[WMBP]

Tried to read through the other recent thread about the two new cameras but it's already 35 pages long and I couldn't quite find what I was looking for. My questions:

Is the info posted here about the K-5 reliable? I mean, there are rumors that are completely without substantiation, and there are rumors that actually look an awful lot like leaks and usually turn out to be correct. Is it a safe bet that a camera called K-5 is about to be released by Pentax?

And if so, is it an incremental advance from the K-7 (and K20D) or does it involve significant new technologies? More megapixels, more frames per second—these are incremental improvements. Switching to a pellicle mirror or whatever it's called and releasing a DSLT—that's a significant new technology. Which do we expect the K-5 to be? NOTE that I'm not assuming that "significant new technologies" are necessarily a good thing. I'm just asking.

Will

[Adam]

Here's the known info: The Largest Pentax Camera Forum & Photography Community - PentaxForums.com

And AFAIK, that's all that there's known, and no, it's not reliable.

[stormcloud]

the translucent mirror thing i dont want in a k-7 replacement - the sony a55 which uses it has a fake iso 25600 - and by that i dont mean expanded i mean it merges several exposures so its useless on moving targets or for hand held photography - but i dont think its the sensors fault - the mirror takes 30% of the light away from the sensor - with a slr mechanism should be able to get an expanded 25600 from the same sentence

that said it does offer some significant advantages too - full time phase detection autofocus even in video modes

[Christopher M.W.T]

the translucent mirror thing i dont want in a k-7 replacement - the sony a55 which uses it has a fake iso 25600 - and by that i dont mean expanded i mean it merges several exposures so its useless on moving targets or for hand held photography - but i dont think its the sensors fault - the mirror takes 30% of the light away from the sensor - with a slr mechanism should be able to get an expanded 25600 from the same sentence

that said it does offer some significant advantages too - full time phase detection autofocus even in video modes

When have you ever needed 25,600 iso?

Christ I rarely ever need anything more than 1600.

[Chaitanya]

When have you ever needed 25,600 iso?

Christ I rarely ever need anything more than 1600.

I used recently Nikon D3s and I found myself shooting at ISO 8000 as I was shooting a snake in pretty dark enviornment. Those high Iso are useful if you are shooting in low light.

[Danny Delcambre]

Wait and see on about September 20th. We will see. Be Patient. Smile

[WMBP]

Here's the known info: The Largest Pentax Camera Forum & Photography Community - PentaxForums.com

Thanks, Adam. I'm not sure why Pentax doesn't say anything about this at this point. It would be very useful to me to know with some precision what's coming out. Plus, other makers (like Sony) are already getting great reviews. At the moment, I'm underwhelmed by the K-5's specs, but a list of specs is one thing and a real camera is another.

Oh, well, wait and see.

Will

[cwood]

When have you ever needed 25,600 iso?

Just because you don't need something doesn't mean its not useful.

This is ISO 12,800 at 1/250. I would have loved to shoot ISO 25,600 at 1/500 but as it was I had to push this from ISO 6400 which is already a pushed stop (ISO setting "H") from the max of ISO 3200 on the Canon 1DmkIII.

Edit - By the way - sorry to the OP for the diversion here. I opened this thread because I had been wondering the same thing among the thousands of posted responses to the rumors threads... now it appears I'm contributing to another huge sidetrack to yet another rumor thread. I just really want to know when Pentax might make a camera that will allow me to sell my Canon gear off so I can go back to just shooting one brand.

[Christopher M.W.T]

Just because you don't need something doesn't mean its not useful.

This is ISO 12,800 at 1/250. I would have loved to shoot ISO 25,600 at 1/500 but as it was I had to push this from ISO 6400 which is already a pushed stop (ISO setting "H") from the max of ISO 3200 on the Canon 1DmkIII.

You do make a good point there, can't argue with that.

[JonPB]

I'm not sure why Pentax doesn't say anything about this at this point.

They have cameras on shelves waiting to be sold. If they announce better cameras, existing cameras won't sell for as much. Worse, if they don't have the better cameras available, they might not sell much of anything. If sales are poor, they don't make money. If they don't make money, they won't be able to develop the next generation of camera. Pentax is in the best position to judge when announcements are most profitable.

To me, the long-term viability of Pentax is worth more than knowing about the next products in the pipeline a few weeks early.

[Aristophanes]

Wait and see on about September 20th. We will see. Be Patient. Smile

I suspect we will see announcements before that. It's been non-stop from all the major competitors, and you need lead time before Photokina and the distributor buying season to get some buzz going, otherwise your voice is lost in the storm. Sony was wise to have press review the A55 well before Photokina.

[Clarkey]

I suspect the test bodies/lenses are in the hands of the reviewers as we speak.
Rumours and true leaks steal announcement thunder (and the raison d'etre of the marketing folks....).

Anticipation is a good thing. Wait until next week (9th) for the first announcement. Then you'll be able to sort out the truth and the wishful thinking.

[jeff knight]

September 9th supposedly.

[pdo]

oohhh that's only a few days from now. I can wait what Pentax have in store for us.

[Danny Delcambre]

Cool and wait to see few days away.