{
  "id": 6437513,
  "title": "Pentax DSLRs have been ditched for an entirely new concept… that’s, somehow, still a DSLR. Here’s what I think that means",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/pentax-dslrs-have-been-ditched-for-an-entirely-new-concept-thats",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-09T15:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Amateur Photographer",
    "slug": "amateur-photographer",
    "url": "https://amateurphotographer.com/latest/opinion/pentax-dslrs-have-been-ditched-for-an-entirely-new-concept-thats-somehow-still-a-dslr-heres-what-i-think-that-means/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ricoh recently announced that it is discontinuing production of its current Pentax K series digital SLRs while simultaneously developing a new series of digital SLR cameras based on an entirely new concept. This announcement has raised more questions than answers. Re-inventing the DSLR is like re-inventing the wheel, and there are only so many ways you can take the DSLR concept before it stops being a DSLR. The brand has shown reluctance to enter the mirrorless market, likely due to a past attempt at a polarizing camera, the Pentax K-01. However, the company's statement of leveraging its long-standing K-mount legacy suggests that the new cameras will still use the same mount. The question remains, how much of a new concept are we dealing with here?\n\nYoung photographers today are looking for lightweight, portable cameras. This makes me think of the Pentax Q compact system camera series, which originally featured tiny 1/2.3-inch sensors, later upgraded to 1/1.7-inch. The Q series still falls short of the APS-C sized chips found in consumer DSLRs. Could we be looking at a Pentax Q APS-C with a larger sensor? Perhaps a camera body that combines a smaller size with improved performance? However, this would imply the result is a mirrorless camera rather than a DSLR, as adding a mirrorbox to a mirrorless camera body is not feasible due to space constraints.",
  "summary": "Pentax DSLRs have long been the last bastion of a dying format. But now it’s announced it’s killing off current ‘K’ series without showing us its replacement. Has it therefore killed its chances of survival with it? The post Pentax DSLRs have been ditched for an entirely new concept… that’s, somehow, still a DSLR. Here’s what I think that means appeared first on Amateur Photographer .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}