More rumors about the Pentax K-mount mirrorless camera (a damn ugly camera!)
Our reader Alvaro sent us the translation of a rumor tweeted by DSLRmagazine (Click here). The Spanish editor writes that “The new Pentax CSC will be a bit smaller than the Kr and it is not sure that it wins -immediately- a beauty contest“..LOL!
In a second tweet he says the “New Pentax CSC will use standard K mount compatible with actual lenses. It will not have a eye level visor.”
Cannot wait to see that ugly beast 
!
Thanks for the translation Alvaro! 
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Recent comments
Comment from Tim: I would be happy for it to compete, espe...- Comment from Tim: Don't think of it as arm's length: think...
Comment from Phillip Brooks: I have my Sears KS-1000 (Ricoh XR-1) and...
Comment from Anonymous: I have also organised them by features. ...
Camaman
5 weeks ago |LOL what a way to start off a rumor hype!
Bravo Pentax.
Bob B.
5 weeks ago |EYE Level Visor…what does that mean…no viewfinder???????? Too bad if that is true….
I was hoping for a winner here!!!…although Pentax has made some damn ugly cameras in the past, I thought they were on track with with K-5…the limited edition and lenses especially . (The LEGO Kr -KXbot-thing took the cake for U.G.L.Y., no doubt)…
So…how bad could it be, GULP!
metalaryeh
5 weeks ago |No “eye level visor”? If this has no evf, it would be quite disappointing. However, the k mount mirror-less idea is fantastic. Many tiny primes to use…
Personally, as long as a camera takes good photos, I don’t care how it looks.
acuberos
5 weeks ago |I apologize about my bad english… the correct translation is “Eye Level Viewfinder”… h
janein
5 weeks ago |i had an image of a rubber duck with k-mount when reading this news. i soo hope i am not psychic ….
Bob B.
5 weeks ago |no…if that was the case the view finder would be in the duck’s head!
AzNJJ
5 weeks ago |Was hoping for Pentax to bring back the Super Program into the digital age. Check out how tiny that FF film SLR is. http://www.flickr.com/photos/raulm/4866913716/ (photo not mine)
Would’ve made a very nice competitor/alternative for the upcoming Olympus OM-D line.
Mike1
5 weeks ago |Something like that would be nice. I also love those limited edition prime lenses. They are perfect for such small camera. But no VF, not really interested!
c.d.embrey
5 weeks ago |It’s amazing just how small ALL film cameras were before auto focus and built-in motor-drives. Here’s another photo of the Pentax ME super http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PENTAX_ME_SUPER.jpg Here’s a shot of the slightly larger Nikon F, the Top Pro camera of the day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nikonf.jpg
Steve H.
5 weeks ago |I still have my Super Program. It sits along side my FE2. I love both of them! Even the very loud shutter thwack the Pentax makes! Sometimes I even load some Tri-x into them and shoot for old times sake.
pete
5 weeks ago |EVF is a must at least for me. I have not mastered the art of arm’s-length photography. It is a 1.5 stop disadvantage for me.
I hope Pentax will come up with a 30mm f/2 pancake. Need a fast(-ish) normal.
nah
5 weeks ago |They already do, it’s the 31mm Ltd f1.8.
Tim
4 weeks ago |Don’t think of it as arm’s length: think of it as gut-height like a good ol’ medium-format waist-level finder. At least, assuming it has an articulating LCD screen, anyway
Eric
5 weeks ago |I’m a longtime Pentax users, but I don’t understand the point of a K-Mount mirrorless camera. Why stick with a mount designed 40 years ago with clearance for flappy mirror when that mirror is no longer there? IMO, Sony got this right. Create a new mount, then simply make a smart adapter for those that want to use their legacy lenses. Sticking with the K-Mount puts Pentax at an immediate size disadvantage. Further, just like Samsung they won’t be able to adapt Leica M-Mount glass. That’s a turn off for a good number of enthusiasts.
I understand Pentax already has a line of pancake lenses that should work well on a mirrorless body, but those lenses are also noisy screw driven AF lenses. Hardly the nice silent lenses we’ve all become accustom to in the mirrorless world.
I think Pentax is blowing this. I simply don’t see what they will offer that Sony or Samsung don’t already offer. Are Pentax DSLR users really begging for a viewfinder-less body to use their lenses on? On Pentax Forums I see more people asking for a full frame K-Mount DSLR than anything else. Perhaps if it were full frame then I could see the selling point. However, much like the Q, I really don’t get this at all.
Anonymous
5 weeks ago |Sure. But why would Pentax go to all that trouble to design and make a new mount and a bunch of new lenses. It’s far less expensive to just use the existing mount and existing lenses. I think you’re seeing this mirrorless Pentax as direct competition with all the other mirrorless cameras we’ve seen, but you’ve got it all wrong because it isn’t in direct competition with them. This is kind of a half way camera between mirrorless and dslr. Wether it was a smart move or not by Pentax, we’ll see in due time.
Eric
5 weeks ago |Like I said, I don’t see a point in it. As the saying goes, they can either piss or get off the pot.
