Pentax K-01

Now that Pentax has announced the Pentax K-01, a strange little hybrid photo camera using the K-mount lenses inherited from the DSLR range (K-5 or K-r cameras), it becomes once again important to see what Pentax is planning for the future of this range of lenses.

In the past, the question of survivability of the K-mount cameras was clearly open: Recurrent rumors of obsolescence for the K-mount were rampant in the rumors web sites, because of the possible (sometimes observed) announcement of the end-of-life of DSLR Pentax cameras. But now, with the K-01 (even if it is quite far from a pro or expert design), the promise of new DSLR (including a possible new Full Frame reflex in the end of 2012, according to sites like PhotoRumors), and the influx of new money from Ricoh, everything becomes possible again.

Pentax specifically presented a roadmap for this range of lenses.

Pentax roadmap for K-mount lenses

What is really important here (read the roadmap for the details) seems to be:

• A very long telephoto prime lens: 560mm seems to be more than adequate for the smaller sensors. if this is a lens for the Full Frame, it will be a big pro lens. If it is a lens for the hybrid, it may have a relatively small aperture (f/8) to offer a very long focal length at a (relatively) reasonable cost. However, if you notice the existence of a focal 1.4x multiplier, I would say: A 560mm f/5.6. Mark my words.
• The two wide-angle zooms are obviously here for the Full Frame camera and seem to confirm that the rumor of availability in 2012 (see above) is unfounded and that the new Pentax K-full will only arrive in early 2013.

Some things are not mere rumors, but just a correct analysis of the available information…

Ricoh GXR

This should reinforce the role of Pentax, but without breaking the impetus of the specific products created under the Ricoh brand like the GX-R range.

This is rather positive for the friends of Pentax who could have been frightened either to see some hesitation coming or to observe their preferred brand eaten and digested, but the headquarters made the choice of maximum stability and –certainly– maximum efficiency.

The change will officially take place on April 1st, 2012.

Press release

Since the relationship between Pentax and Samsung was no longer very tight (Samsung is now convinced that they ca evolve along without the help of the Pentax DSLR technology and they demonstrated they were right), we knew that there was the need for choosing between going under silently and investing again in Pentax to help it join again the fight with the current heavy-weights like Canon, Nikon and Sony. Hoya chose to throw in the towel (seeing the figures published by Hoya, I have no difficulty understanding why), and Pentax chose to find a new godfather with sufficiently deep pockets to attempt a new effort (before they are really distanced by the bicycle pack as we are seeing things in these Tour de France times).

This is opening the possibility to ask some more questions about the future. First and foremost, the future of Pentax. Ricoh was not very clear on their intents up to now out of the statement that the Pentax brand will remain for current products and that it will still build quality products (Who would write something else?) We are made to understand that Pentax will receive new resources to develop its next generations of DSLR cameras.

Nevertheless, it is striking to see that once again a secondary actor or an partner external to the high-end photography world is reaching out for the DSLR market. There had been -among others- Sony buying Konica-Minolta (after Konica had purchased Minolta of course), or Samsung investing in Pentax, or Hoya purchasing Pentax.

As always, the successes are not always at the end of the road for such big financial operations (but buying Pentax for a few millions is not a merger of equals between Daimler and Chrysler). But we also see that this can lead to interesting results: Sony demonstrated being able to use the DSLR technologies at all price levels and to deploy a line of DSLR cameras incorporating 90% of pro camera features in a price envelope really at amateur level.

So, the question asked really concerns the next possible purchases in this market. I think that several companies are currently exposed to this kind of fast evolution:

• Olympus is no longer sure to be willing to manufacture DSLR cameras but does not seem to be growing steadily
• Sigma has nearly left the race despite the recent maneuvers around the Sigma SD1

And we can also think about the companies owning brands that are easily recognizable (so, with a large value) but which have been playing in second league since several years:

• Fuji
• Why not Leica which has mass craftsmanship status (but it may be 100% OK for them)

I believe that some actors may be tempted to act before the positions are too firmly fixed in the market and the shakeup following the Japan crisis of Spring 2011 may play the trigger role. Who could act up?

