Originally posted by Kunzite What I'm saying is the accelerator isn't noise processing. It's much more than that.
That is correct. The image processing also involves colour correction and sharpening.
The common theme to all "corrections" are that they are post-processing techniques.
Even Ricoh refer to them as "
image-processing".
Hence, the "noise suppression" achieved is better characterised as "denoising" (achieved after the fact) and should not be confused with actual "noise reduction" (achieved in the sensor).
The Sony sensor is a black box that uses several techniques to achieve actual "noise reduction". What the Pentax engineers get to work with is a digital output stream. They can then massage the latter with image-processing techniques to make the image look better.
With a pure approach, the data coming out of the sensor would be stored as the RAW data in order to give users the option to either apply the Pentax-proprietary image-processing (in something like the adapted SILKYPIX), or use some other techniques, potentially better ones in the future.
No matter the magic sauce applied by Ricoh with the "accelerator unit" it could be just as well applied outside the camera.
Applying it inside helps with the perception of a better camera though. I'm assuming that's the reason why the processing won't become optional (again), even though the latter would result in a win-win. I hope Ricoh will prove me wrong!
Again, for those who like the image-processing (<- not my choice of words, Ricoh's choice of words), enjoy!
Just wanting to clarify that one must not expect significantly better results through improved sensor technology. As @beholder3 put it:
Originally posted by beholder3 It's important for noob buyers to understand that sensors have not made any significant progress during all the last years other than for some fringe topics.
BSI, dual-gain, and stacked-sensors were the recent sensor technology advances and we won't see anything beyond that in the K-new.
Unless the K-new uses a dual-gain BSI sensor, improvements over the KP will come from the image-processing.
It is a judgement call as to whether one should, in this case, declare "improvements".
Some will see it like that, some won't.