Obviously Pentax likes making novelty cameras, but I have a feeling this is going to once again upset the users that have begged them for a full frame DSLR for years. Seems like a full frame digital Pentax LX would be a better use of their R&D money.
MikeS
5 weeks ago |“But why would Pentax go to all that trouble to design and make a new mount and a bunch of new lenses.”
That’s what I thought. And then they released the Pentax Q. Speaking of ugly…
Raist3d
4 weeks ago |If you have seen the Q in person you will realize is not ugly.
Vlad
5 weeks ago |If you think Pentax’s mirrorless won’t be in direct competition with Sony and cie, I think you are kidding yourself. I also think that it is precisely the reason why they decided to stick with the existing mount, rather than provide a body and lose lens sales.
Anonymous
5 weeks ago |How can it be in direct competition with Sony/Fuji/m43/Nikon mirrorless? Just because it has no mirror? It’s not going to be as small as them. They’ve also got the Pentax Q for that. In terms of tiers it should be:
FF DSLR
—
APS-C DSLRS/SLT
—
New Pentax Mirrorless K-Mount
—
Fuji X
—
Sony NEX/SamsungNX
—
Panasonic/Olympus m43
—
Nikon 1
—
Pentax Q
Neither Mirrorless K-mount or Q directly compete with the other mirrorless, they sit slightly above and below them.
pancanikonpusamy
5 weeks ago |perhaps you are not with us when fujiflim announced xpro1. you will see the big picture that xpro1 is on the top right corner
Anonymous
5 weeks ago |There is nothing pro about the xpro1 except for the name. It is just marketing.
Vlad
4 weeks ago |You really needed all that space?
You based the whole thing on size alone and while this can be a valid factor, try to organize them by sensor size. Or by price. Or by specific features. In general buyers would consider more than one factor in choosing a camera and the new Pentax will be somewhere between the NEX-5n and NEX-7 in terms of features. I am talking here for a K-r replacement, of course.
Eric
4 weeks ago |Your tier chart is absolutely ridiculous. Everything from APS-C DSLR’s down to m4/3′s compete with each other. How do I know this? I myself am considering all of the above for my next camera purchase. To me anything in that range is interchangeable, it’s just a matter of preference. I would use a Canon 7D exactly the same way I would use the upcoming Olympus OM-D…and get similar results from either.
I’m not alone on this one; I’ve had no less than 3 friends compare cameras from all those groups, then decide to buy m4/3′s cameras. Heck, I imagine even the Nikon 1 series competes a bit with entry level DSLR’s. I’m sure there have been a number of lost Canon Rebel sales to soccer moms in favor of the Nikon J/V1.
Anonymous
4 weeks ago |I have also organised them by features. Eric, do you really believe that all mirrorless cameras are in the same category? There is a very obvious significant difference between the Pentax Q and the Fujifilm Pro 1 in terms of features/price/sensor size. If you can’t see that, then you are an idiot! And yes, Nikon 1 is most definitely geared towards the lower end of the market.
Tim
4 weeks ago |I would be happy for it to compete, especially against the NEX-7. For one thing, that would allow me to transfer my lust to something other than S*ny. Also, if K-mount means the body stays a little larger, that’s fine by me: my Lumix GH2 is the limit of miniaturisation that I find usable in practice; ergonomics count for a lot.
Raist3d
4 weeks ago |Considering how big the Nex mount lenses are, I would say your point is virtually irrelevant here. I think there’s merit co contrast detect AF with the existing mount if done well, and still a smaller body.
pete
5 weeks ago |Many K-mount lenses are screw-driven and it is very difficult to design an AF adapter. AF lenses are not fun to MF because of the short focus throw and the lack of dampening.
Perhaps they can have a collapsible lens mount like the Mamiya 6. I very much appreciate the native support of the K-mount.
I hate mirrors and I do not understand why we still have them in cameras. It is just there to blur up my pictures.
Personally I think FF is not necessary. The 16MP and 24MP sensors are really pretty good. Perhaps the price of 645D will come down and take the role of full frame? I am a fan of medium format but I cannot afford/justify spending $10K on a camera body.
Berneck
5 weeks ago |Wow, doesn’t sound too promising….
inteliboy
5 weeks ago |True, FF vs APS-C quality is really not too much of a debate these days. Though FF allows you to use decades of glass (+more via adaptors) at their actual focal length. Plus you get nice DOF control.
By chance we really found a sweet spot with 35mm film, it’s a shame it’s taking years and years for digital to get back on track – if it ever does.
Miroslav
5 weeks ago |There is one way Pentax could make K-mount mirrorless and keep compatibility with old lenses: movable sensor with on sensor PDAF. When an “old” lens is mounted, sensor moves further, while with new lens, designed for mirrorless, it moves closer. With PD on sensor, there is no need for mirror, but there could be no OVF.
The only drawback is that body would be thicker than other mirrorless cameras. They could make “thin” models compatible with mirrorless lenses only.
Alex
5 weeks ago |Let me guess… they’re talking about this:
http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/i-hope-marc-newson-can-make-a-better-pentax-k-design-than-that-one/
Ugly – check
No viewfinder – check
Very old prototype that won’t be put in production – chec.. oops!
