[Mistral75]

(...)

Connecting a hard drive via USB directly to the camera would be faster than any wireless connection could be, plus most external hard drives don't have any wireless connectivity.

That would remember some of us of the prehistory of digital photography, when imaged were stored on floppy disks...



Canon ION (for 'Interactive Online Network') RC-250 a.k.a. Xap Shot (USA) or Q-PIC (Japan) - 1988

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Last edited by Mistral75; 11-17-2014 at 08:26 AM.

[mamethot]

Unlike what I saw in Europe, 4G cost is prohibitive here (Canada). Tethering from the phone (for wifi and GPS data) might be a good option to have.

[thibs]

Kadajawi is right about NFC, the sole purpose of it is establishing Wifi/Bluetooth (and probably others) withouth annoying passphrase/pin codes etc.
Well wen you think about it, it may be a very very stupid mistake. On a security level, NFC is atrocious IMO.

As for hard drives, I'm sorry but small devices with hard drives with batteries and card reader exist for 10 years at least. Why should we reinvent the wheel ?

Finaly, that SIM card + modem etc is paying a lot in price, battery life and space when you can tether to smartphones.
Remember how a smartphones drain your battery when using 3G/4G? You want your camera to take 100 pics then get battery depleted? No way !

[kadajawi]

Those hard drives are really expensive and rare and hard to find. My phone can do it, if it would provide enough power to the USB port.

[RonHendriks1966]

Finaly, that SIM card + modem etc is paying a lot in price, battery life and space when you can tether to smartphones.
Remember how a smartphones drain your battery when using 3G/4G? You want your camera to take 100 pics then get battery depleted? No way !

Maybe it's time to upgrade the battery inside the Pentax camera's. The D-Li90 is already old. I think that doubling the energy in the same package is no problem today and keeping it compatible.

[philbaum]

Maybe it's time to upgrade the battery inside the Pentax camera's. The D-Li90 is already old. I think that doubling the energy in the same package is no problem today and keeping it compatible.

I have no complaints with mine, compared to my Sony batteries, it lasts 5 times longer at least. If they do upgrade it, i hope they don't change any external factors so that it is compatible. the 645z uses the same battery i believe. But some weight reduction in the camera overall would be nice.

[Winder]

I have no complaints with mine, compared to my Sony batteries, it lasts 5 times longer at least. If they do upgrade it, i hope they don't change any external factors so that it is compatible. the 645z uses the same battery i believe. But some weight reduction in the camera overall would be nice.

I think we are getting to the point where we won't be seeing many dedicated image processors being used. Multi-core ARM processors coming out in cameras. We are going to see more power intensive systems. The Sony Bionz X is Processing 16 bit files (output to 14-bit) with 3x more processing power than the previous Bionz process in the A99. Samsung NX-1 is using a new 5 core processor. The Fuji EXR Processor II is 2x the previous generation, and the next generation will probably be 2-3x as powerful. Fuji is using 3 linear AF motors in the 50-140mm F/2.8 to get really fast AF, but that also means more power consumption.

I don't know if battery technology is going to be able to keep up. Like the Sony A7 line, battery life might not be that good for a few years. Changing batteries every 300 shots really isn't that bad though for people who remember changing rolls of film every 10 - 36 shots.

[kadajawi]

That would remember some of us of the prehistory of digital photography, when imaged were stored on floppy disks...



Canon ION (for 'Interactive Online Network') RC-250 a.k.a. Xap Shot (USA) or Q-PIC (Japan) - 1988

Sony made such cameras too.

But being able to plug in an external drive in order to backup or move the files to the external drive is very different, IMHO.

So... the Samsung NX1... first reviews are coming.
The Samsung NX1 Review (evolving)
Now admittedly he is first and foremost a videographer, but he also does photography. Seems like the speed is excellent, the ergonomics are good. Those were 2 or the main question marks IMHO, if the camera can deliver on these points. Seems like it can.

[derekkite]

But why would they have to use the current Milbeaut? Might that processor not be improved or modified?

They can either use all the tech developed for the K3 and 645Z as a basis for a FF dslr, or they can use it as an introduction of the next generation tech. A dual processor or different processor is a brand new project from ground up. I don't know what they will do, but from the success and acceptance of the K3 and 645Z they probably would do the same for a FF. Then start building another platform for the next round of upgrades, and apply it first to the one who generates the most income.

[reh321]

Then start building another platform for the next round of upgrades, and apply it first to the one who generates the most income.

The one problem with that is you have to get it right ... otherwise you lose a lot of income.
I think I'd feel safer using low-profit products for experimentation; if it works well, maybe they'll become a higher profit item, but if it works poorly, the downside is limited.

BTW - I have worked on R&D projects, and I am very aware of the opportunities for things not to go as you had planned.

[kadajawi]

They can either use all the tech developed for the K3 and 645Z as a basis for a FF dslr, or they can use it as an introduction of the next generation tech. A dual processor or different processor is a brand new project from ground up. I don't know what they will do, but from the success and acceptance of the K3 and 645Z they probably would do the same for a FF. Then start building another platform for the next round of upgrades, and apply it first to the one who generates the most income.

I think they will just use whatever is current by Fujitsu. So far that seems to be what they have done... the updates are probably small enough that the changes to the firmware are minimal. The only time where they stuck with an old CPU was the K-5 II, and I guess that was because it really was the same camera that was slightly updated while they were working hard on a proper update. They even didn't take the effort to remove shake reduction.

