Pentax to replace discontinued DSLRs with new concept camera

Ricoh has announced the discontinuation of its current Pentax K-series digital SLR cameras. Simultaneously, the company says it is developing a new series of digital SLRs based on what it calls an entirely new concept, a move that raises significant questions about the future of the brand's camera design.

The manufacturer states that future developments will use the K-mount legacy accumulated over half a century. This suggests new cameras will maintain compatibility with existing Pentax lenses. The announcement comes as the brand was one of the few still committed to the DSLR format amid a declining market.

The mirrorless question

A central puzzle is how Ricoh plans to reinvent the DSLR. The author of the source report believes a truly new concept for Pentax would be to enter the mirrorless market wholeheartedly. Pentax has largely resisted this shift, possibly due to the polarising reception of its 2012 mirrorless K-01, designed by Marc Newson. The report questions whether the new concept could involve revisiting that approach.

Could the result be a mirrorless camera rather than a DSLR? The report argues that a smaller camera body delivering bigger-than-expected performance would be a sensible starting point for any new Pentax concept. However, it notes that simply adding a mirror box to a mirrorless body to create a DSLR is not feasible due to space constraints.

A potential compact revival

The speculation turns to the Pentax Q compact system camera series, discontinued years ago. Those cameras featured small sensors, initially 1/2.3-inch and later 1/1.7-inch, which were no match for the APS-C sensors in consumer DSLRs. The report wonders if the new concept could resemble a Pentax Q but with a K-mount and a larger sensor, perhaps an APS-C sized chip.

While Pentax Q users could previously use an adapter for K-mount lenses, the author suggests any successful new concept would not come with the "sales-killing proviso" of requiring an adapter. The desire for lightweight, portable cameras among younger photographers makes a compact form factor a logical direction.

Interpreting the announcement

The vague language of the announcement leaves room for interpretation. The report suggests that perhaps something was lost in translation and that Ricoh might mean 'DSLR-like' when it talks about a new concept, rather than a camera strictly definable as a DSLR. The author finds it bizarre that Ricoh would announce the axing of its current DSLRs before having anything concrete to show as a replacement.

Despite the uncertainty, the tease of something new and mysterious from Pentax prompts a cautious degree of excitement. The future of the brand's camera design now hinges on how it interprets its own legacy while attempting a radical reinvention.