[beholder3]

Sure, Pentax has IBIS. And the K-New will have more megapixels. Are those worth $500 to a first-time DSLR buyer?

No less than esoteric figures like burst speed, buffer and af points.

Realists will acknowledge the fact that by sheer time passec the new price will be a couple of $100 higher than years ago. Photo toys dont get cheaper over time.

[normhead]

No less than esoteric figures like burst speed, buffer and af points.

Realists will acknowledge the fact that by sheer time passec the new price will be a couple of $100 higher than years ago. Photo toys dont get cheaper over time.

Not to mention that the K-P apparently did really well with first time buyers. Not every camera is for first time buyers.

Of all the things said by Ricoh/Pentax execs, "Profit margin, not marketshare" is probably the most ignored part of their philosophy. Their current focus is on premium value product for which they can charge top dollar. There are a lot of people commenting who don't seem to understand, appealing to newbies with every camera release isn't part of the plan. Look at the quality and excellence of all their new lenses. These are not lenses for beginners. These are lenses for people who demand the absolute best. Pentax has done a complete about turn from the company who produced an endless number of relatively similar plastic FA lenses that everyone could afford. They aren't that company anymore.

Personally, I used to like getting a new lens every year. Right now I'm expecting a new lens or camera body, one or the other every two years. As for cheaper glass, third party or Pentax I have all I need. My Sigma 70 macro has been replaced by the DFA 100, If I was interested in wide angle on APS_c my Sigma 8-16 would be replaced by the DA* 11-18. MY Sigma 70-300 has been replaced by the DA 55-300 PLM. These were all nice stop gap lenses, I've no regrets about getting any of them. But over the long haul, they've all become shelf ornaments.

[reh321]

In my opinion, unless the specs greatly exceed the D500 ($1500) or 7D mk II ($1400), setting the price higher than these two established APSC flagships will be a big mistake. And by specs I mean the things that complement the APSC format - AF performance, burst speed, buffer size, and buffer clearance. Assuming image quality is equal. Aside from dedicated Pentaxians, where is the value?

Sure, Pentax has IBIS. And the K-New will have more megapixels. Are those worth $500 to a first-time DSLR buyer?

This is your opinion.
My opinion is that they do not have to greatly exceed the specs of competitors.
The KP already provides better high ISO performance than the D500 does, for example - see the last photo in
Pentax KP First Shots: Going head-to-head against the Nikon D500 at ISO 819,200!

[reh321]

Not to mention that the K-P apparently did really well with first time buyers. Not every camera is for first time buyers.

Of all the things said by Ricoh/Pentax execs, "Profit margin, not marketshare" is probably the most ignored part of their philosophy. Their current focus is on premium value product for which they can charge top dollar. There are a lot of people commenting who don't seem to understand, appealing to newbies with every camera release isn't part of the plan. Look at the quality and excellence of all their new lenses. These are not lenses for beginners. These are lenses for people who demand the absolute best. Pentax has done a complete about turn from the company who produced an endless number of relatively similar plastic FA lenses that everyone could afford. They aren't that company anymore.

Personally, I used to like getting a new lens every year. Right now I'm expecting a new lens or camera body, one or the other every two years. As for cheaper glass, third party or Pentax I have all I need. My Sigma 70 macro has been replaced by the DFA 100, If I was interested in wide angle on APS_c my Sigma 8-16 would be replaced by the DA* 11-18. MY Sigma 70-300 has been replaced by the DA 55-300 PLM. These were all nice stop gap lenses, I've no regrets about getting any of them. But over the long haul, they've all become shelf ornaments.

My old standard was to use a purchase for over ten years.
My new standard recognizes that I may use something for maybe five years because of the advances of technology - but I have never been willing to pay premium prices to get that performance.
I paid $250 for my K-30, and $700 for my KP .... I don't ever expect to purchase the new camera ever because I don't ever expect its price to come down to my levels.

