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05-17-2011, 08:55 PM - 2 Likes   #1
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K-3 speculation

Sony is rumored to be releasing a 24MP A77 this Summer/Fall with a new sensor that will take another step in high ISO performance. This will be Sony's flagship APS-C body and it will have their best APS-C sensor. Some of the Nikon guys seem to think the D400 will be released with this sensor as well.

A long time Pentax user made the comment that Pentax usually releases the Silver edition of a body towards the end of its life cycle. I believe the K-7 Silver was released around 6 months prior to the K-5 being announced. Is there any truth/consistency to this? I really never paid much attention to Pentax prior to the K-7.

The K-5 price has been coming down ($1,299) and Fathers Day sales usually bring a nice $100.00 instant rebate to clear stock.

What are the chances we see a Pentax body with the new Sony 24MP sensor released/announced Winter 2011 or Spring 2012?

Pentax does not have a lot tied up in the K-5. It is a K-7 with new sensor and AF system. There is no reason Pentax can not put the new Sony 24MP sensor in a K-7/K-5 body and make some minor improvements to AF again with very little cost. Pentax has a real winner with the K-7/K-5 body and there isn't any real reason to change it. The longer Pentax keeps this body the more 3rd party support they are going to have (underwater housings, grips).

The 7DII and D400 will probably be held up until Spring 2012 because of the disaster. Hopefully Pentax has something ready to launch and will try to hold the spot as the top APS-C camera (in terms of IQ) on the market. Sony's A77 is clearly targeting the Canon 7D and will be a very attractive camera with the Zeiss glass.

The K-5 is still "new", but time marches on and 6 months from now it will be an old model.

05-17-2011, 09:06 PM   #2
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Pentax generally releases a new body during Q3 of every year and announces them a month before their launch. Thus, talks of a new body should be expected after summer/photokina.

In the K-5's case, the silver body came relatively early; not sure it there's any correlation between it and the life cycle.

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05-17-2011, 09:06 PM   #3
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I believe the top-tier Pentax dSLR is typically on a 1.5-yr cycle, meaning we'd get a new one in about March of 2012, but given the recent troubles in Japan we might see that pushed back to fall or winter 2012...
05-17-2011, 09:08 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
Pentax generally releases a new body during Q3 of every year...
Announcement dates:

K10D: September 2006
K20D: January 2008
K-7: May 2009
K-5: September 2010

...so I should have said January or February 2012, I guess. :P

05-17-2011, 09:31 PM   #5
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Unless there is something still going on between Samsung and Pentax.
It's possible I guess that Samsung still has something up it's sleeve.
05-17-2011, 09:43 PM - 2 Likes   #6
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I think the K-3 will sport the 24MP sensor, however, I just hope Pentax doesn't forfeit on performance by using it!

Anyways, tbh I wonder about the lucrativeness of a K-5 successor because the camera seems to damned good I just don't know how tempted I would be to upgrade it! This is a weird thing tbh, but I also think its a genuine issue for Pentax insofar as product release and their target market.

Anyways, I suppose they could do something along the lines of;

  • Better AF - (much better would be great)
  • Improved video mode - higher FPS, manual control and AF
  • Faster FPS - (8-10 would be a serious upgrade imo.)
  • Flash synch revision? - (seems like a big deal for the flashers)
  • Bigger body - (I'd like a little more meat in hand anyways)
  • True NR: OFF - (oh how sweet that would be)
  • Tethering - (for the buffs but definitely welcomed)
  • Dual SD - (but not stacked, that's just too Nikonian)
  • Pano assist in LV - (overlapping frames between shots)
  • AF bracketing - (heaven for the macro kids)
  • *Mirrorless stills - (hybrid between video mode and stills)
  • Better ISO - (better is better right)
  • Better DR - (why the hell not)
  • More color depth - (for bragging rights)
  • Slightly less AA filter - (would love to get just a liiiitle closer to those pixels)

*6MP or more mirrorless(mirror up) continuous capabilities(20-30FPS) for stacking, comps, special effects or just creative work. That would be awesome!

Well that's all I can think of atm.
Oh and of course
05-17-2011, 09:43 PM   #7
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After the K-5 debarcle I don't think I'd be buying a K-3 in the first couple of months of its production.

