Pentax May Have Lucked Out as Nikon and Canon Leave DSLRs Behind
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Loading... - Giorgia Parisi
- 21 Jul 2022
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Pentax could now be in the strange and advantageous position as the main beneficiary of the demise of the DSLR as both Canon and Nikon prepare to exit the space.
First, A Bit of History
Pentax is a household name that can trace its history back to 1919. It became a global brand, manufactured all principal camera types, and became one of the largest optical companies in the world before its sale to Ricoh in 2011.
The camera brand has a long and proud heritage in the camera industry, with a lineage of optics manufacture from the very beginning (for spectacles) through to its eventual purchase by Hoya. It manufactured military optics during World War 2, was disbanded, then reformed in 1948 when it continued with lens manufacturing, principally for (what became) Konica and Minolta.
With the increased popularity of the roll-film 35mm camera in the form of the Leica 1, the inter-war years were spent trying to solve the viewfinder problem. Leica went rangefinder, while the likes of Rollieflex pursued the twin lens reflex. The single lens reflex (SLR) arrived in 1936 and it was the post-war years that saw a flurry of development.
Pentax introduced the first SLR with an instant return mirror. Its technical achievements are many, including the Spotmatic (TTL metering), producing one million SLRs by 1966, TTL auto-exposure, and TTL auto-focus amongst a number of firsts. However, it is Pentax’s breadth that is impressive, including its medium format range (the 120 6×7 cameras), as well as the popular 110 Auto.
While Pentax had been successful in film, it was slow in releasing a digital camera with the *istD not arriving until 2003, well after Nikon and Canon.
It formed a strategic partnership with Samsung during what was arguably its most fertile digital period. In fact, it was the well-priced and innovative APS-C models that garnered attention, alongside its medium format 645D. The latter arrived to critical acclaim both for its quality and modest pricing. The dual APS-C/medium format strategy preceded Fujifilm by some six years and offered photographers a genuine choice.
Pentax was also quick with its mirrorless release; in fact it was innovative in releasing not one, but two, mirrorless models. The minuscule Q featured a 1/2.3″ IBIS sensor, while the later K-01 (using a Marc Newson-designed body) had an APS-C IBIS sensor but with a traditional K-mount. Unfortunately, both were failures and Pentax has never revisited its mirrorless graveyard. Read More...
