Film SLRs were well established as the hobbyists’ camera of choice before they morphed into digital SLRs early 2000s. DSLRs then enjoyed almost a decade’s monopoly, until mirrorless cameras arrived as chief challenger.
Today, with mirrorless sales modest rather than remarkable, DSLR is seen as long in decline. Manufacturers have shied away from any new DSLRs in years. There’s always an exception however – and, notably, that’s Pentax.
I’ve always had a soft spot for a brand with a desire to do things differently. Witness its recent-ish Pentax 17 compact film camera.
Perhaps there is method in Pentax’s (in actuality, Ricoh’s) apparent DSLR madness too.
Niche appeal
Nowadays if anyone wants a brand new DSLR – as opposed to an older model, like Canon’s 2020 flagship EOS 1D-X Mark III, or Nikon’s D6 and D780 from the same year – Pentax is very much within the frame. However small the retail ‘pie’ for DSLR is, it’s increasingly reserved for them alone.
That said, it’s somewhat ironic that Canon has not announced a new DSLR for almost six years yet still reportedly manages to lead the DSLR market. There’s still vocal support for DSLR from those who favour an optical viewfinder, a longer battery life, access to a large second-hand lens market, plus generally greater robustness and durability. Pentax, with its ‘K’ lens mount, taps into all of this.
And, even if Pentax was to ditch DSLR and wholeheartedly pursue mirrorless – as it briefly did via its tiny sensor equipped and now largely forgotten ‘Q’ range – at this late stage in the game, it would be competing in an already crowded, fully mature market.
As a relatively small player lacking the development firepower of a Canon or Sony, I’d argue it’s better to cater for a niche market than none at all.
Despite its devotion to DSLR, new camera releases have slowed for Pentax, as they have for most other brands. Its K-3 Mark III (which had an even more niche Monochrome variant) appeared in 2021, while the Pentax KF, also APS-C, appeared a while ago too in 2022. With the official EU website currently showing both K-3 Mark III variants as out of stock – but the even older full frame K-1 DSLR still available – might we see a new iteration soon, or is the future looking opaque?
In my experience it’s rare to catch sight of Pentax DSLRs in UK camera shops or speak to anyone considering buying. Whenever I visit Japan, I do pop into Yodabashi Camera however and check that its models are still around. Japan also seems to be the country with the biggest visibility for the brand, even if its Far East market share is relatively small.
I don’t know what the future is for Pentax DSLRs. Like many in the industry I’m not alone in being impressed – and slightly mystified – that the brand and its offerings have survived this long.
For nostalgic reasons, I’m glad it’s still around in some shape or form. But, increasingly, that’s my heart speaking, not my head.
Related reading
- Another DSLR disappears from the market
- Are DSLRs really still better than mirrorless cameras?
- RIP the DSLR – these are the last remaining models still for sale
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]
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