[Adrian Owerko]

This is a bit more editorially responsible

Amateur Photographer delays Pentax K7 review news - Amateur Photographer - news, camera reviews, lens reviews, camera equipment guides, photography courses, competitions, photography forums

[soalle]

I was about to post it...
...
...
and at least there is an official source saying that the production camera will have a sensibly different sensor w.r.t. sample cameras...

[Light_Horseman]

I hope "full retail unit's" start turning up soon, because I want K-7 availability ASAP.

[Pentaxor]

finally, a more credible and ethically responsible camera review site.

what could that altered sensor be capable of?

[thibs]

It may be speed only, maybe reliability, maybe noise treatment, eletronics or... well a bunch of things.
It may have nothing to do with quality of pictures btw.

[Caat]

It may be speed only, maybe reliability, maybe noise treatment, eletronics or... well a bunch of things.
It may have nothing to do with quality of pictures btw.

Indeed. It could be something like power management as well.

[Dr_who]

I don't know much about camera equipment but I've read alot of beta testers have alot of differences between burst rates. Maybe its just a matter of lighting or subject or maybe they are still doing touch ups on the buffer size n the production models. Who knows, either way its definatly nice to see some one say hey why are we going to judge a beta version of a camera and publish results that may or may not be applicable in a month.

[RMabo]

Why don't you understand that the pre-production and beta units of the K-7 was just that - pre-production and beta units?!?!?! Why don't you understand that beta hardware also means beta version of the sensor, not production unit?

And why do you believe that the beta versions has just been released and that Pentax suddenly has made a "last minute change" to the sensor?

The beta units has been available for months of testing.
It is very expensive to build those beta units, since they are hand-built and not from a production run in the factory. So only a few beta units are available and those are handed out to beta testers and magazines for a pre-production review.

And Pentax has clearly stated that the image quality from the beta units is not representative about the image quality from the production units, and Pentax has stated that they allow only small size images to be posted and one shouldn't judge image quality from the beta units.

And we all can see that the forums are filled with in-depth analysis of photos from the beta units.

Actually, I find this rather funny. So much work done by the analysers and without any use. So much work for nothing. Because the final image quality, from the production units will be different. Because hardware was beta too, not just the firmware.

As I have written so many times, it is simply silly to judge image quality from beta versions. It is of no use and it says nothing about the image quality from the production version.

Beta is beta, and beta means a product under development. An unfinished product and it is not the same as the production units.

It simply amazes me that this is so completely impossible to understand.

[RMabo]

Sensor change just weeks to the supposed availability?

Yes, "sensor change just weeks to the supposed availability":
And do you know what? The camera has changed too just weeks to the suppoed availability.

Because only beta units has been official, and those had beta units of the sensor, not the final production version of the sensor, not the final production version of the hardware, not the final production version of the firmware.

Beta is beta.

Final speficiation is ready and production has started, with final production units of sensor, of hardware of firmware. They will be available shortly.

But don't expect Pentax to upgrade the beta units, not needed since the production units are ready.

[StigVidar]

So, are you suggesting that with the experience they've got from the pre-release hardware versions, they'll now just release the final different hardware without beta-testing it at all? Doesn't make sense to me.

Beta testing is of course done internally at Pentax. Pentax is a large optical company. Don't you think they are capable of testing cameras themselves? They probably have dedicated persons for testing. Samsung and Pentax has been testing and working on this sensor for months. The pre-production units which was available for testing in march, april or early may was probably sent to pre-production as early as january or february or in early march at the latest. I am working with designing electronics and producing electronic boards and have them soldered takes time. Prototype runs could be from a few units to some houndreds and it is quite normal to change things after this initial run.

Sending out pre-production models are more a marketing event than anything else.

[Vaikis_]

So, are you suggesting that with the experience they've got from the pre-release hardware versions, they'll now just release the final different hardware without beta-testing it at all? Doesn't make sense to me.

all tested, believe me Pentax don't make production units without tests. With pre-production K-7 Pentax interested more people, made some Intrigue

[Rondec]

They may have beta hardware, but I certainly don't expect dramatic differences between now and the K-7's sold in stores.

[Kenn100D]

There are huge difference between beta and production model. Even aircrafts are made like this. There is always a process for making a product before it will be released to the public. Same as medical drugs, cellphones, cars and etc.

[wll]

Why don't you understand that the pre-production and beta units of the K-7 was just that - pre-production and beta units?!?!?! Why don't you understand that beta hardware also means beta version of the sensor, not production unit?

And why do you believe that the beta versions has just been released and that Pentax suddenly has made a "last minute change" to the sensor?

The beta units has been available for months of testing.
It is very expensive to build those beta units, since they are hand-built and not from a production run in the factory. So only a few beta units are available and those are handed out to beta testers and magazines for a pre-production review.

And Pentax has clearly stated that the image quality from the beta units is not representative about the image quality from the production units, and Pentax has stated that they allow only small size images to be posted and one shouldn't judge image quality from the beta units.

And we all can see that the forums are filled with in-depth analysis of photos from the beta units.

Actually, I find this rather funny. So much work done by the analysers and without any use. So much work for nothing. Because the final image quality, from the production units will be different. Because hardware was beta too, not just the firmware.

As I have written so many times, it is simply silly to judge image quality from beta versions. It is of no use and it says nothing about the image quality from the production version.

Beta is beta, and beta means a product under development. An unfinished product and it is not the same as the production units.

It simply amazes me that this is so completely impossible to understand.

RMabo,

You are so VERY, VERY correct.

I'm in the manufacturing business and many, many times manufacturers (including myself) come to shows to demonstrate our new product when we have just a few samples and the real thing is (in the works). The sample you see is just that, a working prototype ... IT IS NOT THE REAL THING !

Unless you are in the manufacturing end of things, it may be difficult for folks to realize, changes are made sometimes almost the day your new product is going out, even though you may have spent 6 months to a year developing it.

wll

[lawsonstone]

IMO this is a silly comment. You put out beta versions, get feedback, implement the feedback. Sometimes you send it back out for another beta, but there comes a point where you don't beta anymore. you release. That's what they've done.

RMabo is exactly right. The pre-production units are months old. We've been told repeatedly that the sensor in them is not the production sensor. Other than just peaking, I haven't taken the images that have been posted very seriously. I see these reports as mainly helping on the camera's concept, interface, etc.

I think we're all getting just a little hysterical here!

So, are you suggesting that with the experience they've got from the pre-release hardware versions, they'll now just release the final different hardware without beta-testing it at all? Doesn't make sense to me.