[Fontan]

Buddy, I don't quite understand this. I know some people prefer the CCD looks to CMOS looks even though I'm not sure I can see the difference or have that preference. But AFAIK, the K-7 had more or less the exact same Samsung CMOS sensor as the K20D had. And yet you like K-7's IQ and not K20D's. Is there such a difference in processing?

I am not all that familiar with the details of sensors on different models, but renditions are clearly world apart between K20D and K-7. If the sensors are the same, or similar, then the processing must be entirely of different origin is my guess. K-7 is much more film like to me, as opposed to K20D being more plasticky. I no longer own K20D, but when I had it I played around with it quite a bit, especially in regards to vibrancy of colors and sharpness and so on, but I could never produce the same pics of an identical scene. I also felt that it could have been due to the way the sensor/processor adjusted itself to the different colors. For example, I felt that K20D did not handle "red" very well, and K-7 handled "green" superbly.

[Fontan]

Anyhow, here is an additional thought in regards to the placement of the green button.

It has been said, and I have said, that the placement of the green button is stupid silly. My attitude on this has really unchanged. In fact, it really pisses me off, since I use it quite a bit. This button should have been just to the right of AF/AE-L button. There is even an empty space there. I could have accessed with my thumb. How lame.

So, in the past few weeks I have developed a new technique to deal with this nonsense. I began using my middle finger to press the shutter button, so that my index finger can reach over to the green button. My thumb is consequently placed (no not up my ass) at the bottom of the camera, just below the LCD screen. A bit awkward at first, but now getting used to it.

[RonHendriks1966]

I am not all that familiar with the details of sensors on different models, but renditions are clearly world apart between K20D and K-7. If the sensors are the same, or similar, then the processing must be entirely of different origin is my guess. K-7 is much more film like to me, as opposed to K20D being more plasticky. I no longer own K20D, but when I had it I played around with it quite a bit, especially in regards to vibrancy of colors and sharpness and so on, but I could never produce the same pics of an identical scene. I also felt that it could have been due to the way the sensor/processor adjusted itself to the different colors. For example, I felt that K20D did not handle "red" very well, and K-7 handled "green" superbly.

K20D had PRIME processing engine and K-7 got the first PRIME II processing engine. There where also some differences between the sensors to make moviemode and liveview more possible.

[RonHendriks1966]

Anyhow, here is an additional thought in regards to the placement of the green button.

It has been said, and I have said, that the placement of the green button is stupid silly. My attitude on this has really unchanged. In fact, it really pisses me off, since I use it quite a bit. This button should have been just to the right of AF/AE-L button. There is even an empty space there. I could have accessed with my thumb. How lame.

So, in the past few weeks I have developed a new technique to deal with this nonsense. I began using my middle finger to press the shutter button, so that my index finger can reach over to the green button. My thumb is consequently placed (no not up my ass) at the bottom of the camera, just below the LCD screen. A bit awkward at first, but now getting used to it.

I never use the green button, but I don't need it in my working way.

This is how I handle (most off the time) my K-01. Pressing with my thumb:

[clatrell]

I really don't get the big deal about the green button placement, possibly because I have big hands. At least it's not fiddly, like some of the buttons on my LX5. As for not having a vf, I stopped using the one on my kx long ago because it's so problematic with glasses. I don't miss it a bit. In sunlight I turn up the brightness or shade it with my hand. I'm generally enchanted with the ergos on the camera, as well as the looks and photos it produces. Still experimenting with various lenses, some of which naturally perform better than others.

[Fontan]

1) So, over a month into it now, and it seems like I am using less and less of this camera . . . .

2) The initial excitement (if I can call it that) had sort of worn off, and now I am left with something nice to look at.

3) To spice up the interest in it, I did obtain an Eye-fi wireless SD card. Will see how that goes.

4) This camera is lacking an articulated screen. They goofed not having this for the camera.

5) Will post a bit more thoughtful yet useless additional assessment soon . . . .

[Douge]

4) This camera is lacking an articulated screen. They goofed not having this for the camera.

Such a shame they didn't include it. Hopefully Pentax will if they bring out a new version.

[Fontan]

Such a shame they didn't include it. Hopefully Pentax will if they bring out a new version.

I have to agree with you.

This was a must in my opinion.

Non VF way of shooting allows you to shoot from angles that were not possible before via VF. So, faced with an awkward view in the way of facing an LCD non-perpendicularly, the shooting become immediately difficult from multiple standpoint. Focusing and framing are twice as hard. In the product development stage, they had to be aware of that. I wonder if Newson didn't like the idea. Constraints from the perspective of design aesthetics could have been an issue? I sort of doubt that . . . .

Nonetheless, with an articulated screen, this camera could have been twice the fun.

[Fontan]

I really don't get the big deal about the green button placement, possibly because I have big hands. At least it's not fiddly, like some of the buttons on my LX5. As for not having a vf, I stopped using the one on my kx long ago because it's so problematic with glasses. I don't miss it a bit. In sunlight I turn up the brightness or shade it with my hand. I'm generally enchanted with the ergos on the camera, as well as the looks and photos it produces. Still experimenting with various lenses, some of which naturally perform better than others.

I suppose the green button is more or less an individual issue in that some folks like yourself can live without it. For me it is an absolutely a must. I don't know what to do without it. For a single shot, I try so many different settings that in a matter few minutes I am wanting to go back to what I started out with and re-group. On average, for one shot, I probably try at least 10 different combos of different apertures and shutter speeds. It does get out of hand often for me . . . .

