Nope, Kobie, tha's not going to happen soon. They seem strong enough to get customized ICs produced for them. I'm pretty sure about that - even if we consider Ricoh a small player on the camera market. You don't have to be a world leader to order some special parts.

I do not think sensor is an issue. Sony is offering currently 4 35mm-types sensors that don't have PDAF points on them: 61 Mpx IMX455AQK-C and ALK-C (color and monochrome), 45Mpx IMX366AJK and old 20ish Mpx IMX410CQK. All of those are "DSLR" sensors with no PDAF pixels on them. Besides you can always use sensor with PDAF on it and simply not use signal from PDAF array at all. Now dedicated PDAF sensor is different manner but K-3 Mk III is still produced so someone has to make those (or Pentax stockpiled enough to keep up with production). Maybe they got parts and K-1 Mk III is ready for production (out of prototype stage) but too expensive to actually introduce on market? As for what brand is Pentax-like? None. There is DSLR manufacturer out there and if you cut of SLR part out of Pentax cameras they are nothing special at all specs-wise.

Yeah, why didn’t you drink the full frame Pentax cool-aid?😂

I am just hoping for a blank and white monochrome Ricoh gr3😊

They can join micro 43:) or other open source platforms

Es triste, pero tienes toda la razón. Cada vez habrá menos fabricantes de componentes para cámaras con espejo y por desgracia para Pentax creo que terminará comiéndose sus palabras o, peor aún, muriendo. Yo personalmente noto que ya no hay fabricantes de objetivos con montura K, me veo limitado para la compra de flashes y otros accesorios, así que yo ya he optado por comprar una Nikon Z5 de segunda mano y poco a poco ir comprando flashes y objetivos. Hace poco me he comprado un Meike 85mm F1.8, nuevo, por 145 euros, ¿qué marca de objetivos tiene algo similar para Pentax? Que yo conozca ninguna. Que conste que aún conservo mi K3 y mi K5, pero creo que no durarán mucho más tiempo junto a mi. Ojalá cambien el pensamiento y apuesten por las sin espejo, entonces puede ser que adquiera una nueva Pentax.

With the speelight on top of the trigger, can you now control that speedlight on top by using the trigger? Or do you still control the power of that speedlight on top though the speedlight itself?

I have used the 100 DFA water-resistant years. Likely my most used lens because I love macro. Being waterproof and tiny it has many trips into the tropics. Full rainstorms, damp caves, etc doesn't miss a beat. A few downsides over other macro options for Pentax K mount users. 1) The filter threD is very thin. Mine was damaged in a fall and Precision Camera repairs in the US said they couldn't repair it as they had no parts for it, which is strange. I had to re-buy the lens. 2) It scuffs up pretty easy and looks like he** after a year or so of heavy use. 3) the fact it changes length as you focus. 4) it is only 1:1 magnification. I have several other macro k mount lenses, but the one I use provided it will not be raining and weight isn't an issue is the manual focusing Laowa 100mm f2.8 macro lens that goes to 2:1 that is an internal focusing lens. A shout out to the 200mm f4 A and 100mm f4 A lenses; they both have the beautiful Pentex focus feel that is lacking in the 100mm DFA f2.8

Do you prefer the Pentax 100mm macro more than the Irix 150mm Dragon, not including the obvious manual focus of the Irix?

Yes I have this problem on my 2011 Equus. Actually though, I prefer the DRL off. I will try this trick anyway to see if it works. Both DRL suddenly not working one day and was thinking it couldn't be the bulbs burning out at the same time

In all seriousness i can't thank you enough for not abandoning Pentax.

You may want to get the Wimberley “The Plamp II” to help hold the plant stems. I find it works rather well in the conditions you were experiencing.

Your engagement on that last video was pretty good though. I guess you need to take the bad with the good. Nice lens that, but I'll stick to my A* 200/4 macro. My 2nd favorite lens, even if I have to focus it myself.

I absolutely love ❤️ the WR f2.8 macro, sharp and well built. Just like the FA 35 mm f2.

Kobie Courteney Victoria does interesting videos on Macro photography using a Nikon DSLR and a 100mm Macro lens . I have had no desire to do Macro photography i much perfer landscapes and wildlife photography

Compared with my back garden, your 'wilderness' is a carefully lanscaped and maintained wonder to behold!

I appreciate your posts Kobie, but you sure picked a bad day for macro in the garden. lol. FWIW, I typically use a sheet of heavy card to shield target objects from the wind if possible (as long as it's not impacting the natural light), allied that to the use of a 2 sec shutter delay. Maybe it'd be interesting to compare an indoor macro shot with and without using shutter delay. You seem to get away without it though. At present, my 100/F2.8 macro's set up on a copy stand as I'm digitising my negative collection. Definitely the right lens for that job...

