I enjoy the familiarity of a well-used camera, and therefore I enjoy using my Pentax (and Canon) DSLRs. Old now, but familiar handling, with design that feels ‘just right’ to me. Like firing up an old Lenovo – nay – IBM ThinkPad laptop. Which is what I’m using to type this now. BUT at some point these electronic devices will stop working, and that leaves me wondering, will Pentax still be selling new DSLRs?
Sure Canon and Nikon DSLRs are still in shops (limited models), but that makes some sense whilst they sell off the last remaining stock, as they’ve fully committed to mirrorless. But it doesn’t make sense for Pentax to be in the same position, selling just a few DSLRs. With Pentax fully in the DSLR camp, shouldn’t there be much more activity?
The last time Pentax released a lens, in 2023, it was a reworking of the old 50mm f/1.4 lens. The last genuinely new lens was the 16-50mm F2.8 PLM from 2021 – 5 years ago.
The last new camera design was the Pentax K-3 Mark III released in 2021, and then the same camera was released, but with a monochrome sensor in 2023 (K-3 Mark III monochrome). Yet the only Pentax DSLRs you can still buy in the UK are the K1-II – from 2018 – 8 years ago, and the KF – released in 2022 (now 4 years ago!), just a slight update to the K-70 – itself from 2016. I don’t need to do the maths (or “do the math” if you’re in the US) – but will anyway: that’s 10 years ago! This would be like Fujifilm still selling the X-T2!
I don’t know about you, but this is less active than any other camera company on the market, and if you spend any time on internet forums then you’ll have seen people say “Micro Four Thirds is dead” even though they release a couple of cameras EVERY YEAR. Pentax DSLR releases are more like one camera every 3-4 years, and that’s if you’re lucky!
On a side-note – Ricoh do release new compact cameras, the extremely popular GR series seems to sell like hotcakes, as well as Pentax waterproof cameras (these seem to alternate between Ricoh and Pentax branding for unknown reasons). There’s also the Pentax 17 film camera, which seems to be a one-off project, as the designer no longer works there [source].
It all leaves me, as a Pentax fan, wondering what is really going on at Pentax DSLR headquarters? Pentax users remain a faithful bunch, and sites like pentaxuser.com continue to serve a strong community of followers, but how long can we wait in silence?
This is a plea to Pentax to let us know what is actually going on. If you know and want to set the record straight, get in touch with AP.
Until then, I, and most likely many others are going to be wondering if Pentax DSLRs are a brand to stick with, or is it time to look elsewhere?
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: [email protected]
Related reading:
- Why does Pentax believe there’s still life in DSLR, when others have ditched it?
- Now is the perfect time for the Pentax Q to make a comeback
- The DSLR is dead, no really, we mean it this time (except for Pentax)
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