[Fontan]

Well, it took few minutes to figure out how to directly have the pics downloaded to a specified lightroom, I did get it to work and now it is working flawlessly.

The speed of it is rather slow, but for me personally it does not infuriate so much since I am used to the snail pace of 645d downloading madness. In fact, expecting to be much slower, I was actually surprised how smooth the operation was. Now more than likely that I will never ever have to open that stupid rubber door ever again, unless I need to access HDMI port, which I have not done with this camera (incidentally I do this quite a bit with 645D - it blows you away on a huge screen TV). I just turn on the camera, walk away for a few minutes, and the files show up on the lightroom when I return. Very cool. It is not quite like a tethering, but I can actually bring along my macbook air for a studio shoot, and I can peak at it as I do my shooting. I am now curious how long it would take to download 645d files . . . . I don't want to know.

Also, the geotagging feature of it is very nice. As you guys know, if you want geotagging, we need to buy that lame ass-trotracer/geotag device that takes up the hot shoe like the lame outdated hot flashes. Before I bought it I was not thinking about that, but now that I have it, and does not add any bulk to the camera, it is cool.

I am also finding out that with this camera, the longer the focal length, the tougher time I seem to have with the end product. Once the focal length goes over 50, I struggle. FA 31 ltd seems to so far work very nice with this camera, and when I get to 43 ltd framing becomes a bit tougher for me, and by the time I get to 77 ltd the shooting condition has to be almost pre-determined and well controlled otherwise I would have subtle sense of dissatisfaction with the end products. They just don't look right. I am beginning to think that the issues I've had with 50-135 may well be related to this as well - as I began to utilize a tripod or a monopod pictures had gotten a bit better.

I sold my K-7 thinking that I didn't want camera bodies piling up. This makes it difficult for me to buy another body when a new model comes out - it just takes extra effort to convince my wife that I need yet another body. But in a weird way I actually miss my K-7, even with much much worse high ISO performance. Perhaps I am beginning to realize that VF is important after all.

[cali92rs]

Perhaps I am beginning to realize that VF is important after all.

Maybe not even a VF but an articulating rear LCD... that way you can hold it at waist level which would really help the stability.

[Amaroq]

I am also finding out that with this camera, the longer the focal length, the tougher time I seem to have with the end product. Once the focal length goes over 50, I struggle. FA 31 ltd seems to so far work very nice with this camera, and when I get to 43 ltd framing becomes a bit tougher for me, and by the time I get to 77 ltd the shooting condition has to be almost pre-determined and well controlled otherwise I would have subtle sense of dissatisfaction with the end products. They just don't look right. I am beginning to think that the issues I've had with 50-135 may well be related to this as well - as I began to utilize a tripod or a monopod pictures had gotten a bit better.

Might this be related to technique? Sounds like it's an issue of camera shake and shutter speed, etc...I only have the kit 40mm, but I don't have problems making sharp images of still objects without a tripod provided I keep a vigilant eye on my shutter speed and technique.

[LeRolls]

I haven't done a ton of shots with my DA 70mm Limited Lens but so far I've been quite happy with both the handling and the results.

[Fontan]

Might this be related to technique? Sounds like it's an issue of camera shake and shutter speed, etc...I only have the kit 40mm, but I don't have problems making sharp images of still objects without a tripod provided I keep a vigilant eye on my shutter speed and technique.

It is technical in a sense that the way I have to hold the camera due to the lack of VF is awkward, and set of shutter speed and aperture that I could handle holding conventionally will not often suffice - so yes I agree with you. This is definitely a part of ergonomics of this camera that required a bit more attention and thoughtfulness.

I have been trying a different way of holding it, as Ron demonstrated on this thread earlier, holding the shutter button with a right thumb. Will see how that goes.

[pentaxian_tmb]

I have had the k-01 for a month and a half now and I have a love hate relationship with it. I love it for its image quality--- when it works properly. But i get very inconsistent results with this camera. It was especially infuriating over the holidays. My two biggest gripes are: 1) AF is still not acceptable indoors, even with the 1.01 FW upgrade; 2) my copy gives very inconsistent result with spot focusing; 3) shutter lag.

Over x-mas, I brought my K-01 and K20d to many family events. Even with "decent" light indoors, the k-01 had a horrible time autofocusing.. Many times the camera simply focused on something other than the spot indicator. For instance, I have a number of shots of my baby nephew where something other than his face is in focus, even where he was lying still. It seems like the camera focuses on the area with the greatest contrast, regardless of where it is pointed. I also have a number of present-opening shots where I was focusing on the subject's face, but instead the edge of the present (with bright wrapping paper) is in focus.

As to shutter speed, maybe I have a defective copy, but the same shutter speed settings on my K-01 and K20D produce very different results. The K20D is simply faster at the same shutter speed setting as the K-01. I have many indoor shots with the K-01 where 1/125 shutter speed produced blurred images whereas the K20 did not--even with the same lens and aperture settings.

Now, don't get me wrong...with adequate light i love the k-01. I have gotten some outstanding images from it. With adequate light, its IQ is noticeably superior to my K20D. Also, I like its relative compactness with the Da40xs and actually enjoy using the liveview and focus peaking. I am just very frustrated with the AF after spending an hour deleting OOF family holiday pics.

****end rant