[Mistral75]

Do we know if the K-new will use the same LI-90e battery as K-3, K-1, etc?

Yes we do and yes it will.

See first post in R03010 = K-new was registered by FCC on 27 July 2020 - PentaxForums.com

[thibs]

The main value is that it fit Pentax lenses something Nikon and Canon cameras don't.
Apart from that, they have hinted image quality rivaling FF.
You cannot compare street price on older cameras with manufacturer suggested retail price of a brand new camera on the marked.....

It's the usual Pentax must be cheap thing.

[Mistral75]

Exactly... could they actually pull this off if they wanted to? The D500 is the result of years of experience from a company with much more resources for R&D.
Can a relatively inexperienced company top that after pretty much ignoring those features for years?

The plot thickens.

Ricoh sell third-party lenses under licence. Why couldn't they get a licence for camera components such as an autofocus module?

[normhead]

Ricoh sell third-party lenses under licence. Why couldn't they get a licence for camera components such as an autofocus module?

My guess is they have.

[Kunzite]

Ricoh sell third-party lenses under licence. Why couldn't they get a licence for camera components such as an autofocus module?

Do they want to? Does Nikon?

I believe they were working on their own version. Ricoh Imaging has a significant R&D department, working on various things. For example, here's a patent related to the famous accelerator unit, about fast transfer of on-sensor PDAF information and other non-image data after pre-processing.
??6763215 | ???????IP Force?

I wouldn't say an AF system is the most complex thing they'd have to do.

[repaap]

Do they want to? Does Nikon?

I believe they were working on their own version. Ricoh Imaging has a significant R&D department, working on various things. For example, here's a patent related to the famous accelerator unit, about fast transfer of on-sensor PDAF information and other non-image data after pre-processing.
??6763215 | ???????IP Force?

I wouldn't say an AF system is the most complex thing they'd have to do.

Is this the old or the new one?

[Kunzite]

Is this the old or the new one?

I don't know; but I think there's a good chance it's a new version, maybe for K-new. Isn't the K-70 the only current camera with on-sensor PDAF?

[repaap]

I don't know; but I think there's a good chance it's a new version, maybe for K-new. Isn't the K-70 the only current camera with on-sensor PDAF?

I believe so. It could be the new one. I suppose that there will be some big surprises on the way.

[thibs]

I wouldn't say an AF system is the most complex thing they'd have to do.

In fact, it may be.
There are two things: the hardware and they might be better at that one.
The software and as for AF-C tracking, we all know there's a lot better.

They might (and might not) have licensed either one or both. We'll probably never know for sure but it is clear that if the Knew ends with the same number of AF points as a D500...

[Kunzite]

In fact, it may be.
There are two things: the hardware and they might be better at that one.
The software and as for AF-C tracking, we all know there's a lot better.

They might (and might not) have licensed either one or both. We'll probably never know for sure but it is clear that if the Knew ends with the same number of AF points as a D500...

Ricoh has experience with hardware.
Isn't getting the image more difficult? There are even custom chips (the accelerator, an ASIC apparently) specific to Ricoh Imaging.

Pentax and Nikon used a similar number of AF points and layout in the past - the 11-point AF systems, but I couldn't find any confirmation if they are the same. Pentax had theirs first, though, in a film camera; and the next layout - the current one - is their own.
Of course, a 153 points AF system with a layout identical to the D500's would be too much of a coincidence. But, I doubt it will happen.

[reh321]

In fact, it may be.
There are two things: the hardware and they might be better at that one.
The software and as for AF-C tracking, we all know there's a lot better.

They might (and might not) have licensed either one or both. We'll probably never know for sure but it is clear that if the Knew ends with the same number of AF points as a D500...

Remember that Nikon is said to use an extra processor just to give them quick processing on the D5, D500, D500, D850, and D7500.
My KP works much better when I reduce its load to just 1 point, so I am sure that Pentax processing would also better if they changed processing and/or added a processor for that reason.