Now a switch to another processor maker is a different thing, or if Fujitsu makes a major update. I don't see either happen, especially not the first. Canon is keeping their processor to themselves, Sony and Samsung are developing their own for the own use, and especially the Samsung is a Samsung processor from scratch (apart from the ARM core). Not sure if the BIONZ is based on anything external. Nikon and Leica are using Milbeaut too. Fuji is using... something, but it's probably not that advanced either... the really ahead of the curve ones are Samsung, Sony and perhaps Qualcomm. Qualcomm of course does offer their processors to others, but no idea if the camera part is at least on par with the Milbeaut... it's a smaller part of the processor.

Having a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 would of course enable a ridiculously fast interface and all the radios you could wish for, and it seems to be able to deal with high res sensors...

[monochrome]

They can either use all the tech developed for the K3 and 645Z as a basis for a FF dslr, or they can use it as an introduction of the next generation tech. A dual processor or different processor is a brand new project from ground up. I don't know what they will do, but from the success and acceptance of the K3 and 645Z they probably would do the same for a FF. Then start building another platform for the next round of upgrades, and apply it first to the one who generates the most income.

645Z has a hinged LCD. I believe the 645Z has a dual processor and a dual bus. 645Z has the K-3 AF points.

[derekkite]

645Z has a hinged LCD. I believe the 645Z has a dual processor and a dual bus. 645Z has the K-3 AF points.

Mechanical things are easy. Software is very hard, a multi year process of development. Any real advance in camera technology comes from some chip somewhere. The hardware stuff is nice if well done, but is essentially a manufacturing technology issue. Any of the desired advancements are about software; better video, even mirrorless with fast accurate focus, evf's etc. This is a computer industry now. Full frame is simply a bigger sensor with more data to shuffle around.

That is my point. Is the full frame a move to a more advanced software platform that will disseminate through their product line, or is it an extension of the existing software stack applied to the specifics of a full frame DSLR? If I were Ricoh, I would bring out the fancy and complex stuff in a high end offering and disseminate it downwards. At one point they have to stop having a cheaper and less endowed body have better processing or focus than their top of the line flagship offering.

I don't think that they will sell millions of FF dslr's, in fact the delay in offering one is about them not seeing a profitable path in producing one. They need to be in that space, so their question is how can they make one and have it contribute indirectly to the enterprise? Two ways; one is to have it as a platform for ideas and technologies that will disseminate through their other products, using the existing lens list with a few additions that will be popular and useful for the aps-c bodies. Over time they may find a slightly less endowed FF may be their top seller and generator of income, but the price point needs to drop.

That is why I don't see a mirrorless FF. They would need a whole package of lenses for a new mount. I suspect a very nice 810ish body, a bit cheaper, and showing off all the goodies that will come in the next aps-c offering. Or a 610ish body, essentially a K-3 with a larger sensor. I have no idea which, but what they do will be indicative.

---------- Post added 11-19-14 at 08:07 AM ----------

How long has it been since the beginning of development for the K-3? I would think somewhere before the time of the K5II release. That bought them some time to get it done. The K-3 was released last year around this time, and they probably had already a start on the next iteration at that time. So maybe they have something new that is ready to go.

[thibs]

645Z has a hinged LCD. I believe the 645Z has a dual processor and a dual bus. 645Z has the K-3 AF points.

I'd be very surprised at the dual processor thingie.
More info if anybody finds out would be nice

[monochrome]

Mechanical things are easy. Software is very hard, a multi year process of development. Any real advance in camera technology comes from some chip somewhere. The hardware stuff is nice if well done, but is essentially a manufacturing technology issue.

Don't kid yourself - manufacturing process technology is every bit as important as 'research' technology these days.

Any of the desired advancements are about software; better video, even mirrorless with fast accurate focus, evf's etc. This is a computer industry now. Full frame is simply a bigger sensor with more data to shuffle around.

That is my point. Is the full frame a move to a more advanced software platform that will disseminate through their product line, or is it an extension of the existing software stack applied to the specifics of a full frame DSLR? If I were Ricoh, I would bring out the fancy and complex stuff in a high end offering and disseminate it downwards. At one point they have to stop having a cheaper and less endowed body have better processing or focus than their top of the line flagship offering.

I don't think that they will sell millions of FF dslr's, in fact the delay in offering one is about them not seeing a profitable path in producing one. They need to be in that space, so their question is how can they make one and have it contribute indirectly to the enterprise? Two ways; one is to have it as a platform for ideas and technologies that will disseminate through their other products, using the existing lens list

I surmise a major element of the economics of the 645D and 645Z business decision was an existing inventory of 645 lenses. Hoya firesaled the existing inventory of FF lenses.

with a few additions that will be popular and useful for the aps-c bodies. Over time they may find a slightly less endowed FF may be their top seller and generator of income, but the price point needs to drop.

That is why I don't see a mirrorless FF. They would need a whole package of lenses for a new mount. I suspect a very nice 810ish body, a bit cheaper, and showing off all the goodies that will come in the next aps-c offering. Or a 610ish body, essentially a K-3 with a larger sensor. I have no idea which, but what they do will be indicative.

Both.

---------- Post added 11-19-14 at 08:07 AM ----------

How long has it been since the beginning of development for the K-3? I would think somewhere before the time of the K5II release. That bought them some time to get it done. The K-3 was released last year around this time, and they probably had already a start on the next iteration at that time. So maybe they have something new that is ready to go.