First pictures of K-r

gazonk · 09-09-2010, 07:13 AM

Originally posted by Blue

Does it have a prism or pentamirror? I doubt a Pentamirror would be bigger in the K-r than the K-x. However, if it has a prism, that is a different story.

It has a pentamirror, but it has the AF points overlay...

Urkeldaedalus · 09-09-2010, 07:14 AM

Originally posted by mycarsoots

Looks like a nice incremental upgrade of the already fine K-x. One question for the group...I have a K10d and I find it difficult to judge sharpness with the lcd screen. Everything looks soft in the camera, but on my computer screen they are tack sharp. How much easier is it to evaluate sharpness on a 921,000 dot screen (as on the K7) vs the 230,000 dot screen on the K10d ?

Much, much easier.

As a helpful comparison, I used an old borrowed Canon 5D along with the K-7 recently at a wedding and the 5D's old screen was so tiny and unhelpful compared to the K-7 that I didn't even want to check images on the 5D. I just had to trust that the images were going to come out.

The only problem is the screen is so nice sometimes I think my photos are much better than they are. Good rule of thumb is to never trust the screen in either case

Blue · 09-09-2010, 07:16 AM

Originally posted by gazonk

It has a pentamirror, but it has the AF points overlay...

The K200d had the AF overlay points. I don't think the size had to be increased for the overlay.

JoepLX3 · 09-09-2010, 07:28 AM

Beside size due to larger LCD (I like higher resolution), my main "concern" is effeciency of in-camera stabilization (it doesn't correct rotation like the K-7 does). Everything I read on the K-x on this was not positive or vague / theoretical number only. Press release of K-r stated the stabilization even had to be made smaller compared to K-x...

Note that the Nikon and Canon kit lenses all come with very good in-lens stabilization.

But again better High ISO would compensate that for a big part and we get it for free on all non-stabilized lenses.

paulelescoces · 09-09-2010, 07:39 AM

My thoughts on the Kr

While I think that not playing the numbers game may lose Pentax some sales for the impulse buyers who buy their gear in best buy / media markt (e.g. no 1080P video... 12mp vs xxx)... however I dont believe this is a significant proportion of the pentax market as at least in Europe pentax is typically not even stocked in many locations to be bought on an impulse... you even need to study on where you can get hold of one...

My thought is that the typical Pentax owner is one who does prior research... (typically understands that more MP is not necesserily for the best and maybe even decide that as a photo camera... why is 720p an issue...), pentax market will wait for the units to get in the hands of the professional reviewers/early adopters and from then make an educated decision if is the camera for them.

I personally think that the Kr looks very promising, fixes the issues with the Kx which is very well regarded and even adds a number of upgrades, once released I expect the prices to drop and stabalize... most importantly however is how it performs and that we dont know yet... although I am very hopeful. While we can always complain about whats missing I think we need to have some realism that cant have everything for nothing and this is the balance Pentax have likely needed to make.

shuie · 09-09-2010, 07:42 AM

I will never own one but, does anybody know if the IPAD supports IR data?

ogl · 09-09-2010, 07:44 AM

K-r offers better AF and speed and buffer modes than 1 year old TOP-camera from Pentax.
It's VERY COOL!!!!

**rparmar** · 09-09-2010, 07:44 AM

Originally posted by Belnan

Don't forget the vey loud shutter, did they fix that?

It is louder than the very quiet K-7 but not "very loud" by any stretch of the imagination. A Pentax 645, now that is loud!

paulelescoces · 09-09-2010, 07:45 AM

On the 35 2.4

some may complain that its not 1.x however I think that in the days of good performance at high ISO this is less of a problem than ever before and that maintaining 2.4 we can get benefit of smaller, lighter, cheaper etc...

My personal opinion is that in many cases 1.x is not practical due to overly thin DOF and if the 35 2.4 is sharp from 2.4 it will be a hit...

again, as per my Kr post, those plaing the numbers against each other may paint it as a disaster... but until we get a real understanding of this lens capabilities we cant draw conclusions.

mycarsoots · 09-09-2010, 07:47 AM

Originally posted by Urkeldaedalus

Much, much easier.

As a helpful comparison, I used an old borrowed Canon 5D along with the K-7 recently at a wedding and the 5D's old screen was so tiny and unhelpful compared to the K-7 that I didn't even want to check images on the 5D. I just had to trust that the images were going to come out.

The only problem is the screen is so nice sometimes I think my photos are much better than they are. Good rule of thumb is to never trust the screen in either case

That's what I was guessing. It would be nice to be able to judge critical sharpness in the field, which is something I can't do with the K10d.

