Ricoh released the next interview with Dpreview. And they confirmed once more they do not want to jump on the Mirrorless trend:

Currently mirrorless, especially full-frame mirrorless, is a movement. So many users are interested in this new category of camera: full-frame mirrorless. Mirrorless itself has its own benefits [and] appealing point to the users: they can check their images before hitting the shutter button, through the EVF. But on the other hand, DSLRs have their own benefits: users can enjoy the beautiful image through the optical viewfinder and then imagine different ways of taking photos using different settings, they can imagine the consequence of taking the picture.

I imagine, in two or three years, some users who bought mirrorless cameras will return to DSLRs

We have been studying various possibilities when it comes to development, but we believe both mirrorless and DSLR have their own appeal. I imagine, in two or three years, some users who bought mirrorless cameras will return to DSLRs or choose to use both systems, because each has its own benefits.

Yes, I agree, DSLR will see a comeback in 2-3 years, and the earth will be proven flat too…

Now this is once more going to start a new fanboy war! Tony Northrup made new predictions about the future of the mirrorless and DSLR mounts. Based on some data (like this Amazon Camera Ranking) and a lot of guessing Tony believes Canon and Nikon mirrorless segment is a flop. Even worse, he thinks Panasonic L-mount is a dead-end system.tt

And than he made this stunning graph….joking Tony ;)  to display the likelihood of the mount survival:

Basically he thinks Sony E-mount and Fuji X-mount are the most “future proof” mounts. While the Fuji GFX, MFT and Nikon Z are “uncertain” to be continued. He is 99% sure Pentax and L-mount are doomed.

As usual I invite commenters to be polite and be rationale in their answers if they do not agree with Tony!

Lomo announced their first Full Frame Petzval lens. Here is the press text:

New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 MKII Brass

Sporting a solid, satin-finished exterior, the Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 is sure to turn heads and keep them turned for years to come. Available with Sony E, Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts!

The First Petzval Designed for Mirrorless
We are introducing the first Petzval Art Lens built specifically for full-frame mirrorless cameras. Coming standard with mounts for Canon RF, Nikon Z and Sony E – the New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 has been streamlined with a robust, modern build quality and requires no pesky adaptors.

Dual Aperture System
The brass edition features an 8-blade diaphragm aperture system regulated by a control knob, providing it with both authenticity and a vintage feel. On top it hosts a classic waterhouse aperture system allowing to tweak the bokeh with exceptional shapes.

Engineered Harmony
Featuring a new bokeh control ring, improved optic design and dual aperture system – you can manually manipulate your shots to achieve any desired style. The New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 offers reliability and top-tier professional quality without sacrificing its vintage styling.

A Tribute to Joseph Petzval’s Legacy
Preserving the vintage quality and feel while boasting the uniformity and compatibility of present-day technology, we’ve combined the legendary 180 year old aesthetic with the dependability of today’s lenses.

Improved Bokeh Control – Deliciously Dreamy to Strikingly Sharp
Rather than changing the aperture to modify the bokeh effect, the New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 includes a dedicated bokeh control ring – an improvement that gives this lens more flexibility than any other traditional lens.

Rest-assured with the New Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 brass edition, you will be in possession of an art lens of the highest quality. Known for their robustness and durability, brass lenses are sought-after for the classic aesthetic they embody. The Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 brass edition is no exception – sporting a solid, satin-finished exterior, it’s sure to turn heads and keep them turned for years to come.

Along with classic brass, the Petzval 55 mm f/1.7 comes in a brass coated with a sleek, painted-black finish, as well as the modern looking, black-anodized aluminum edition. All finishes are compatible with Canon RF, Nikon Z and Sony E mounts, be sure to choose the option that fits your equipment.

You can now proerder the new GFX100:
In USA at BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera and Amazon.
In EU at Calumet DE, Park Cameras UK and Jessops UK.

What a stunning piece of tech! See some of the first hands-on videos:

Peak design has just launched a compltely new kind of Tripod on Kickstarter (Click here). Usually there is little incremental improvement on tripods but Peak Design completely rethinked it:

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Traditional travel tripods have a critical flaw: tons of wasted space. The result is a tool that is inherently difficult to carry with you into the field. We fixed that, and more.

We spent 4 years redesigning the tripod from the ground up to eliminate dead space and minimize packed-down size.

But we didn’t stop at space savings.

We made a tool that deploys and packs down rapidly—nearly twice as fast as a traditional tripod. We made it intuitive and delightful to use. We engineered professional-quality stability and performance. And we added thoughtful features to help you get the shot— with any gear, in any environment, from any point of view.

But there is really MUCH MORE to ssee if you jump over on their Kickstarter page (Click here).

Well this is a surprise:

A reliable source reported on Pentax Forum that the

‘Pentax ownership belongs to HOYA, the right to use belongs to Ricoh, and the lease contract expires in 2020. Maybe this is why Ricoh does not continue to develop Pentax.’

It would be a serious surprise if Ricoh couldn’t use the Pentax brand name from 2020 towards. I hope Ricoh will still manage to extend the terms of use!