05-17-2011, 09:46 PM   #8
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Onless this 24mp sensor is absolutely mind-boggling amazing - for me it just reaks of MP chasing.
I thought we were over all that?
05-17-2011, 09:56 PM   #9
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I have nothing against more megapixels if they don't sacrifice ultimate image quality...
05-17-2011, 10:26 PM   #10
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It will be tough to pump more than 5 fps at 24MP (14-bit) without some improvements in the internals. Dual image processors and a bigger battery will require a new larger body. Bigger VF with a higher level of magnification and 2 SD card slots.

Sony has a lot riding on this sensor. It will be the heart of the A77 and D400 and will need to offer enough performance to be relevant for 2+ years. A friend of mine works for Sony (Entertainment) and is a Sony fanatic. He said the 16MP sensor would rival FF sensors and I did not believe him. He claims the new sensor is a significant improvement over the 16MP. I still find it hard to believe.
there has been not A700 or replacement for 2+ years. Sony has a lot riding on the A77.

We are 3 months away from the K-5 being 1 year old (announcement) which means the K-5 is half way through its life cycle.

There will be no PMA this year this and that will have an impact on the timing of some models.
05-17-2011, 10:28 PM   #11
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A growth in body size is something I wouldn't complain about.
I personally find the K7/5 is little small and fiddly.
05-17-2011, 10:58 PM   #12
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Id doubt that even Pentax know what sensor will be in the K-3...its pretty early days. If its coming in Jan /feb 12

the Sony 24mp sensor is probably a full frame sensor.

I imagine the next aps-c will be 16mp again much like how Sony stayed at 12 mp for some time.

Honestly the K-5 is good enough... Don't really feel there is any need to upgrade aps-c tech further anymore. Now its time to start saving for the 645d II
05-17-2011, 11:11 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Winder Quote
It will be tough to pump more than 5 fps at 24MP (14-bit) without some improvements in the internals. Dual image processors and a bigger battery will require a new larger body. Bigger VF with a higher level of magnification and 2 SD card slots.

Sony has a lot riding on this sensor. It will be the heart of the A77 and D400 and will need to offer enough performance to be relevant for 2+ years. A friend of mine works for Sony (Entertainment) and is a Sony fanatic. He said the 16MP sensor would rival FF sensors and I did not believe him. He claims the new sensor is a significant improvement over the 16MP. I still find it hard to believe.
there has been not A700 or replacement for 2+ years. Sony has a lot riding on the A77.
Winder,
I appreciate your surfacing this rumor. My comments pertain to the industry not to the rumor.

Just got my K5 in Feb, love it and its solved a lot of problems i had with using my K20 in low light theatre work.

But i have to say, my reaction to a 24 megapixel camera is pretty negative. It hasn't been that long ago that the biggest issue on these forums was sticker shock over the K5. Does anyone really think that the new K3 with its 24 megapixel sensor will be at the same price as the K5? Its going to be a lot more expensive and in the world's current sick economies, i wonder at the ability of Pentax's enthusiast level customer base to buy such lofty products.

Besides, when i read the posts on PF, i haven't seen one ask for more megapixels. I do see a lot of posts asking for more reliable flash, more up to date autofocus, better movie mode, and perhaps 2 SD card slots. I would much rather see Pentax bow out of the megapixel race this year, and put out a K5 II that had improvements like these and fixed infrastructure problems like a lack of any TCs.

Who needs it and why? And can the target audience afford it? Those are the key questions. Americans has seen its domestic car manufacturers almost disappear entirely because the men at the top lost track of who their customers were and what they wanted/could afford.
05-17-2011, 11:12 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by WerTicus Quote
the Sony 24mp sensor is probably a full frame sensor.
There is pretty convincing rumors that Sony A77 will have the new 24MP sensor.
Which(I suppose) could be a FF translucent design, but... something tells me it most likely won't be given the seemingly lack luster FF movement following the A900 and 850 camera's.

Then again... it could all just be hot air(who knows).
But with a date and so many specs, it almost seems like a done deal:

sonyalpharumors | Blog | (SR5) Sony A77 to start shipment early October. (SR4) Announcement mid-July
05-17-2011, 11:13 PM   #15
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24 MP APS-C sensor is true IMO...But...You can use only f5.6 as max.aperture...
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