I still love my heavy metal-and-glass Pentax F 100/2.8 macro lens. Just today thinking about it to have a walk shoting grass, flowers, leaves, spider nets etc ))

Mam tą nowszą 100, jestem bardzo zadowolona. Super że robisz filmy o Pentax K3, tak mało jest już osób fotografujących Pentaxem, że nie ma skąd czerpać wiedzy. Kocham mój aparat i nie chcę patrzeć na inne. Pozdrawiam z Polski.

I have a Pentax HD 100 mm and it is incredibly sharp. But I sharpen the photos by moving the camera and I take photos by hand. But I also liked your technique but I would use a smaller tripod for this. Greetings from Poland from the city "Fortress Przemyśl".

It just seems to me that any time i get the camera out the wind picks up!

Unrealistic wish: DSLR with added EVF and refined live-view AF etc. Of course using modern sensor. It will need both type of AF. Other option: Prepare nice AF adaptor for Kmount lenses and go without mirrorbox. Realistic expectation: They will release some K3mkIV with very minor upgrade and then let Kmount die like Q and P645. They are not going to catch competitors since they obviously underfunded R&D for last 14 years. And that is big gap. Fuji is closest. And I've added M4/3 with EM5III and some nice lenses like excellent 12-100/4... Not planning to sell 30+ Kmount lenses, but also not planning any more investments.

Hallo, sehr gutes Video. Ich wünsche dir ein schönes Wochenende. Gruß aus Bayern. Gruß Bernd

Another thought: the 35, 50, and 100 macro make a great travel kit!

Love the AW lens. Wind: sometimes shooting in ‘burst’ mode lets you capture the moment the object is in-between swings. Try it!

A disappointing downgrade from the original.

The imaging sensor is not an issue. It has been known for a while that mirrorless sensors can be used in a DSLR and even bring advantages to the DLSR in live view, they don't have to use the focusing componants baked into the sensor. Any Real non-price related componant acquisition issues that they have are likely related to the mirror box / shutter. Even if the day should come that the stand alone AF sensor for the DSLR type cameras stop being manufactured, they can still get around that by using a second image sensor in it's place. They are still in "where there is a will, there is a way" territory. I know it's not a well accepted opinion within the pentax user world, but I don't feel like Recoh ever intended to carry on the torche for pentax. Almost all the corperate actions from Ricoh have been the actions I would expect from an acquisitions company trying to eek the final usable income from a company before it dies and they dump it. What does go against this is that they did come out with the K-3iii and the 17. It feels like it may be a battle between TKO and Ricoh, but I don't get to see the internal workings of either company. What I do know is that the 17 has set them up for what seems like some good growth, but at this moment they don't seem to being trying to capitilize on it by annoincing a new DSLR or 2. Time will tell, but "the writing has been on the wall" since pentax started trading hands. Still, as frustrating as it is, I'm a die hard pentax fan and user. I'm still waiting on a K-1 MK3, though not patiently. i still desire for them to do well, and have no plans to switch, but they lack of progress/updates does get frustrating when you see that they already have tech they use that would impove things, but they haven't implemented it in 8 plus years.

I went for FF because of the availability of older lenses that fit and do what they were meant to do. Nikon FF DSLRs could do the same but they have abandoned that ability with their mirrorless. Don't talk to me about adaptors. I already had some Pentax film era lenses, and I have bought more since at crazy low bargain prices. I like the feel of a big camera anyway, used to have a 6x7.

Thanks for a great tutorial! I have a question, though. When I'm trying to play with the AF system to know it better, I don't get the info on which point(s) were selected by the camera. I believe I have the same settings as you do, but when I'm checking the image in the playback mode, none of the AF points are red highlighted (as in your video, for example at 16:00). What am I missing?

I have a solution, for it. They should make mirror-less in DSLR stile like the Sigma Quatro SD , and use the space inside to have built in interchangeable filters , for IR and effects with those several filter options,. Also that will retain using the DSLR lenses, as the K 01.

I have one but I own a huge array of manual lenses that desire it.

I have the AW version of the 100mm macro, my first “real” macro, it’s a sweet lens (even for regular use)

You could still use a mirrorless sensor in a dslr (read, a sensor with pdaf pixels) like nikon did in the d780. Its the imx410 sensor from the z6.

Sad.

How much do people needed an optical viewing system? I like OVFs and still have a Fuji and an old Canon DSLR with glass optics, but EVF resolution is getting better all the time and has practical advantages. I think Pentax are going to have to do a 180 on reflex cameras to survive, and come up with something different.

Cobie, ive had these thoughts over the past year, and its why i havent moved into the FF Pentax option (singular). Its not just the issue you bring up...its also no new Sigma or Tamron options is huge. During Covid i started picking up Nikon film cameras, F2, F4 and a number of theres along with non-AI, AI, AF lenses. I was able to pick up the AF-D 20-35/2.8, 35-70/2.8 and 80-200/2.8 for under $500 for all 3. So, ive got FF Nikon glass...but no digital ..so i started with the D700 and added a Z5 and a D600.

i doubt they will retry the mirrorless route again. see k-01 on google why. btw the af sensors in pentax don´t work like that.

