[ogl]

Nikon unveils D7100 mid-level 24MP APS-C DSLR with no low-pass filter: Digital Photography Review

D7100 is a rival of K-3....I think K-3 has the same sensor.

[derekkite]

The interview on the front page with the Pentax reps state their goal with the K5 II was in 'high sensitivity' (low light).. and their next step is improving the AF

So expect a much improved AF on top of a larger pixel count for sure.

And it seems obvious you'll also get improved video abilities and other gizmos such as the focus peaking as seen in the K-30 and probably a larger buffer. The K5 II was a rush job.. expect a more robust feature set on the K-3. Also expect APS-C (that one is for our lovingly and always FF optimistic ogl hehe) on this body.

If they implement UHS-1 SD card writing, a bit bigger buffer for the increased pixel count, faster processing and a K5II level+ improved AF in an aps-c body, I'll buy one. Full featured video would be a bonus. Ricoh needs to get things into a product and out the door as soon as it's developed. A few products every couple of months, updates and incremental improvements. The big one, an FF is in the pipe and will have all the good stuff the aps-c bodies have, but needs a bit of time to finish. I suspect we will see a trickling of lenses being updated as well.

My feeling from using the K5 is that the software engine is peaked out and they needed to rewrite much of it. From what Pentax said the flash issues are hardware related, telling me that their software infrastructure is fragmented and fragile. A well done extensible software engine allows the hardware development pipes to get into a product quickly, and is a means of building user satisfaction by feature implementations by update.

Rumours abound, but an aps-c update cycle for everyone is due. Not everyone is going to spring $2-3k for a body. I have a friend who is waiting for Nikon to update theirs and will purchase as soon as it is out. Full frame is nice for the manufacturers as it will mean a lens collection update as well. But for the rest of us an incremental improvement in the aps-c bodies would be nice. I can't see myself hauling around a D800, it is just too big.

Edit: I see that Nikon has announced theirs. Interesting.

[Wired]

I'm hoping this 24mp Pentax APS-C camera with no AA filter and better image quality than the K5iis comes out by May/June....

I don't care about AF points, or PTTL accuracy... I care about accurate low light auto focus, high iso noise level, and bigger print capability! I could also use a faster buffer.... and more depth of field in low light at wide apertures (ie: not full frame)

[Class A]

D7100 is a rival of K-3....I think K-3 has the same sensor.

A Sony sensor, presumably?
Hopefully not the one from the NEX-7.
Do you have any infos?

The D7100's weather-sealing and body-only price put pressure on the K-3.

I don't see Pentax adding any killer features that would justify the old D7000/K-5 price point.

P.S.: Kudos to Pentax if they will be offering both K-3 and K-3s versions. 24MP are not enough for worry free operation w/o Bayer-colour-filter. I'm surprised Nikon apparently will not give users a choice. Maybe Nikkors don't resolve that much?

[jpyykonen]

Interesting to see if Pentax can match D7100's features with not-yet-announced K-3. My first reaction was "no way, not possible. This may well be the camera that puts Pentax out of the game for some time (specwise)". That 51-point AF is very appealing, although I would need it only few times a month. That OLED overlay in the viewfinder is appealing also as well as bit more advanced video possibilities. As a hobbyist I'm not too excited about 24MP as 16MP is plenty. AA-filterless 24MP sensor seem "overkill" (but hey, there is no such thing as overkill in digital world). Nevertheless, specs of that D7100 seem very good.

If Pentax can pull out similarly specced camera with similar price point (or even a bit better), my respect to the company rises to the new level

[ogl]

D7100 is the cool replacement of D300s, not D7000.

[Kunzite]

And... The article also shows a 645d II, despite Pentax execs implying there is no 645 D update planned because of little consumer request*. You would think people would at least consider public statements from Pentax before making their predictions.

I know what statement you're talking about, however that's not what they said (on the contrary, they mentioned a next model). I would not bet against a new 645D

[ogl]

645D and APS-C and Q (+GXR and GRD) are Pentax's way. I think FF won't be soon.

[MMVIII]

I don't see Pentax adding any killer features that would justify the old D7000/K-5 price point.

P.S.: Kudos to Pentax if they will be offering both K-3 and K-3s versions. 24MP are not enough for worry free operation w/o Bayer-colour-filter. I'm surprised Nikon apparently will not give users a choice. Maybe Nikkors don't resolve that much?

I think here one of the statements from one of the interviews with Pentax/Ricoh comes into play, that they are working on in camera moire suppression algorithms, which might take care of possible occasions prone to this in the new generation of the AA-less K and 645 series. Somehow this adds a lot of confidence to their implementations... Cool, at least what I expect to come...

[Digitalis]

I don't see much point in Pentax using a 24Mp sensor in the upcoming FX format camera - somewhere in the 28~36Mp range seems like a good place to start differentiating between the newer generation of APS-C sensors and FX sensors.

[Lurch]

Be we all know Pentax. They'll come out with a 40mp m4/3rds or something bizarre - hehe

[Clavius]

Be we all know Pentax. They'll come out with a 40mp m4/3rds or something bizarre - hehe

Yeah, or the 10th iteration of the very same 16mp Sony sensor again that they used in K5, K5II, K5IIs, K-01, K30 and the WG's. As if the selling the same thing 9x isn't bizarre enough.

[cfraz]

I know what statement you're talking about, however that's not what they said (on the contrary, they mentioned a next model). I would not bet against a new 645D

Ah, you're right. It was the part where they said "we have not had many requests on improvement" that suprised me.

[gazonk]

Yeah, or the 10th iteration of the very same 16mp Sony sensor again that they used in K5, K5II, K5IIs, K-01, K30 and the WG's. As if the selling the same thing 9x isn't bizarre enough.

Tell me what you're tripping on so I can avoid it. They've used variants of the 16mp sensor in 5 cameras (the WGs? Why are you bringing them in?), which isn't really that much for a highly successful sensor, and certainly fewer cameras than Sony has made with the same sensor - Sony has 11 cameras with the 16mp sensor in its slightly different generations!

Sometimes I wonder if you are a paid astroturfer from Nikon or Sony

[Kunzite]

cfraz: It didn't surprised me; the 645D is a modern camera, by DMF market. I'm sure the customers are appreciating that.
Of course, they must now re-distance themselves from the small format, and this depends on sensor availability. Good news: Pentax is probably the best candidate to pull it off.