[thibs]

Well, bracketing can already be set to FX Button

[Ash]

It's all coming together nicely now.
Good features, a solid design.
24Mp APS-C is highly likely from what it looks to be.
Reassigning the user settings in separate mode dial clicks removes another step in the process of selecting them, then having the movie button behind also eases the functionality of it.
I thinks these are all good additions.

[jatrax]

Nothing is definite until we see a real spec sheet and maybe some sample images but....

What I like:

1. Bigger LCD
2. Diopter adjustment looks easier to use
3. Dedicated button for AF point selection, not sure if this is a button to switch it on or a joystick though, hoping joystick.
4. Roughly the same body as k-7/k-5 might be tweaked a bit but mostly looks the same
5. User modes on the mode dial instead of in a menu
6. New AF mode button
7. Contoured 4-way buttons
8. It says Pentax on the front
9. AF button location, hard to be sure until I have it in hand but I think the new location is going to be very good, for my hands anyway
10. AE-L button location, no change so nothing to retrain
11. ISO & exposure comp buttons did not change, nothing to retrain

What I don't care about:

1. Dedicated video button
2. Headphone jack
3. Microphone jack
4. Usb port
5. Hdmi port
6. Different grip, I don't have a BG-4 so I don't care, though if I did I have one I might be slightly miffed
7. Dual SD slots.
8. No articulated LCD, I could go either way.

What I don't like:

1. Hmm, not much to NOT like I guess..........

What I'm curious about:

1. What does the new metering mode button do?
2. What does the switch around the mode dial do if we now have a dedicated metering mode button?
3. Why is there a dedicated (red) video button if you need to be in video mode to make it work?
4. Do earlier VF attachments like the O-ME53 still work
5. What else can you use a headphone jack for?
6. Does it have integrated GPS?
7. Does the O-GPS1 still work on this one?
8. Does the new BG-5 have any hidden goodies? WiFI maybe?
9. Does it have tethering?
10. Does it have WiFi?
11. Why there is a change to the symbol on the 'drive mode' button?

NB. I don't do video so anything video related is of no concern to me. I have no problem with it being on the camera, video is required in a current DSLR in order to be reviewed without losing points and to sell to a wider market. Just to be clear this is not the same as 'hating' video, I just have no interest in it and I am totally happy for the video fans among us.


Despite the expected whining and criticism I think Ricoh did a great job on this. Even if nothing else 'great' shows up and the specs are vanilla D7100, they made improvements in a dozen places and did not screw anything up that I can see. I have never bought a camera within the first year of release, this might be my first.

[bossa]

Nothing is definite until we see a real spec sheet and maybe some sample images but....



What I'm curious about:

1. What does the new metering mode button do?
2. What does the switch around the mode dial do if we now have a dedicated metering mode button?
3. Why is there a dedicated (red) video button if you need to be in video mode to make it work?
4. Do earlier VF attachments like the O-ME53 still work
   
5. What else can you use a headphone jack for?
6. Does it have integrated GPS?
7. Does the O-GPS1 still work on this one?
8. Does the new BG-5 have any hidden goodies? WiFI maybe?
9. Does it have tethering?
10. Does it have WiFi?
11. Why there is a change to the symbol on the 'drive mode' button?

NB. I don't do video so anything video related is of no concern to me. I have no problem with it being on the camera, video is required in a current DSLR in order to be reviewed without losing points and to sell to a wider market. Just to be clear this is not the same as 'hating' video, I just have no interest in it and I am totally happy for the video fans among us.


Despite the expected whining and criticism I think Ricoh did a great job on this. Even if nothing else 'great' shows up and the specs are vanilla D7100, they made improvements in a dozen places and did not screw anything up that I can see. I have never bought a camera within the first year of release, this might be my first.

Probably allows cycling through the modes by repeated presses or by holding and using a command wheel.

Probably releases the locking button so you don't need to use it

There's no video mode position on the mode dial on this camera.

Are you kidding?

How can you say this without seeing the output and a comprehensive spec sheet?

---

Last edited by bossa; 10-05-2013 at 09:49 PM.

[jatrax]

Are you kidding?

No not really, I was thinking maybe the WiFi module plugs in there. Or maybe GPS? Or RF wireless flash trigger? Or I don't know, just trying to think outside the box. I will never use a headphone so I was hoping it had a secondary purpose.....

How can you say this without seeing the output and a comprehensive spec sheet?