Bill
5 weeks ago |It wasn’t the size of the K-5, in fact I thought that size, which is similar to a Canon Rebel, was about right. I just could see no need for a Rube Goldberg mirror box in the age of digital. Plus, unlike many others, I prefer contrast detect autofocus afforded by a mirrorless design (no front/back focus issues). But I would not under any circumstances own a camera without a viewfinder. As much as I adore those Pentax pancake lenses, no viewfinder, no sale.
Bob B.
5 weeks ago |+1000
acuberos
5 weeks ago |The tweeter account is from a spanish photo web site from a pro photographer (Valentin Sama) that usually was contacted to test prototype of cameras. In the past I read several “rumours” from him that all were true.
In photorumours.com they posted that the camera was big and has a brick like design, not the same as the 2006 Pentax ugly design. It looks that the 2006 design is the base of the new camera, but it should be different in design and features.
Don
5 weeks ago |sounds perfect to me.
built like a brick— by an industrial designer… I suspect it will draw inspiration from apple’s macbook pros…machined from a solid aluminum block….. that means it could easily be weather sealed! also means that like the 645d, it probably has tripod mounts on the bottom and side…
no built in evf, means optional evf or optical finders…most pro’s doing video with d-slrs are using Marshal or similar separate monitors anyways.. build it up or down depending on your shooting needs… nice!
keeping the k-mount is great… some compatibility for older lenses possibility of building new lenses that are small enough to sit recessed into the body (who other than Pentax has a rich history of miniaturizing cameras and lenses?)
if it can shoot 2 hrs of video without overheating (the unibody aluminum macbooks body works like a giant heat sinc to help cool the computer for eg) and can match the k5 for still image quality… people will learn to love it, even if some french magazine writer thinks it’s ugly.
mng
5 weeks ago |First one is a small toy with professional price tag, then this one is a big ass without evf. Really? Pentax.
Don
5 weeks ago |some dayz I swear Canikon hired a bunch of trolls to go brand bashing… lol!
Have fune guys, when this is released, it will be well received by photographers, and not by the trolls that wish they knew how to take decent photos.
acuberos
5 weeks ago |I am not a troll and the information did not came from a troll. It came from the twitter account of a very good spanish photography web site: http://www.dslrmagazine.com/ This web site was created by a professional photographer(Valentin Sama).
Don
5 weeks ago |who buys the ads that pays his bills?
acuberos
5 weeks ago |¿?
Charlie
5 weeks ago |“Ugly is as ugly does” — Forrest Gump
acuberos
5 weeks ago |The camera should look like a brick according to photorumours.com
Don
5 weeks ago |Pentax spends too little on advertizing to get fair treatment from smaller magazines, so I don’t put much into reviews.. but the info so far is that the new camera has the sensor of the k-5, a fine performer, and according to dxo labs, this new camera may be a class leader image quality wise.
Uh...
5 weeks ago |Man, do not feed the trolls.
Camaman
5 weeks ago |No VF is something they could have gotten away with and could have made 3 years ago. then they would be “first”
If it has no VF it just goes to show how much attention they really have with the market.
It will be a quick shoot and miss, added to the pile with their Q system…
EE
5 weeks ago |Well said, I think that’s accurate. Unless the new FF is compact and or mirrorless… Pentax is essentially sleepwalking into failure.
spanky
5 weeks ago |Sure is ugly. No way I’m buying that. Looks like my Holga, and I’d rather shoot the Holga…
Paul
5 weeks ago |It is a K-r replacement. It is meant as an entry level camera. People buying this thing are use to Powershots and Cybershots. They have never had a VF on a camera before. Why would Pentax put one it?
Pentax is making the best P&S camera on the market. They have hired a consumer designer and promised lots of pretty colors. The new Sony sensor has such good DR they don’t even have to worry about getting exposure right.
I think a lot of people will be disappointed when this comes out.
axel
5 weeks ago |I suppose it will look like this, but no viewfinder and with a lens mount in the center of the body: http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/pentax/optio_33wr-review/index_pfv.shtml
Bob B.
4 weeks ago |LOL…that is brick-like.
acuberos
4 weeks ago |ha ha…
acuberos
4 weeks ago |The people from Photorumours could receive information about this new Pentax Optio with 2 shutter-release button, a second zoom lever and 2 tripod socket… It was boxy, but not more than most compact cameras (and it was not an ugly camera). I still hope that the rumour abput the ugly design was false…
http://photorumors.com/2012/01/25/the-new-pentax-optio-vs20-compact-camera-has-two-shutter-release-buttons/#more-19302
acuberos
4 weeks ago |The Optio RS1500 is a brick like compact camera, a small brick but too boxy for my taste…
http://www.pentaximaging.com/digital-camera/Optio_RS1500_White
Phillip Brooks
4 weeks ago |I have my Sears KS-1000 (Ricoh XR-1) and collection of lenses from high school (early 80s yearbook photog.) still in my closet.
Gimme a MILC K-mount that isn’t mega$ and I might break out the old glass!