K-7 Initial Impressions

[eagle]

My brief summary:

AF speed is noticeably faster with HSM; quite snappy indeed.

Shutter is awesome

Viewfinder are sensational.

Quiet and fast shutter

For me, jury is out on ISO performance. Is better, but will have to see how much better.

I love the shutter

Camera feels fantastic to hold.

Did I mention the shutter?

[bentax]

This is the Pentax I've been waiting for.

My major nitpik with the camera so far, and I expect reading the manual will
answer it, is that the camera defaults to the rocker switch panel
controlling the Fn functions rather than the AF point select, and I haven't
found a menu option that will let me change it. This makes it really easy
(possibly too easy) to adjust Fn settings, but it will be frustrating until I
get used to having to push the OK button every time I turn the camera on so
that the rockers adjust the AF point.

Hopefully I'll find a solution in the manual, but if not, I hope Pentax
writes it into a firmware update so that the camera will remember that
setting, along with the other settings it is happy to remember.

Im in that boat too.
It will also default back to "Fn" functions not only from turning the camera off/on, but also anytime diving into menus/playback and mode changes.
There needs to be a option to save OK function until OK is hit again.

Also along the same line... "center AF point" by hitting AF button has been taken from us. It use to be 3rd option in the menu under "AF button function". Why disable that?

WB status change isnt viewable without menu diving (or having that annoying status screen popup).
On the K20 a little WB shows on the top display when whitebalance is anything other than auto.
Cant see if there is even a spot for it on the top screen of my K7.

Protecting images takes too many steps. (Not possible by AE-L in Playback a-la K20. Why?) But its a much better interface once you do get back there protecting.

Delete all is not possible with 2 clicks of delete button (and OK).
Not too bad though, its right there in the menu.

Give us our options back please.

But thanks for giving us Slow Shutter speed NR - off!
and
Remote control in Bulb - press to start exposure, press again to finish!

Well thats the oddities out of the way.
Other than that, all the good things youve heard about the focus speed and lockability*, shutter sound, viewfinder, whitebalance, fps, grip/feel are true.
Hell, Im even going to throw in metering as another step up.

Nice that we've changed back the focus mode dial too.

Oh also ISO button is ever so slightly awkward to get to for me but its fine now i dont try get my fingertip too it.

Green button is badass in the new position.

Info screen is great! (the one with the quick settings, not the default status screen)

In playback mode can crop and re-size photos in-camera.

Dust Removal action is hilarious now, barely audible squeek instead of that rocking thunder.

Electronic Level Display is great, pity we cant get a meter display at the same time (or can we? thought i seen a mention of this somewhere?) Doubt it though as it looks like they use the same graph.

The only real bad thing is its hard to swap between the K20 and K7 ATM, they are different enough that my shooting process has to change.

* The very outter focus points (10 and 11?) pretty much act like previous bodies when attempting focus. (Not an issue for most in most situations)
One more thought... video mode AF is bogus. Very hard to get to lock before filming.
P.S. Steps to video is: click to Video mode, Focus, Click Shutter. I seen somewhere someone said the steps were too many because you have to press Liveview first, this is not the case.


This is a quick video mode clip from out riding today. DA 15mm.

http://www.vimeo.com/5459425

[thibs]

The only real bad thing is its hard to swap between the K20 and K7 ATM, they are different enough that my shooting process has to change.

A pity.. you'll have to buy a second K-7 and sell that K20D

[bentax]

^^^ Thats in the works

Couple bangers

[Maffer]

Electronic Level Display is great, pity we cant get a meter display at the same time (or can we? thought i seen a mention of this somewhere?) Doubt it though as it looks like they use the same graph.

Well this sounds like a problem. When I prepare for the average exposure for an HDR sequence I'll meter around the image and obviously need the metering display. Do I have to dive into some menu to get the leveling meter to show or disable it? Quick peek at hotshoe-mounted bubble-level would be faster.

