >:-(

Update (12-22):

Since a few brand (Pentax or Ricoh??) fanboys who have been hanged around here insisted that the old FA20-35 was discontinued decade ago and have not been in production for long, I feel obliged to provide some evidence to prove they are yet wrong once again! Here it is:

http://web.archive.org/web/20121013094413/http://www.pentax.jp/english/products/lens/

So, just about one year ago, the FA20-35/4 was still alive. In fact, after the official web domain name was changed to Ricoh.co, the lens was still listed there for months. The FA20-35 has only been discontinued quite recently, that is the fact! However, owing to the low hit rate of the new Ricoh web domain, it was not archived by the "WayBack Machine" robot anyway. Possibly, the fanboys will change their poor argument (as always) to "recent months" instead, which is really pathetic afterall! So, please don't make such even more silly noise if they still wish to do so! >:-o

Canon is a Working Horse, Sony Junk, Said Ken Rockwell..

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/comparisons/2013-12-leica-sony-canon/index.htm

Worst Cameras of the Year 2013 - Pentax Q7

http://photorumors.com/2013/12/18/worst-camera-of-the-year-2013/

New K-3 Firmware Debug V1.01

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/digital/k3_s.html

Changes to V1.01

- Shorten processing time of combining time for HDR Capture.

- Improved performance of continuous shooting when using phase-matching autofocus.

- Extended enlarged display time for live view.

- Improved stability for general performance.

K-3 Too Aggressive Noise Reduction for a Higher Noise Sensor?

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3588043

This K-3 user has found out that the default or auto NR of the K-3 is too strong and rather destructive. He would rather turn it off or choose a weak setting in order to retain details. But why such a strong-handed NR algorithm? The answer is simple, there must be some noise that Ricoh wanted to hide! Any other reason? 

Super Deluxe A7R Unboxed @ Las Vegas

http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=254&t=3682934&p=1
(in Traditional Chinese)

The pictures are really astonishing! :-o

All the Canon EF lenses were adapted with full AF/AE/IS functions via a Metabones EF to E adaptor. Now Canon users can enjoy a 36MP FF body, finally! ;-p

Btw, once there is a Metabones K to E adaptor which supports full AE and AF functions some day later, than I can safely declare that Pentax is really dead! Who old Pentaxians still need to wait for a Pentax FF body forever then?!

Sony A7 Water Test - Water is My Friend! :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7hvJTGW4BA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT0iDwiPNhs

My A7/7R and A3000 First Hands-on Tests (with Full ISO Shootouts for the A7 and 7R)

Tested the three cameras at the Sony showroom today (the A7 and 7R are undoubtedly the most wanted-buy bodies of the year for many those old Pentaxians with film glass!), and found the following:

- A7 shutter action is smoother and faster than that of the A7R, which is terrible, i.e., loud sound, stronger vibration and longer shutter lag;

- The build quality of both cameras whilst is acceptable, but not outstanding;

- I am not convinced with the clumsy user interface and troublesome operation menu of the A7 cameras, which is really a nightmare to use! I comment this as an existing NEX user, of which the operation should be simpler, I believe! >:-(

- The slow speed 28-70 FE kit lens is cheaply built, the IQ of it is not that bad, though. Still, this lens just feels a bit large when it is mounted and thus unbalanced;

- The EVF and LCD displays have some yellow tint to my eyes. The refresh rate of those are not that good;

- AF speed is not fast, but could be acceptable to most people;

- Continuous shooting (speed) of both cameras is just a joke, I don't know what is/are the real problem(s) there. I used a Class 6 Transcend 8GB card to test;

- Exposure accuracy and metering intelligence of the cameras are good enough;

- AWB seems to do a better job than those NEX cameras;

- The IQ is the most important thing of these two bodies, two full ISO speed tests from ISO100 up to 25600 for each of the bodies are posted as follows:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RiceHigh/library/NEX/A7A7RA3000Tests/A7

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RiceHigh/library/NEX/A7A7RA3000Tests/A7R

All camera settings were reset to factory defaults. Lens used for both tests was a FE 35/2.8 ZA "Zeiss" prime. Full size original sample for the same (close) test scene can be downloaded per picture page (by clicking the magnifying glass symbol twice).

Nevertheless, I have not brought any of my Pentax lenses to test further for the adoption of those lovely Pentax glass of mine on the A7 and 7R. I have no doubt about the IQ of these cameras after my above first test anyway. However, I have big reservations on quite many of the issues that I have mentioned above!

As for the A3000, whilst it is cheap enough, I think it is also close to a piece of junk in many ways, including the build and the ridiculously tiny/low resolution EVF of it. It is even stupid enough to switch between the EVF and the back LCD manually, just like what was done four years ago with the first generation added-on EVF for Pana GF1 of mine! :-o The LCD looks bad, also..



As for the IQ of the A3000, it is just so so. Noise starts to appear and could be easily seen from ISO400 and up, just see the following few full samples:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RiceHigh/library/NEX/A7A7RA3000Tests/A3000

New Q Body Firmwares Released

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/digital/q_s.html

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/digital/q10_s.html

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/digital/q7_s.html

Well, will there be a new firmware upgrade, whenever a new lens is released and marketed? :-o

PF Comparison on the "New" HD DA Limiteds Against the Original SMC Versions

http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/hd-pentax-limited-primes/introduction.html

This shootout must be great for the PF guys! They should be able to sell *either* more of the old SMC stocks or the new HD ones! Brilliant! ;-p

Two New Unboxings: Ricoh AF540FGZ II and HD DA15/4 Limited

1. http://blog.xuite.net/falconkimo/blog/167284100
(in Traditional Chinese, but pictures are all self-explanatory.)



Damn now the user manual marks it is a Ricoh flashgun, but not a Pentax! >:-(



2. http://blog.xuite.net/falconkimo/blog/167298828



Frankly, the added phone-out jack under the K-3 logo looks like a Tumour! :-o



And, the used-to-have lovely 14-stroke star-burst (of the original DA15 Ltd.) exists no more with the new "improved" Ricoh HD version of the "same" lens! :-((