[illdefined]

It's the lenses that will have people talking.

if the K-5 is indeed still APS-C, then the only explanation for this statement and the silent recent roadmap is that they are WRing the whole line.

[deadwolfbones]

They are real about the K-5. I have 3 sources confirming. Much improved sensor for ISO and video. A lot of work has gone into AF.

K-7 body with minor changes.

Initial US$ price point = $1,499. Keep in mind that's MSRP. Street price is usually lower, and drops fast. So, same as K-7 again.

It's the lenses that will have people talking.

this is all excellent news. and from a guy I know doesn't joke around.

[monochrome]

They are real about the K-5. I have 3 sources confirming. Much improved sensor for ISO and video. A lot of work has gone into AF.

K-7 body with minor changes.

Initial US$ price point = $1,499. Keep in mind that's MSRP. Street price is usually lower, and drops fast. So, same as K-7 again.

It's the lenses that will have people talking.

If true I plan to break out some popcorn.

[MrStupid]

I'm sorry guys but this megapixel sensor size crap is getting old in fact it's been old for years.
The only reason I haven't bought a new camera in years (for really taking real pictures for real purposes that are really going to be printed for real in the real world. You know like magazine covers, brochures, posters etc.) is I already own the best camera in the world. Yep I'm talking about a digital camera that will make pictures with less grain than Kodachrome 64 at "200 asa" and when I want, create the most natural organic looking grain of any digital camera I've ever seen and I can switch asa in the middle of the roll, which is thousands of pictures long by the way. I mean man I had to have 3 Nikon FE's each with there own 105mm 2.5 lens two being loaded while I'm hammering away cause they only shot 36 pictures at a time. You may have herd of my fantastic camera it has a weird name it's called the Pentax ist DL.
So with that and my Luz 800 watt second strobe with old Balcar heads from the 50's I'm all set for still photography. I mean we shot two pictures side by side of the same subject (portrait of a model) one with my camera with the 50-200 at 70mm f8 1/2 to get the 105 look and one with my friends Canon t2i 70-200 2.8 at the same settings PRINTED the .jpg's to Canon 8x10 photo paper and yes there was some difference..... mine had nicer color and all agreed and did the same thing with the old version 18-55 at 55mm 8 1/2. But eh..... it's a Pentax. (See my main page for my full history with Nikon/Pentax). I am equally set with video gear.

Now if ether of the new Pentax's K7 or Kx preferably the Kx could shoot Full 1920x1080 24p video I would buy it, go home and look at myself in the mirror and say..... "now I have the best digital movie camera in the world too" or "look out Hollywood" or some thing like that.

But one thing I do agree on 100% Pentax has been under charging for there cameras for to long to just be considered a pro co. overnight and you just can't compare to the quality, find me a sharper lens than the Pentax 50mm 5.6 macro (old no glass) not Canon not Nikon not Zeiss maybe Contax never compared the two. There's just a lot more reactives out there than there are thinkers. (I hope I haven't just offended to many)
It's like this: you charge someone $200 for a photograph they want everything and more and keep adding to that, they whine about everything, they disrespect you during the shoot, bad mouth you when it's over, and never use you again, you charge them $2000 and the results are the opposite. Under charging is a very bad thing.
I gotta go..... where's my Pentax 1920x1080 24p damn it.

[kuuan]

All I want is K-7 with a better sensor. K-5 seems to be just that - I'll buy it.
K-7 is the best camera body in my opinion, DA (and FA) Limited primes are the most
unique small prime lenses you can buy today.
Do I need a FF camera - yes. But I don't complain or wait for ever - I've had one
for last 5 years or more - Canon 5D and 5D MkII. They are great.
But I still think K-7 is better as a small setup with those great small lenses.
Pentax is making a huge mistake not advertising the strongest, most interesting
advantage - a professional quality SMALL system with amazing SMALL glass.
Everybody wants mirror-less, blah, blah and then they put some funny looking
big lenses on it. K-7 and a prime Ltd is often smaller than a Panasonic or a Sony
with a stupid big lens on it and the quality Pentax can offer is so much better...
Especially with this new Sony sensor. I like what Pentax offers me.
And I bet many people would if they only knew about it.
When I tell anyone I have a Pentax setup, they are very surprised
and they know completely nothing about it. What a shame.
When I show them my small prime lenses, they can't believe how great they are.
Then I show them how good K-7 is.
If Pentax dies is because of the bad marketing, not lack of FF...

exactly!

Small, well built, good handling cameras with small, very good lenses.
Compact, rugged photographer's tools, this is the strength and niche of Pentax.

A APS-C camera is more compact than a FF camera,
going FF with their top model Pentax might just lose what is their edge.

I believe there is enough people out there who know and appreciate this
and that a K-7 like camera with improved sensor will be a success.


( personally I use old manual primes and for that I'd fancy FF too.
I hope that in the future there will be room for a FF, the most compact in the market, in the Pentax line up too )

[Christopher M.W.T]

If true I plan to break out some popcorn.

Its definitely true.

Although there's a few more added features to be announced to that will further differntiate it from the K-7.

[Livewireshock]

Same old story with people always claiming the grass is always greener on the other side when comparing brand X to brand Y.

I just wonder if the AF and ISO settings will be able to capture how green that grass really is?

[interested_observer]

Well, lets see - its 12:30 pm over in Tokyo. Lunch is underway, morning meetings have just been concluded, which discussed the leaked information made available on Friday, just before leaving for the weekend. So, they have reviewed all the major Pentax websites, taking in the reactions and comments - while bouncing it against their expectations. Less than 30 days to go to the announcement. Is their pre-announcement hype running to plan? Are the reactions tracking to expectations? Any mid course corrections needed? We will just have to wait for the next round of leaks.....

