Originally posted by 123K10D This is what I saw. Last Sunday (at dusk) a very slick wedding photog crew - 3 photogs/1 video op. Two of the photogs had Nikon D3's, and even though the light was low, these things were hammering out shots - like 6 - 8 per second - probably ISO6400 and their 2.8 zooms.
Anyway, the third photog didn't have all the extra camera gear that the Nikon shooters had (shoulder bag thingies) and something around their necks plus headsets - like the CIA :-). He just had a camera which I'd never seen before... The new Pentax ('one' of the new models anyway).
At first I saw the back and thought it could be a D300 with a battery grip, but then I saw the front, with the Pentax logo and a DA* 50-135 on it. Cool! Anyway, all I can tell you is this:
Compared to my K10D, this was what stood out:
It has a big screen at the back.
Couldn't tell if it had a battery grip, or if it was moulded into the body, like the D3.
It was shooting at the same speed as the D3's (or near enough) - very, very fast FPS.
The weirdest bit was this - the D3 shooters were chimping every now and then. But the Pentax shooter didn't chimp once, in the 5 minutes I saw him shoot god knows how many shots, he didn't check a single frame - from the back at least - maybe he was reviewing them in the viewfinder? Don't know. And this guy was the lead photog, he got first dibs at every op, and the others all deferred to him.
If you're wondering why I didn't walk up and go "hey man! cool, is that the new K something?" - you should have seen these guys (and one girl on one of the D3's) - they looked like they were at the end of the longest day of their lives. I've never seen a group of people look less happy making a living. And they were sticking like glue to this very rich looking wedding party - not exactly an opportune time to strike up a conversation.
Wasn't going to post this, because I thought, "what the hell would Pentax be doing, trialing a new camera in Brisbane, Australia?.. nope, I saw what I saw, and the DA*50-135 is a VERY distinctive lens - which I have actually used.
If you think this is fiction, good, because I would if I'd have read this - but I saw what I saw. And I've been seriously considering getting a Nikon D3 for it's FPS and low light ability (starting to sell photos now, and pet photography is where I want to go - so, action shots in poor light are typical) - after seeing what I saw on the weekend, I'm going to put the idea on hold until Pentax anounces their new gear - hopefully, it will be cheaper than Nikons.
Like in the X-Files, That was a real UFO you saw...I know because I saw the same UFO only really close up. Like I said, Pentax are really going to shake up the market. Of course there will be those that will bitch about stuff that really doesn't matter that much in terms of real front line usage. I mean, when I shoot, I want to forget I'm holding a camera. My idea of a good camera is when I forget I am holding a camera. The more transparent it is in its use the better. The new Pentax is one of those cameras that get very close to that ideal. Not perfect, but what is?
Yup, from the sound of it, you saw the holy grail. Just remember the old adage, "always keep your eyes on the other hand than that which is doing the trick" or something like that.
Ben
"K...D" what?