I think creating another Pentax mirrorless camera would be pretty easy for them to do.
I’m about to propose an idea that’s positively insane. First off, it involves Pentax. They’re a camera company with an incredibly rich history. If you’re a film shooter, you probably swear by your Pentax 67. And currently, they’re choosing to simply stick to DSLRs. Why? I’m not sure. Gear Editor Brett Day I know still likes his Pentax DSLRs. But I’m visually impaired and have been long over them. Reviews Editor Hillary Grigonis still owns a Nikon DSLR. Overall, there’s a minority of folks who still like them. However, I think that Pentax gave up prematurely on mirrorless cameras. Their last solid entry was the Pentax K-01. It was oddly received at the time with its APS-C sensor inside a K-mount body. We liked it back in the day, according to our review. I believe it’s time for Pentax to bring it back.
In our review, we stated:
“The design of this camera is unique, a great idea which was decently executed. It moved the cozy traditional stuff to the side and dared to be different. The K-01 could have been better though. The great thing is that this is a 01. It leaves room for lots of improvement. From a geeky engineering standpoint the technology is appreciated.”
But unfortunately, we never got a successor. I wanted one.
Here’s what I think Pentax should make:
- A 36MP full-frame camera with an EVF and an LCD screen
- The EVF will be a beautiful, matte screen.
- K mount or M42 screw mount. Not Micro Four Thirds, I’m talking about the same mount that the Pentax Spotmatic had.
- A weather-resistant body in brass. Though I’m even willing to give up the weather resistance in this rare case.
- No autofocus. Instead, give it some of the best focus peaking out there.
- Cool, creative fun filters for black and white, bleach bypass, etc.
- A body similar to the old Pentax K1000 or the Pentax Spotmatic
- No automatic mode. Just manual and aperture priority
- A functional touchscreen that works with the menu system too
- USB C
- Wifi/Bluetooth
- Single or Dual SD card slots
All of this, I think, would do incredibly well. If they priced it lower, they could take a whole ton of money. Just think, they wouldn’t even have to make lenses necessarily. There are so many already on the market if they go with screw-mount options. They’d simply make money back on the cameras. And since manufacturers push the sales of cameras more than lenses, then it would be very sustainable.
Best yet, this would be an incredible Pentax camera for someone to learn with. There would be no AI built-in for someone brand new to use. Instead, you’ll need to really work with the camera and think carefully. It would be a true creator’s camera and not something for brainless photography. Combine this with the weather sealing and the patina it will develop to make it a true lust object. I’d totally buy this camera. Most importantly, Pentax would have found a genius way of taking advantage of the second-hand market. They’ll have found a way to effectively support it while telling photographers to buy their camera.
If this special mirrorless Pentax camera is around $1,000 or $1,200, it will sell like crazy. I’m specifically choosing this pricing because Canon did so with the Canon EOS RP. Pentax would be recycling ancient technology, and so it would be a fair price. Around the holidays, the price could drop down even more.
What do you think, though? We’d be thrilled to hear from you in the comments below.