Was Pentax Smart?

Before I go any further I need to make something VERY clear: I love Pentax dSLRs and their superb lenses. They are my first choice every time as fine photographic equipment. With that said, I need to explain why I question some of their decisions.

Prior to the Pentax acquisition by Ricoh from Howa they made some significant choices that really seem odd to me. In the past year Pentax has introduced two mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILCs) the Pentax Q and the Pentax K-01. Again, don’t get me wrong, I love the MILC concept, it’s very 21st Century.

Here are the problems I see with the two Pentax MILCs. The Pentax Q is by far and away the smallest camera we’ve used in the class and that’s because of the tiny sensor. It takes surprisingly nice pictures but a bigger sensor would have allowed for even better pictures. Because it’s so new, there are very few interchangeable lenses available and no lenses from the independent lens makers (yet).

As for the K-01, it has a much larger sensor and the standard Pentax K lens mount. These are big pluses and really make the camera useful. However, choosing to have a big time designer create the new “simplified” design must have cost them a bundle. Their add campaign has been stressing the design more than the great improvements in sensor and hardware the K-01 has.

It may be that I’m short sighted and don’t have the big picture here so I’ll wait and see what happens. Pentax may be brilliant and I just don’t see it.