Maybe I should have said "I think Ricoh did a great job on what I can see so far"?

Ultimately the test of a camera is what sort of quality the images it produces show. I'm going to give Ricoh the benefit of the doubt and assume they would not wait two years and then release a camera that produces worse IQ then the k-5. Maybe that's optimistic of me, but I doubt it. A 24mp image with the same IQ, DR, and noise results as the k-5IIs is the least I am expecting. Anything better than that is icing.

We should see output and spec sheet in a few days. Based on how quiet Adam has been I'm expecting to see sample images very quickly. Maybe they will be bad, in which case I have no reason to buy, few other people will either, and Ricoh ends up with egg on their face. I don't see that happening, Ricoh took the time to do this right and I don't think they are going to drop the ball on the most important part. But all will be revealed in a few days. Exciting times in Pentaxland....

[Digitalis]

I approve of the addition of the AF point selection button - that was annoying on the K5IIs

What does the switch around the mode dial do if we now have a dedicated metering mode button?

I'll admit to being curious about this as well - has Ricoh copied Nikon with their drive mode selector?

[Fogel70]

Drive mode already has a button on K-3 (the same as on K-5).

I don't think they changed metering mode selector, but maybe added new features for metering which is controlled with a separate button.
If they use the rumored 86k segment RGB metering, they could use metering for a lot of more features than today.
Metering assisted AF, face recognition, Or different modes for each metering mode. (FI variable size on spot metering)

But I'm just speculating. (And hoping for something like this)

[Barry Pearson]

We should see output and spec sheet in a few days. Based on how quiet Adam has been I'm expecting to see sample images very quickly. Maybe they will be bad, in which case I have no reason to buy, few other people will either, and Ricoh ends up with egg on their face. I don't see that happening, Ricoh took the time to do this right and I don't think they are going to drop the ball on the most important part. But all will be revealed in a few days. Exciting times in Pentaxland....

I think sample images will say more about the person taking the images (and the lenses) than about the camera. The only exception that occurs to me are images of high-ISO noise characteristics, where I want to be convinced that the camera is at least as good as the K-5, and hasn't regressed to the level of the K-7.

[Mistral75]

The big question mark as of today is the autofocus system.

Did you notice that the reflexion of the matted screen on the mirror shows the same drawings/patterns as previous models?

[Kunzite]

Which hints to a similar layout, and that's good - I don't want all AF points cluttered in the centre, like Canon.

[Mistral75]

It could also hint at an identical number of autofocus points...

[Kunzite]

I don't think so

[Barry Pearson]

The big question mark as of today is the autofocus system.

Did you notice that the reflexion of the matted screen on the mirror shows the same drawings/patterns as previous models?

Does that say anything about the autofocus system? The autofocus system is in the base of the camera, and is unchanged if the viewing screen is swapped for another.

Which hints to a similar layout, and that's good - I don't want all AF points cluttered in the centre, like Canon.

I want lots of high quality autofocus points clustered near the centre, to help me get a focus lock on fast moving objects such as planes and birds and racing bikes, even if I haven't got them exactly centred.

That doesn't mean that I want others to be disappointed - I'm happy if they have other autofocus points elsewhere, as I long as I have control over whether to use them.

[Mistral75]

Does that say anything about the autofocus system? The autofocus system is in the base of the camera, and is unchanged if the viewing screen is swapped for another.
(...)

Per se it does not, you are right. But manufacturers use to provide a standard screen the patterns of which indicate where AF points are located / how they are "organized".

A few examples:

K-5 II: 11 AF points


Canon EOS 60D: 9 AF points


Canon EOS 7D: 19 AF points


Canon

[RonHendriks1966]

What I'm curious about:

1. What does the new metering mode button do?
2. What does the switch around the mode dial do if we now have a dedicated metering mode button?
3. Why is there a dedicated (red) video button if you need to be in video mode to make it work?
4. Do earlier VF attachments like the O-ME53 still work
5. What else can you use a headphone jack for?
6. Does it have integrated GPS?
7. Does the O-GPS1 still work on this one?
8. Does the new BG-5 have any hidden goodies? WiFI maybe?
9. Does it have tethering?
10. Does it have WiFi?
11. Why there is a change to the symbol on the 'drive mode' button?

Are you kidding?

Wouldn't it be great when camping out or for the wildlife photografer to be able to make a cup off coffe by just hooking up your waterboiler to the new cameraport..........