[Lowell Goudge]

Wheatfield, I have a question for you. I understand that you like to use the old MF glass quite a bit, but have you tried some M42 glass on the K-7 yet? I am just wondering about how the metering works when you've got a takumar on there in AV mode? On my K200D you have to dial in from +1 to +2 EV depending on what aperture you are at. I never understood why this metering mode gave different exposure settings than the green button in M mode. Hopefully this has been fixed on the K-7. I am expecting mine in about a week

Thanks for any info you've got.

I have not done a ton of testing yet, but I found that with K mounts, (at least my 135F2.5 it still under exposes wide open, but stopped down performance is much better, I also find that metering when using sigma tc's on my 70-200F2.8 is now spot on as opposed to over exposing by 1-1.3 stops.

Like most, I have not had enough time to play yet.

biggest thing I don't like is the status screen. I like the info it provides, but it seems to have a mind of its own as to when it comes on. and flashing on very bright when you have your eye up to the view finder does cause some annoying loss of low light eyesight adjustment at night. I have turned it off at present

[kittykat46]

Im in that boat too.
Also along the same line... "center AF point" by hitting AF button has been taken from us. It use to be 3rd option in the menu under "AF button function". Why disable that?


Delete all is not possible with 2 clicks of delete button (and OK).
Not too bad though, its right there in the menu.

Pentax K7 meets Dial-on on Vimeo

I think they took out the "center AF point" option for the AF button because they now have a real video mode, where the AF button is the only way to get the lens to autofocus using Contrast-Detection AF (half-press shutter button doesn't do AF in video mode. )

If somebody forgot to set the center AF point option off, you would be left with NO autofocus function, unless you dive into the menu again, which would be really annoying.
I suppose they could have interlocked it so that "If in Live View or Video Mode, AF button only functions to trigger Autofocus".

I once found (very unfortunately) having Delete All as an option on the Del button can be very dangerous. Even though it did ask me to confirm, I was hurrying through in semi-darkness and ended up deleting the entire contents of my SD card, instead of just one photo. I'd agree with them burying Delete All in the menu.

[ManuH]

I once found (very unfortunately) having Delete All as an option on the Del button can be very dangerous. Even though it did ask me to confirm, I was hurrying through in semi-darkness and ended up deleting the entire contents of my SD card, instead of just one photo. I'd agree with them burying Delete All in the menu.

I miss the "Delete All", it was one of the little things I didn't like on the K-m. Protecting people from doing stuping thing is OK but it would be nice if we could have the option to have this function.

I'll also miss center AF point on AF button press. It's already a bit annoying to have to press the OK button to select your points, now you cannot move it back quickly to center...

[nulla]

I miss the "Delete All", it was one of the little things I didn't like on the K-m. Protecting people from doing stuping thing is OK but it would be nice if we could have the option to have this function.

I'll also miss center AF point on AF button press. It's already a bit annoying to have to press the OK button to select your points, now you cannot move it back quickly to center...

Prior to hitting delete for one photo.. try minimizing back to a folder icon by using the rear dial ... then hit delete.


Neil

[farfisa]

My major nitpik with the camera so far, and I expect reading the manual will
answer it, is that the camera defaults to the rocker switch panel
controlling the Fn functions rather than the AF point select, and I haven't
found a menu option that will let me change it. This makes it really easy
(possibly too easy) to adjust Fn settings, but it will be frustrating until I
get used to having to push the OK button every time I turn the camera on so
that the rockers adjust the AF point.

I'm also hoping we'll se a quick firmware update for this--I never minded going into menus for the Flash, Drive mode, WB and Custom Image: these aren't things I change that often, if at all, in the course of a shoot.

AF point selection is key to my shooting style though. I tried out a k-m and there was a lot to like about that little camera, but I couldn't get past the lack of AF point selection.

All in all, the K-7 is a beautiful piece of equipment. I forgot how long I spent trying to nail all of my focus adjustments, so my first images haven't really been up to the quality I saw from the K20, but I know it's in there!

