Originally posted by Unsinkable II I have only played with a Q, so I'm sure owners would also have some more specific improvements that I won't be aware of... anyway, I'm sort of coming round to the thought of getting a Q, and that got me thinking what I would like in a 2nd generation body...
- 1/1.7" backlit sensor (does this exist yet?)
- Articulating display
- Optional NEX-7 quality external EVF
- 2nd dial (c'mon Pentax, it's pennies)
Changing from a 1/2.3" sensor to 1/1.7" would change the crop from 5.5 to 4.6... so Pentax calling their 8.5mm (47mm equiv) a "Standard Prime" might signal that they have no plans to move to a larger sensor as it becomes available. I hope not...
1. I'm probably pretty much alone in not hoping for a 1/1.7" sensor in the near future. Performance differences between the best 1/2.3" and 1/1.7" sensors is actually only marginal, but the perception that the larger sensor is markedly better seems to remain a dominant reason to downgrade the Q by detractors, and perception is, after all, reality -- especially in marketing. The only backlit CMOS in the bigger format is in the new Canon S100 (and assumed successor to the G12), and I think it will remain proprietary to them, so won't be available for the Qx, or any other mfg for that matter.
The problem I see with the 1/1.7" sensor is that there are only a few models using them, and sensor development in this format has been slow. Canon had to downgrade from 14MP to 10MP going from the G10 to G11 to get better IQ and higher ISO performance, then continued with the same sensor in the G12, and had to develop and mfg their own new S100 sensor in the next G model. Nikon, in their relatively recently announced P7100 continued with the same 10MP CCD from the P7000.With the Canon S100 and G12 successor using a Canon proprietary sensor, this makes 2 fewer models (probably the most popular) using this format sensor , so I don't see much momentum building up to further develop this format by sensor mfgs in the future.
In contrast, 1/2.3" sensors are used in hundreds of models of compact P&S cameras, and future development in this format will likely continue to run at full speed into the foreseeable future. There is already a potential "upgrade" sensor on the market in the present format-- the Sony 1/2.3" 16MP backlit CMOS.
Even though Pentax notes that the 01 Standard Prime is a 47mm EQ and call it a "normal" prime, they did not engrave the EQ FL on any of their Q lenses. This was apparently done on purpose (according to Pentax representatives at the pre-release "Bogger's" presentation), and points to the fact that they have the option to change sensor formats if it's justified by future potential sensor development in the 1/1.7" to 1/1.6" formats. At a 4.6x crop factor, this would make the 8.5mm a 39mm EQ which is still in the range of a "normal" lens since the natural "normal" for 35mm is 43mm (diagonal of the film frame).
2. I'd probably like an articulating LCD, even though it would probably add to the depth of the camera. They might be able to make one thinner by using a OLED display, but that might make it too fragile. . .In any case, I'd probably like some variation of an OLED rear camera display if this would add some degree of usability in sunlight (the higher res and higher refresh rates allowed by these screens would be nice too)
3. An OLED accessory EVF would be something I'd be interested in. This would make tele shooting with adapted lenses a bit easier, but I am getting used to using the LCD, much to my surprise. . .
4. If they were only to market a premium Q (like it is now IMO), I'd like a second e-dial, but can live without it. Allowing Ev comp on the front dial and Av on the rear in Av priority is my normal way of shooting, and it would be nice to have common controls with my DSLR, but it's not like I could easily mistake the Q for my K-5 when out in the field. . .
I think that they could keep the same basic configuration and add a front e-dial that's concentric to, but slightly larger in diameter than the mode dial. If they added a click on/click off lock button to the mode dial, this could work better, but would probably be relatively expensive. In any case, I'd probably like a lock button on the e-dial since I've had a number of instances where the dial has moved while the camera was riding in my jacket pocket. I've worked around this by getting into the habit of always taking a glance at it before shooting again (which I had done with DSLR models before the K-7 also, but had gotten out of the habit since that model).
I'd like better external flash support, and would not object to remote wireless TTL capability using the popup flash as a master or controller. This would further advance the image of the Q as a truly advanced compact system. I believe that this could be done through a firmware update though, if the onboard processor has sufficient capacity.
If it comes to an either/or, I'd rather have Pentax place their priorities into expanding the Q mount Quality lens line than making extensive changes to the body. The latter would tend to make a body that's already perceived by many as too expensive even more so. In the lens line, I'd like to see more emphasis on tele and macro though as these are two areas where the Q's 5.5x "crop" factor give it some substantial advantages in "equivalence" comparisons.
Scott