Biro · 09-09-2010, 08:03 AM

This is a nice camera. But, with no weather resistance, it's really not a replacement for my K200D. However, that's the only real shortcoming I can see. Still, it's a minor disappointment because if one wants WR and high ISO performance, it looks like one has to buy a K-5. Pentax is learning fast from the big boys.

As for the 35mm f/2.4... it'll be a great companion for the K-r in terms of price, size and weight - and gives Pentax newbies a nice, reasonably fast prime to get started with. Personally, I was looking for something at f/2.0 or faster. But paulelescoces may be right when he refers to the likely high ISO performance of the K-r compensating somewhat. Still, a really fast prime PLUS great high ISO performance could mean some fantastic low-light work.

Overall, I'm a bit underwhelmed and I'm not sure yet if I'll be upgrading. But the K-r and 35mm prime look like decent-enough pieces.

deadwolfbones · 09-09-2010, 08:04 AM - **1 Like**

I love watching ogl's about-faces in these threads.

rawr · 09-09-2010, 08:07 AM - **1 Like**

Some nice pictures of the K-r and 35mm lenses here, from the launch event in Japan:

Pentax to launch new crazy and colorful K-r series DSLR in Japan Akihabara News

The 35mm lenses in all their colour glory actually look pretty smart:

opiedog · 09-09-2010, 08:13 AM

Originally posted by Steve Beswick

If you ever wanted proof that Pentax USA does not have a clue, just watch this video.

Here is a hint Pentax - hire actors to present your stuff. Having regular employees do your video makes it look like you are either cheap or broke, neither of which is an attractive proposition to your potential customers. At the very least, tell the guy to shave before you shoot the video.

you think Ashton Kutcher will defect to the pentax camp?

F-Stop · 09-09-2010, 08:17 AM

If I was a first time buyer for Pentax I'd definitely be buying a K-r for the color choices alone lol. It's a bit of excitement to mix and match a camera to suit your style/personality. I just hope they make it to the NA market this time. I'd sell my K100D if it was worth more and buy a K-r tomorrow.

Having just sold my K20D+Grip I'm holding off for the K-5 or what have you to make a decision if I plan to upgrade or buy back in.

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09-09-2010, 07:13 AM	#196
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	Originally posted by Blue Does it have a prism or pentamirror? I doubt a Pentamirror would be bigger in the K-r than the K-x. However, if it has a prism, that is a different story. It has a pentamirror, but it has the AF points overlay...

09-09-2010, 07:14 AM	#197
Urkeldaedalus Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,369	Originally posted by mycarsoots Looks like a nice incremental upgrade of the already fine K-x. One question for the group...I have a K10d and I find it difficult to judge sharpness with the lcd screen. Everything looks soft in the camera, but on my computer screen they are tack sharp. How much easier is it to evaluate sharpness on a 921,000 dot screen (as on the K7) vs the 230,000 dot screen on the K10d ? Much, much easier. As a helpful comparison, I used an old borrowed Canon 5D along with the K-7 recently at a wedding and the 5D's old screen was so tiny and unhelpful compared to the K-7 that I didn't even want to check images on the 5D. I just had to trust that the images were going to come out. The only problem is the screen is so nice sometimes I think my photos are much better than they are. Good rule of thumb is to never trust the screen in either case

09-09-2010, 07:16 AM	#198
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by gazonk It has a pentamirror, but it has the AF points overlay... The K200d had the AF overlay points. I don't think the size had to be increased for the overlay.

09-09-2010, 07:28 AM	#199
JoepLX3 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 518	Beside size due to larger LCD (I like higher resolution), my main "concern" is effeciency of in-camera stabilization (it doesn't correct rotation like the K-7 does). Everything I read on the K-x on this was not positive or vague / theoretical number only. Press release of K-r stated the stabilization even had to be made smaller compared to K-x... Note that the Nikon and Canon kit lenses all come with very good in-lens stabilization. But again better High ISO would compensate that for a big part and we get it for free on all non-stabilized lenses.

