[Tom Lusk]

some of the "trusted messengers" here were just as surprised as the rest of us when it comes to the disappointing features - low FPS and same poor AF system.

There appears to be no rush to satisfy the market that requires both of these features.

[jgredline]

Ok, but would not this be good for making animations? Movable gifs?

I mean, say I wanted to make an avatar out of a UFO or my kids. Would not this do it?

[Arpe]

Yep, probably quite good for making animated gifs - huge resulting file size though!!
OK, I know, reduce the file sizes...

[PaulAndAPentax]

4 fps with standard IQ and I would have bought....

[ricardobeat]

4 fps with standar IQ and I would have bought....

Do you really mean 1 more frame a second is going to save your day? You might as well use that second to think about the shot and find the perfect moment yourself...

[BrendanPK]

Shooting with high FPS is a must for a sports photographer like myself. I really hope the updated firmware lets me customize my FPS speed.

I can not agree more. I also agree w/ pop photo for a 6mp at 6fps mode.


I want to know 2 things:
1) Burst mode at a fixed 1.6mp... Is this using a live-view/mirror up function
2)Firmware upgrades to improve MP/FPS rate so user could choose various modes say 6mp at 6fps


Other than the fps I think they did great, I doubted we would see SAFOX9/10 in this body, but one can hope they tweeked the existing version and the AF processor has more/faster chips in it

[SpecialK]

Seriously though, I can see it being a "fun" feature, mucking around with the kids in the backyard kinda thing, but can't yet think of a "serious" use - I'm sure there's got to be one?

Golf swing or other motion analysis, though I don't take golf seriously.

[bt*ist]

(Apologies, I mentioned part of this post in another post about the K20D before I saw this thread) If 1.6megapixels is 1536 x 1024pixels, doesn't that mean the camera can do 20fps at an image size GREATER than the 800pixel maximum allowed in forum posts? Sure, 1.6megapixels on a crappy mobile phone is going to result in an awful photo... but on a PRIME engine?

That's still very impressive, if so!

This is what 800 pixels wide looks like (photo taken on a K10D):



...if I'm right, imagine a photo nearly twice as wide as this... (but am I right??)

[HawaiianOnline]

If the burst mode worked at high resolution, then maybe you could do some kind of focus stacking with macro shots. You'd need to smoothly move the camera towards the subject, not to mention that the subject itself would need to be fairly still.

Just an idea... Anyone ever try any kind of focus stacking before?

[eurostar]

Yes indeed, that's what I want it for, but at more than 1.6mp.

Chris (Codiac) did state that there was goods news coming up for sports shooters, I don't think it is this he was referring to, so it must be a lens, but the only things I can see are the DA*200/2.8 (expensive as it's *, and 200 isn't very long), and the DA*300/4 (f4 is often too slow). So I'm unsure what he was referring to.

Excuse me, you would like a lens more than 200mm (300, then?), with F/2,8, but not * to avoid high prices?

How much do you expect to pay for such a lens?

[anomaly]

People who work strictly with web content don't need anything more really.

Also, 1.3mp is fine for news paper shooters and photojournalists producing web content. I do believe that accounts for the majority.

[davemdsn]

I would love to see Pentax add a new AF system and faster fps. Most of my work would not benefit from it, but there are Pentax shooters who would. The problem is price. Updating Safox would cost money and raise the price of the camera. I don't think the current mirror and shutter assembly is capable of higher fps or they would have added it. It it were possible to add adjustable fps/mp rates with the current hardware they would have done it already. That's my guess anyway. That means that it would require a completely redesigned assembly, which would raise the price of the camera.

People are already complaining about the price of this model. Pentax obviously spent a lot of money on the new technology in it. While there are some who have stated that they would spend whatever it took to get the faster performance, I doubt that the majority of the market would. At $1800 this camera would not sell all that well. Just a different point of view.

[norArn]

I can not agree more. I also agree w/ pop photo for a 6mp at 6fps mode.


I want to know 2 things:
1) Burst mode at a fixed 1.6mp... Is this using a live-view/mirror up function
2)Firmware upgrades to improve MP/FPS rate so user could choose various modes say 6mp at 6fps


Other than the fps I think they did great, I doubted we would see SAFOX9/10 in this body, but one can hope they tweeked the existing version and the AF processor has more/faster chips in it

1.6Mp images in 20fps is damn close to shooting 720p HD: 720p frames are about 1.0Mp at 25 or 30 fps. 1080p frames are about 2.0Mp. I hoped that Pentax would release HD shooting in K20D, but perhaps they have decided to wait until K30D...

[PaulAndAPentax]

Sorry for no quotes, but I cant get them to load....

In answer to Ricardobeat.... It may not have saved my day but would have done several things for me:

1. Showed that speed/action shooting was in-fact something important enough to Pentax to 'try' and increase the fps rate.

2. Assisted in getting more keepers than non-keepers (due to extra bit of speed) and truthfully AF speed would have had to go along with this...that didn't get an upgrade either but I am hopeful for the ability to turn off focus verification...

3. Allowed me not to have to upgrade to an ungodly expensive 600 f/4 tele to get faster AF. Unfortunately I have a Bigma which is relatively slow (coupled with slow AF and slow fps)...either way I have to buy something!

Now that I am over the "truly disappointed" mode, I'll have to see what users think. One thing that might be a seller for me is if the extended DR is that good, conceivably I will not have to underexpose my white birds anymore just to get good feather detail.... with faster AF (by turning off verification), 3 fps might be enough....we'll see....

I know a lot of folks talk about shooting race cars and bikes and stuff....I would submit that these can be easier to predictively shoot because you know ahead of time where they are going to be....with in flight birds it's not always that simple and the af/fps needs to be a bit quicker IMHO.

I get plenty of flack from C and N users asking when I am going to get on with the BIG 2 as a bird shooter and I haven't done it yet....but I was really hopeful for a move in that direction by Pentax with this announcement. I like getting great results with 'substandard' equipment as it is often referred to....but in all honesty I get more throw aways than keepers when it comes to in-flight birds... I guess I need to save for a faster piece of glass....

All that said, I think this new cam has some great features that will compete with the likes of the Canon 5D. For portraiture, landscapes, weddings, and the like, it will probably do quite well...

[jgredline]

I have a Bigma which is relatively slow (coupled with slow AF and slow fps)...

Yep, This is the main reason I don't use my Bigma...The tardiness of this lens is cause for many a lost picture....But what I have noticed is that when I turn up the ISO to 800 or 1000 it does work better and the noise is non existent..I don't know why turning up the ISO helps it to focus a little quicker, I just know it does..Can I prove it. No, but folks who own this lens can prove it to themselves...But it is still quite slow...My Favorite long lens is my sigma 135-400...This lens is a ton faster than my bigma

Sorry, did not mean to derail the thread.