Originally posted by rparmar I have to disagree with this assessment. If the check-list is correct it is not surprising. Of course the new flagship model will incrementally improve on the previous model. However this is not the same as "significant" improvements to photography.
I agree with you for the most part, although I was referring to the bread and butter elements of photography. The K-7 already was excellent at basic things like white balance, ergonomics, exposure and having a silent shutter. I expect these things to carry on to the K-5, so I still feel like the point stands. If anything, I hope the K-5's sensor and other improvements will encourage people to upgrade, so, ironically, they will then be able to enjoy the K-7's qualities through the K-5 experience.
Quote: 1. Lower noise at low ISOs, something we have not seen in a while. I need ISO100-400 to look better. This is far more important in most shooting situations than chasing higher sensitivities -- though I am glad for that too! It remains to be seen if the K-5 achieves this but I do not expect it.
Agreed, this would be nice. The expanded ISO80, if true, is at least conceptually a nice step in the right direction. This Sony sensor also has a native ISO of 100 if I'm not mistaken, which is nice to see as well.
Hopefully the High ISO arms race will die down once we're all able to take crappy nightvision photos to our heart's content, and then manufacturers can start focusing on 100-800 ISO image quality again.
Quote: 2. Backwards compatibility in ergonomics, which is partially in place through the simple expedient of not changing the body. Pentax, please keep all the buttons in the same place through successive generations! There is nothing worse than having to re-think when shifting from primary body to backup body. Big win for K-5, at least if you own a K-7.
I do own the K-7 and I love it (besides a few minor complaints) so I count this as another win for the K-5.
Quote: 3. More complete system. The body is only one part of a photographer's kit. Where is the WR flash, the teleconverter, etc. etc.?
Agreed. And of course since we're Pentax users we get more excited for new lenses than we do for new bodies. This has been sort of a disappointing year for lens releases.