09-09-2010, 07:39 AM	#200
paulelescoces Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Switzerland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 252	My thoughts on the Kr While I think that not playing the numbers game may lose Pentax some sales for the impulse buyers who buy their gear in best buy / media markt (e.g. no 1080P video... 12mp vs xxx)... however I dont believe this is a significant proportion of the pentax market as at least in Europe pentax is typically not even stocked in many locations to be bought on an impulse... you even need to study on where you can get hold of one... My thought is that the typical Pentax owner is one who does prior research... (typically understands that more MP is not necesserily for the best and maybe even decide that as a photo camera... why is 720p an issue...), pentax market will wait for the units to get in the hands of the professional reviewers/early adopters and from then make an educated decision if is the camera for them. I personally think that the Kr looks very promising, fixes the issues with the Kx which is very well regarded and even adds a number of upgrades, once released I expect the prices to drop and stabalize... most importantly however is how it performs and that we dont know yet... although I am very hopeful. While we can always complain about whats missing I think we need to have some realism that cant have everything for nothing and this is the balance Pentax have likely needed to make.

09-09-2010, 07:42 AM	#201
shuie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: colorado Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 140	I will never own one but, does anybody know if the IPAD supports IR data?

09-09-2010, 07:44 AM	#202
ogl Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sankt Peterburg Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,382 Original Poster	K-r offers better AF and speed and buffer modes than 1 year old TOP-camera from Pentax. It's VERY COOL!!!!

09-09-2010, 07:44 AM	#203
rparmar Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,819	Originally posted by Belnan Don't forget the vey loud shutter, did they fix that? It is louder than the very quiet K-7 but not "very loud" by any stretch of the imagination. A Pentax 645, now that is loud!

09-09-2010, 07:45 AM	#204
paulelescoces Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Switzerland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 252	On the 35 2.4 some may complain that its not 1.x however I think that in the days of good performance at high ISO this is less of a problem than ever before and that maintaining 2.4 we can get benefit of smaller, lighter, cheaper etc... My personal opinion is that in many cases 1.x is not practical due to overly thin DOF and if the 35 2.4 is sharp from 2.4 it will be a hit... again, as per my Kr post, those plaing the numbers against each other may paint it as a disaster... but until we get a real understanding of this lens capabilities we cant draw conclusions.

09-09-2010, 07:47 AM	#205
mycarsoots Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 100	Originally posted by Urkeldaedalus Much, much easier. As a helpful comparison, I used an old borrowed Canon 5D along with the K-7 recently at a wedding and the 5D's old screen was so tiny and unhelpful compared to the K-7 that I didn't even want to check images on the 5D. I just had to trust that the images were going to come out. The only problem is the screen is so nice sometimes I think my photos are much better than they are. Good rule of thumb is to never trust the screen in either case That's what I was guessing. It would be nice to be able to judge critical sharpness in the field, which is something I can't do with the K10d.

09-09-2010, 08:03 AM	#206
Biro Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,200	This is a nice camera. But, with no weather resistance, it's really not a replacement for my K200D. However, that's the only real shortcoming I can see. Still, it's a minor disappointment because if one wants WR and high ISO performance, it looks like one has to buy a K-5. Pentax is learning fast from the big boys. As for the 35mm f/2.4... it'll be a great companion for the K-r in terms of price, size and weight - and gives Pentax newbies a nice, reasonably fast prime to get started with. Personally, I was looking for something at f/2.0 or faster. But paulelescoces may be right when he refers to the likely high ISO performance of the K-r compensating somewhat. Still, a really fast prime PLUS great high ISO performance could mean some fantastic low-light work. Overall, I'm a bit underwhelmed and I'm not sure yet if I'll be upgrading. But the K-r and 35mm prime look like decent-enough pieces.

09-09-2010, 08:04 AM - 1 Like	#207
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	I love watching ogl's about-faces in these threads.

09-09-2010, 08:07 AM - 1 Like	#208
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Some nice pictures of the K-r and 35mm lenses here, from the launch event in Japan: Pentax to launch new crazy and colorful K-r series DSLR in Japan Akihabara News The 35mm lenses in all their colour glory actually look pretty smart:

09-09-2010, 08:13 AM	#209
opiedog Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NC Posts: 787	Originally posted by Steve Beswick If you ever wanted proof that Pentax USA does not have a clue, just watch this video. Here is a hint Pentax - hire actors to present your stuff. Having regular employees do your video makes it look like you are either cheap or broke, neither of which is an attractive proposition to your potential customers. At the very least, tell the guy to shave before you shoot the video. you think Ashton Kutcher will defect to the pentax camp?

09-09-2010, 08:17 AM	#210
F-Stop Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Paradise, Newfoundland, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 303	If I was a first time buyer for Pentax I'd definitely be buying a K-r for the color choices alone lol. It's a bit of excitement to mix and match a camera to suit your style/personality. I just hope they make it to the NA market this time. I'd sell my K100D if it was worth more and buy a K-r tomorrow. Having just sold my K20D+Grip I'm holding off for the K-5 or what have you to make a decision if I plan to upgrade or buy back in.