Let’s think about the internal actors which already have huge interests in photography. Samsung does not seem to be ready to disperse itself and will keep working by itself with its own teams. Panasonic (or even Olympus) could be willing to re-enforce their presence by aggregating external strengths (Kodak no longer has the ability to maneuver at these investment levels). But a lens manufacturer like Tamron (Samyang is still much too small) could seize the opportunity.

Moreover, we can look at some external actors decided to have their funds growing through investment in a domain parallel to their original skills. The most astonishing name (but not completely impossible) is Apple under the very stringent condition to be able to reconcile very distant corporate cultures. Philips or Pioneer or Hyundai are also more credible candidates if they want to reach out for photography.

If this is not enough, we need to reach less credible opportunities like movements from Adobe (down side: risking to alienate all camera manufacturers to acquire only one) or from Dell / HP / Acer (down side: DSLR are quite far from their usual customers, but compact cameras could prove more attractive as it was the case in the past).

Obviously, only time will tell. But it’s clear that the number of targets is relatively large today and they are potentially attractive for a take-over. Moreover, the time is logically right while the sedimentation beginning to happen in the middle- and high-range of photography since a few years (the losers did not loose their brand value yet) and the arrival of new technologies susceptible to shake the market up (continuous improvement of sensitivity of digital sensors, semi-transparent mirrors, photo-video convergence). But the launch window could also close itself within 12 to 18 months.

Update: A list of companies susceptible to participate to a large financial operation

Japanese industrial companies with more than 1 billion US dollars in cash available for new investments (Source: Bloomberg) :

• Denso Corp.
• Fujifilm Holdings Corp.
• Kuraray Co.
• Kyocera Corp.
• Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp.
• Ono Pharmaceutical Co.
• Rohm Co.
• Sega Sammy Holdings Inc.
• SMC Corp.
• Sony Corp.
• Suzuki Motor Corp.
• Taisho Pharmaceutical Co.
• Yamato Holdings Co.

1 billion USD, this is 10,000 (Oop!s) times what Pentax costed…

Pentax K-5 SILVER

Back to tradition?

Three nice lenses will also received the SILVER treatment:

• SMC PENTAX-DA 21mm f/3.2 AL Limited Silver
• SMC PENTAX-DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited Silver
• SMC PENTAX-DA 70mm f/2.4 Limited Silver

Available in April 2011, you will certainly have to disburse $1699.95 (or probably around 1700€) to put your hand on it.

Pentax K-5, stains on the sensor

It has to go through a repai (replacement of the sensor of the anti-aliasing filter, apparently).

Pentax will do it for free.

• Pentax Imaging North America: Customer Service / Toll Free: (800) 877-0155
• Pentax Canada Repair Centres (Phone: (905)286-5585)
• Pentax After-Sales UK and Tel: 01782 753350
• Deutsch Pentax Reparaturservice
• Pentax Serwis (PL)
• Pentax Italia : Centro Assistenza
• Pentax SAV France (Tél : 0826 103 163 pour 0,15 €/min)
• Pentax Service Clientèle Belgique (Tél : 0826 103 163 pour 0,15 €/min)

Pentax K5 : Scratch

Apparently, this comes from very little scratches on the surface of the sensor. Combined small size, immediate proximity with the sensor (the AA filter is stuck directly on the sensor) and the softening action of the filter explain the roundish stain appearance rather than a simpler rectilinear mark.

These marks are not present of the digital SLR from Sony or Nikon even though they use the same sensor. So, it is quite easy to sort out possible root causes:

• Some bad handling or minor errors in the Pentax manufacturing process.
• A defective anti-aliasing (AA) filter added by Pentax (Sony and Nikon do not use the same filter).
• At worst, a machine defect or a tool issue in the Pentax plant.

Visibly, Pentax quickly identified the actual cause and could correct it as quickly. This pushes me toward the internal Pentax issue hypothesis. I admit that from my own Quality Management background, I would really appreciate getting more precise information. It should be interesting to understand Pentax quality ability.

So, now the only thing left is to repair the Pentax K-5 involved in this.

photo credit: yellowcloud

Pentax has announced a tsunami of firmware updates for its SLR photo cameras:

• Pentax K-5 firmware v1.02
• Pentax K-r firmware v1.01
• Pentax 645D firmware v1.01