Let us face it as much as we may love our AF DSLR's, if there are no AF sensors available there are only two ways to go. 1. Stop making DSLRs completely or 2. Accept that DSLR's are a niche as is Leica, so make a good quality MF DSLR with MF lenses, and give it a proper full size viewfinder with a microprism screen like the Pentax film cameras of old. This will of course upset the sports and wildlife Pentax users but it is better than having no new DSLR's at all. There should be some cross over in technology with their film project in any event so I am not all that gloomy any more about the Pentax future.

The issue of sourcing components has concerned me since the K-3III. They were also having component issues during development, but that time it seemed like it was due to COVID shortage issues. The same thing is happening with the K-1III. Like you, I also feel that many component manufacturers are cutting down on DSLR components & probably many others are not even bothering with DSLR components anymore. That will become a major issue in the long run. The K-1III is long overdue. If Ricoh is 100% dead set on DSLRs & film SLRs, they'll probably get to a point where they'll need to start manufacturing a lot of components themselves. That or they bite the bullet & do something like Sony's DSLT technology (pellicle mirror), which would annoy me & many others who like OVFs. Even mirrorless is a possibility, but they'd be super late in an already saturated mirrorless market. With that being said, I plan on running my APS-C Pentax gear until at least the end of 2030. By then, we will have seen what Ricoh has done with Pentax. I'll definitely know if I keep buying Pentax gear or I gradually start to make the shift to FF Nikon Z-mount with a possible Z6IV or Z6V. Something's gonna give by then.

Great Info! Thanks

I love Pentax, but last year I got a used Panasonic s1 for around 700 usd. Bought a couple of adapters and is my main full frame body. At this point I don't even care about autofocus just having access to a decent sensor and a lens catalog. If they continue their film path I will support them but I'm pretty much done with them on digital.

I wonder if on-chip phase detection would work behind a beam splitting prism, like the ancient Olympus E-10 and E-20N used. Those were neat cameras, and while you lost about 1/3 stop of light, it deleted mirror slap. You listening, Ricoh?

Loyalty is a two way street and when the SDM motor failed in my 300mm telephoto and the auto focus could not meet my use case - with no solution on the horizon I went to Nikon. First with the D500 then both feet into their mirrorless system. When cameras used film, the SLR design made a lot of sense. Now with digital it doesn't. With the Z8 and 9 you don't even have the shutter. One can go totally silent! This is huge for wild life or not distracting at weddings or dogs on a course. No need to drag solutions meant for a different media simply because that is how you always built them. Pentax is going to away. To save face they could use a different brand name and produce a mirrorless camera so they can stay in the game but it's cut throat - not sure they can stay in the game. R&D is not cheap so only the big dogs can afford it. Maybe they could license older tech from the big 3, humble pie for a company that used to be a leader.

Hi, I switched from Pentax to Nikon at the start of 2020 and have never regretted it. Your talk certainly confirms why people should bite the bullet and do a switch. Sure it is expensive if you need a variety of lenses for your photography but if Pentax is now having difficulty getting parts for its cameras, then there is no future for the brand.

I agree, Kobie, that they need to get a K-1 mkIII to market soon. My fear is with supplier and other inflation issues that Pentax will price themselves out of the market. Pentax has always been known for providing a lot of "bang for the buck". If the new K-1 is too expensive, some people may still buy it but perhaps not enough. I don't like EVF. I don't like how they eat batteries. So I like OVF and will stay with that. Backward compatibility of the K-mount is one of their hallmarks. Have to keep that too. I have a young friend that just got a Pentax 17 and likes it! He also has a GRIII and it's a favorite of his because he can take it everywhere...it's so compact. Come on K-1mkIII !!!!

got the Pentax Q s1 and the K 01 are my everyday cameras and my k3 and my ks2 for work, i got also the panasonic g7 and its a mess in menus and functions, lots of customization, but still a mess. the quality an engeniring of the pentax lens are other great thing. i would love that pentax go mirrowles but with a great adapter to keep usig the legacy glass, or maintain the flange distance and rid of the mirrow like in the k 01 but with better tech.

I sometimes wonder about the future . Then I don’t , it’s not here yet. If it hasn’t happened it doesn’t matter. If and when it happens, I will deal with it at the time. Some of My Pentax gear is older and remains entirely functional . Until it stops working , I see no reason to change. My guess is there is a solution that comes at a cost. The price of the solution may be a a bigger problem than the actual supply. Meanwhile for those who want it , the K1 mkii has some fantastic discounts. Previously a good indicator of the next iteration?

Pentax to me is they are like Leica. They make haste slowly. You conduct a thoughtful channel.