They are real about the K-5. I have 3 sources confirming. Much improved sensor for ISO and video. A lot of work has gone into AF.

K-7 body with minor changes.

Initial US$ price point = $1,499. Keep in mind that's MSRP. Street price is usually lower, and drops fast. So, same as K-7 again.

It's the lenses that will have people talking.

Yes, for me its the lenses. Sooner or later I will need a new body, and I have essentially made my lens investment for the greatest part. So the lenses will indicate to me where Pentax is currently going. If the new ones are not screwdrive compatible, then that opens up the door for dropping the screwdrive from the bodies in time. I can't see Pentax doing that (although Hoya could probably do it). I still do not have a SDM lens, nor am I planning on getting one any time in the future. I would not be a happy camper if screwdrive were to disappear....

[deadwolfbones]

Its definitely true.

Although there's a few more added features to be announced to that will further differntiate it from the K-7.

Pretty sure the reply was to the lenses comment.

[andi]

They are real about the K-5. I have 3 sources confirming. Much improved sensor for ISO and video. A lot of work has gone into AF.

K-7 body with minor changes.

Initial US$ price point = $1,499. Keep in mind that's MSRP. Street price is usually lower, and drops fast. So, same as K-7 again.

It's the lenses that will have people talking.

Great! K-5 is mine. I'm gonna wait until CS5 reads the files though...
and frankly I don't need any lenses, I have everything I need

[Digitalis]

" I'm gonna wait until CS5 reads the files though"

Pentax support DNG...or did I miss something?

[Boris]

Yeah Canikon might give you a larger sensor, but their glass is second-rate. Even the L-series are an abomination compared to Pentax Ltds.

Gosh, such opinions are just pure poison for the uninformed reader. You sir, are totally, completely, utterly wrong, with all due respect.

I have all three FA limited lenses and grand total of more than 10,000 frames shot with them. Add to that some 2,500 shots with DA 21 Limited and you will see that I am no stranger to Pentax limited land. The more I shoot the more I realize that although the lens is indeed very important, the light and the composition far outweigh whatever optics have to offer. I also maintain that all other manufacturers have top rate glass just as good as anything Pentax has to offer. There are certain aspects where certain lenses are better than others, but this is usually measured in tests and the differences are far less pronounced than internet hype has it.

It is therefore important that so broad and swiping statements about lenses should be made with great deliberation and care.

[ogl]

Great! K-5 is mine. I'm gonna wait until CS5 reads the files though...
and frankly I don't need any lenses, I have everything I need

To pay 1500 USD/euro for APS-C camera? It's insane...IMO.

[aufreise]

But that is exactly the cycle of posts on this forum.

010. Someone invents a rumour post about great new feature / massive improvement.

020. Much discussion ensues with many readers falsely assuming there must be at least some truth behind bogus post.

030. Camera is released that has incremental improvements.

040. People complain it is not enough.

050. GOTO 010

This is so absolutely true. In a different forum (a big German one) this happend, when they were introducing k7. Rogue marketing, excessive community discussion and the forum was absolutely overhyped - way more, than in these threads. And it had the same effect - absolutely overhyped.

I'm happy to see, that Pentax seems to have learned from the lesson. It's just sad, we have not.

Being part of the same cycle, I sticked with k20 at that time, because I thougt:

They did about everything to make this the perfect camera (for expedition photography) but they sticked with the old sensor. Sensor improvements were discussed as marginal. Next update, they probably do much less innovation in features and do come up with the next great sensor.

I actually write "the next great sensor" because I actually hate it, when noise in a sharp picture, which shows detail is compared to noise in a flattend picture. And this is what happens all the time.

Of course, I also always want to have more DynamicRange, more Iso, less noise and a bigger Sensor (at least the size of P65+) and I'm sooo disappointed, they released 645D. I expected 67D to stomp the competition :-) And of course I dream about winning the lottery and the like.

If it's a K7 replacement with marginal improvements or more improvements, I'll buy it. If it's below k7, so we can expect another Top-of-the line outdoor model - I'll wait for that one. If it would be FF, I'd wait for the next Top-of-the-Line APS-C. There is no sense cramming FF with big lenses into a 65-pound backpack if you want to go up a mountain!

I'd be happy with incremental improvements, which I think are within limits

Assuming improved AF (which I would appreciate, even if secondary to me)
Assuming a real step ahead with the sensor (since the basic design of the old one is a couple of years old)
Assuming upgrade to at least 1080i-Video
Hoping for an internal GPS-Chip
Hoping, it's easy to charge on unstable electrical power supply.

I coulnd't think of a better camera for being a couple of weeks in the mountains. And I'd definetly pick it over the budget-FFs like 5DII. I've seen one of them fail in the cold and 5DII can be bad with noise and detail even compared to K20. (But that might be due to glass: DA*16-50 vs. Canon Kit lens might be unfair). Haha :-)

And most of all: I wouldn't discuss rumors with from a source, that claimed BSI several times over a longer period of time.

I'd just wish, that somebody with good karma could confirm, that k5 is definetly not postioned under k7 but at least a match, especially in resistance to cold weather. Pretty-Please?

Cheers!

[ewalk]

To pay 1500 USD/euro for APS-C camera? It's insane...IMO.

The Canon 7D and Nikon D300s are all around $1500 right now.

If the K-5 starts at $1499 and drops to around $1200 in about 6 months, I still think that's pretty good.