Image tone seems a little different than from the K20--a little cooler, or it could just be the weather?

The video quality is fantastic though--I don't see any noise or artifact or aliasing in the 720p footage.

[ManuH]

Prior to hitting delete for one photo.. try minimizing back to a folder icon by using the rear dial ... then hit delete.

Thanks, great tip!

[ManuH]

AF point selection is key to my shooting style though. I tried out a k-m and there was a lot to like about that little camera, but I couldn't get past the lack of AF point selection.

Same for me, I'll probably sell the K-m because of that... On the K-7 they made it more difficult to select the points, maybe I'll get used to it but it doesn't feel right IMHO. Overall I'm not too happy with the U.I. on the K-7, I still prefer the K20D/K10D line of cameras. I don't like the dial lock at all, you need 3 fingers to turn it uncomfortably. The best in this regard is the K-m, I could change the mode with just the thumb. I don't like the new strap lugs that tend to make a cling-cling noise. Opening the internal flash is very well damped making much less noise than previous models. I don't like the new SD card door, too difficult to get the card out. I don't like the new rubber doors either, they're cumbersome to open and close.

Fortunately the body is better balanced with a deeper and more comfortable grip. The shutter sound is really special, never heard that on any Pentax or any other DSLR for that matter. It's like using a muffled gun, it's that silent. The mirror black out is also much shorter than the K20D. AF seems more assured as everyone noticed. In AF-C I note that once the K-7 has a lock it doesn't change for no reason. On the K20D it was really annoying that even if the target didn't move the AF would be readjusting.

For whatever reason the high ISO doesn't seem as good as my K20D. This is in RAW. The K-7 seems to have less detail left, but it's just a first impression and I'll wait to get my K20D back from repair to draw any conclusion about that.

[*isteve]

Same for me, I'll probably sell the K-m because of that... On the K-7 they made it more difficult to select the points, maybe I'll get used to it but it doesn't feel right IMHO. Overall I'm not too happy with the U.I. on the K-7, I still prefer the K20D/K10D line of cameras. I don't like the dial lock at all, you need 3 fingers to turn it uncomfortably. The best in this regard is the K-m, I could change the mode with just the thumb. I don't like the new strap lugs that tend to make a cling-cling noise. Opening the internal flash is very well damped making much less noise than previous models. I don't like the new SD card door, too difficult to get the card out. I don't like the new rubber doors either, they're cumbersome to open and close.

Fortunately the body is better balanced with a deeper and more comfortable grip. The shutter sound is really special, never heard that on any Pentax or any other DSLR for that matter. It's like using a muffled gun, it's that silent. The mirror black out is also much shorter than the K20D. AF seems more assured as everyone noticed. In AF-C I note that once the K-7 has a lock it doesn't change for no reason. On the K20D it was really annoying that even if the target didn't move the AF would be readjusting.

For whatever reason the high ISO doesn't seem as good as my K20D. This is in RAW. The K-7 seems to have less detail left, but it's just a first impression and I'll wait to get my K20D back from repair to draw any conclusion about that.

This is a real issue which I fed back to Pentax in late May when I tested a pre-prod version. There are several issues, but the main one is that when using it at night, you want to avoid lighting up the rear screen for no reason (takes ages to get your night vision back) and because its just darned annoying if you are shooting on a tripod with gloves on because pressing the centre button is quite hard.

I suggest that in FP select mode, the default should be FP selection, and you should have to press a button to access the 4 way selector, not the other way round.

[bentax]

I suppose they could have interlocked it so that "If in Live View or Video Mode, AF button only functions to trigger Autofocus".

Exactly. There seems to be a lot of people disappointed with this so hopefully we get a fix. I also noted the sd card removal difficulty. The battery sure does like to spring out though.

[Arpe]

I also find that metering when using sigma tc's on my 70-200F2.8 is now spot on as opposed to over exposing by 1-1.3 stops.

Good to hear. I always dial in -0.5 with my Sigma 70-200.