[Zygonyx]

Hello folks,

SInce a few months, we get distilled official informations about the next PENTAX APS-C flagship, the so called PENTAX K-3 III.

As it comes to its new and innovative viewfinder, we have now a "cluster of clues" that let us think that this camera will be equipped with an hybrid VF :

- there are redundant informations in the "optical" VF and at the bottom of the "digital" VF as per the two images below : this shows that there will be alternative set-ups in the VF according to its mode (optical and/or digital)

- there is a strange "M.UP" diod lighning in the down-laid informations as per the second image below : this is the first time we see such an indication in Pentax VFs. There is no pictogram indicating "shutter-delai" (2 or 10 seconds) either, which would be at least as usefull in that place.






Such an innovative VF has been made possible by recent Ricoh Imaging patents.

So, what's your thoughts in this respect ?

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Last edited by Zygonyx; 11-07-2020 at 05:36 AM.

[someasiancameraguy]

I actually made a post discussing the exact same thing here. You can read some of the responses from PF members regarding the possible use of this design aside from a hybrid viewfinder. I am optimistic too.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/16-pentax-news-rumors/414378-new-video-oc...ml#post5102431

Edit: I think I get what you mean by the redundancy of information now. Some elements such as ISO have different positionings in the two pictures, suggesting an entirely different overlay.

[BarneyL]

My thoughts are this is not a hybrid VF, at least in a sense most people would it imagine it as (that is, switchable OVF/EVF view).

This is just an evolution of K-1 and KP's viewfinder info overlay.

The M.UP might just be a warning that the image will black out after pressing a shutter button.

[Rondec]

I think this is actually an innovative technology called an "Optical Viewfinder."

In an age when people are used to looking at electronic screens, the K-3 III will feature a tiny window that allows you to see the world as it is, with minimal electronics in the way! As fantastic as it sounds, it gets better! The refresh rate will be purely limited by your retinas! There will be no eye strain or lag issues!

(Additional information to the scene will be provided via an electronic overlay).

[Pål Jensen]

No. Just a warning for engaged mirror lock-up. I hope it blinks. Very easy to forget and very annoying when you do....

[TwoUptons]

I think this is actually an innovative technology called an "Optical Viewfinder."

In an age when people are used to looking at electronic screens, the K-3 III will feature a tiny window that allows you to see the world as it is, with minimal electronics in the way! As fantastic as it sounds, it gets better! The refresh rate will be purely limited by your retinas! There will be no eye strain or lag issues!

(Additional information to the scene will be provided via an electronic overlay).

It would be convenient if the viewfinder did something, like maybe blacking out for a fraction of a second, to let the user know a photo had been taken...

Otherwise, with that infinite refresh rate, we'd never know...

-Eric

[house]

Its true that some new means of overlay is required to have icons for all 22 functions in the viewfinder area. Note that the lower image shows the old fashion info below the viewfinder area whilst the upper show the function icons for the third wheel inside the actual viewfinder area. Its not duplication but if I understand correctly those icons have to be able to show a huge range of symbols? Not something a LCD can do.

If its not s LCD there's no reason for the gaps in the lines. *confused *

[Not a Number]

Yes, perhaps indicates the 2 sec mirror up delay setting is active. No such indicator on my K10D. A pain to miss a shot because you forgot you had this mode active.

[Kunzite]

We had tons of "clues" that the LCD is articulated, too

But let's see the facts:
- Pentax talked a lot about the improved viewfinder, not even once hinting it would be hybrid. And we even have the specs list
- what we're seeing appear to be a standard pentaprism SLR viewfinder with an information overlay system. It seems said overlay include "AF Points, Grid Display, Electronic Level, AF Frame, Spot Metering Frame, Crop, Smart Function, Operation Control Lock" (according to said specs list).
- the mirror lock-up function appeared ages ago, in film SLRs - thus it is not tied in any way with the concept of a hybrid viewfinder.

My opinion on this:
- Pentax made the best optical viewfinder on an APS-C camera; it's highly unlikely they'd have managed to do that (increasing the magnification, overall quality and brightness) while also incorporating an EVF.
- yes, the M.UP indicator in the viewfinder likely warns you that the camera won't take a picture when you press the shutter. Particularly in a sports/action camera, you'd want to avoid such surprises.

For me, a hybrid viewfinder is valuable for video, but not quite useful for stills; I'm concerned about compromising the viewfinder quality by combining a SLR viewfinder and an electronic one. Sony did something similar (actually incorporating an image sensor rather than a display), and the result was awful even by "cheap pentamirror viewfinder" standards.
This is not the same as Fujifilm's hybrid viewfinder.

Extending the information display is nice, perhaps they can get even more optional info in there, perhaps they can get colors - but please, be wary of visibility. The K-1's AF points markers aren't easy to see.

[zapp]

You do not need a diode telling you that you are in a different vf mode.
M.up helps to understand that the next press of the shutter will only raise the mirror, new, smart, but not a new vf. Using k-mount glass for cameras with mirror, I only see an advantage things like eye af and focus tracking as an additional feature. These features not necessarily require a hybrid viewfinder.

[Cerebum]

I can't see it. There is a hybrid on the Fuji xpro but that is a rangefinder. I can't see there being the room to select or deselect the evf on the K3iii. (I am assuming the evf screen is a physical thing that is either in place or not!) My view is that the different positions are just the developmental stages of an information overlay

[Rondec]

It would be convenient if the viewfinder did something, like maybe blacking out for a fraction of a second, to let the user know a photo had been taken...

Otherwise, with that infinite refresh rate, we'd never know...

-Eric

Well, for those who are not hearing impaired, there will be some sort of sound generated when a photos is snapped...

[BigMackCam]

Hmmm... Something of a click-bait post title without a question mark at the end

Much as I'd love a hybrid switchable and/or mixed mode viewfinder, I don't believe that's what this is. I'm 99.9% sure we're getting the best possible optical viewfinder on any APS-C camera to date... something that in size, clarity and information easily outstrips anything we've seen before. I'm more than happy with that.

[Mistral75]

(...)

- there are redundant informations in the "optical" VF and at the bottom of the "digital" VF as per the two images below : this shows that there will be alternative set-ups in the VF according to its mode (optical and/or digital)

(...)

Informations are not redundant since the two displays do not correspond to the same thing.

• The one below the picture frame shows the settings currently in use. Nothing new there, even though there are a bit more settings displayed in the K-3 Mark III's viewfinder than in former models.
  -
• The one within the picture frame is new. Its use is explained in the recently published Product Stories of New APS-C "K-3 Mark III" Vol.5.
  
  It includes 22 icons, corresponding to the 22 functions the user can set with the Smart Function interface. Up to five out of these 22 functions can be chosen by the user and assigned to the Smart Function interface.
  
  The corresponding icons (up to five out of 22) will appear in the display when pressing the S.Fn button, with the icon corresponding to the selected function blinking. By turning the S.Fn dial the user will change the function selected among the five (or less) assigned to the Smart Function interface and the corresponding icon will blink. Once the desired function has been selected (as confirmed by its blinking icon), the user can change the setting of this function.

I presume (this is not described in the article) that turning the S.Fn dial while pressing the S.Fn button will change the selected function whereas turning the S.Fn dial without pressing the S.Fn button will change the setting of the currently selected function.

[mlt]

Mirror up indicator doesn’t appear to have been a big item on wish lists for new features. Possible this is tied to some other function, we’ll have to wait until more specs are released.