[6BQ5]

Why, because I'll take it everywhere with me and use it all the time? :-P Fair enough!



We're happy together, me 'n my camera.

I would consider the body armor, depending on the price point. And yes, I would absolutely want to buy it in a fun color. Why not?

Haters gonna hate.

Oh, that's not too bad. I was imagining that you'd have a whole panel missing on one side and the other side is held up with epoxy or tape.

As long as you don't misalign the sensor in the body I think you're doing just fine.

[Kunzite]

But my main point -- which perhaps I did not make well enough -- had been that I do not the the K-S2 was rush-developed after observing possibly low K-S1 sales, and making the K-S2 selfie-capable for that reason alone. I think the K-S2 was in design as an articulating screen replacement for the K-50 even as K-S1 was just being marketed. I would have to hear Pentax say that K-S2 was a K-S1 rescue mission before I thought otherwise.

The K-S2 was planned well before they started to sell the K-S1. And of course, it's much more than a selfie-capable K-S1.
Actually the K-S1 is sort of a selfie DSLR as well - the grip LEDs (reason for much derision) can indicate the number of faces detected by Live View AF.

[reh321]

Well, I agree that the "armor" probably makes the camera more difficult to use, but if you're set up for shooting and ready to go and not fiddle with buttons, I'm sure it's great. My K-30 is beat to shit. I've taken tumbles with it, I've dropped it, it's bounced around at the bottom of my bag and in the passenger seat of my car. It has scratches, chips, and a pretty good chunk of the "horn" broken off just under the pop-up flash. If it had been wearing the armor, it would look a hell of a lot better than it does now.

Critique and finding the negative aspects are certainly things that come pretty easily to some people. I prefer to be optimistic.

I agree fully!

My first Pentax, an ME, lasted just a few years; I used my second one, a Super Program, for eleven years (and as far as I know, I could use it tomorrow if I could find batteries and film for it).
The difference?
The first one had a little mist fall on it during a visit to Niagara Falls.

A little protection can go a long ways!

[Marktax]

The K-S2 was planned well before they started to sell the K-S1. And of course, it's much more than a selfie-capable K-S1.

Thanks for that confirmation.

[wed7]

I will not envelop my camera with that armor. It will make my camera and shooting experience cumbersome.

When Pentax declared that their product is rugged, I wholeheartedly believe them, no need for these imho, Although my K-30 lost it's button for the on-board flash already

[Canada_Rockies]

I had to replace the top plate on my K10D a few years back. The camera still worked, but I had to turn off the AE-L every time I turned it on. There was a hairline crack right by the AE-L button that pushed things out of alignment.

As to durability, I used the camera for the rest of the trip, putting up with the annoyance, and nothing else was wrong. How did I damage it? Coming down a 30° rocky slope on ice, I used it as a landing device. I don't think it was designed to take on a 165 pound guy in a parka with the top against a rock.

PS - I was in worse shape than the camera. I used up a whole bunch of bandaids and some support tape. Cost me a rip in my parka, too. Hint: use the trail, not the short cut that I did.

[NotSteve]

I agree, that second shutter button is kinda clever. Pentax actually does ergonomics quite well when they make it a priority. Plus, given that the camera itself looks to be very well specified, even it it is a big gimmicky, it helps to have it. A bad camera with a weird gimmick will still be a bad camera. This is actually the second camera that they put a secondary shutter on -- the other one was a small point and shoot that had a shutter for portrait mode, which was otherwise not a notable camera.

Re: ergonomics, see this link about how they came up with the shape for the K-7 grip:

OK1000 Pentax Blog: Pentax K-7 Designer's Notes: Toshihiro Hamamura, Development Dept. Product Designer

Most of the selfie sticks I saw in Asia were for outdoor buildings and monuments and the like. But I didn't do a lot of museums and I could see how some would see selfie sticks as being problematic.

I actually wonder why more people just don't grab a stranger and ask them to take a picture, especially when everyone's in the same boat of trying to get everyone in your group, including yourself, in the photo.

"Actually, they definitely were thinking "selfies" although I don't think their marketing stuff uses that term."

I'll stand corrected on my comment that they weren't thinking selfies, given the info about the w-fi button conversion to shutter button, which I didn't know about. But my main point -- which perhaps I did not make well enough -- had been that I do not think that the K-S2 was rush-developed after observing possibly low K-S1 sales, and making the K-S2 selfie-capable for that reason alone. I think the K-S2 was in design as an articulating screen replacement for the K-50 even as K-S1 was just being marketed. I would have to hear Pentax say that K-S2 was a K-S1 rescue mission before I thought otherwise.

That the w-fi button converts to shutter button, I am actually jubilant about, because it is exactly the kind of out-of-the-box, quirky-yet-useful idea that Pentax is so good at. It's a very cool touch. And perhaps it's in the nick of time, too. Today (2-15-15), The New York Times has a page-one story on selfie sticks being BANNED from museums. And I quote: "One by one, museums across the United States have been imposing bans on using selfie sticks for photographs inside galleries (adding them to existing rules on umbrellas, backpacks, tripods and monopods), yet another example of how controlling overcrowding has become part of the museum mission." This is only going to spread to other kinds of locations as people continue to knock things over, poke strangers in the head, etc. with their selfie sticks. The K-S2 wi-fi button swap to shutter button is a very timely development. Good for them yet again.

---------- Post added 02-16-15 at 12:37 AM ----------

I'm seriously considering the K-S2. My K-5 has gone kaput, and I'm presently using my backup, a K-01. Reasons why to get a K-S2:

- it will cost $400 to fix my K-5
- the K-S2 will cost about half that (body only, with a couple spare batteries)
- Wifi and NFC offer up some interesting possibilities
- a variangle screen would be great to have
- higher resolution but still pretty low noise levels
- K-01 takes great photos but is slow, lacks a viewfinder, etc.

Reservations about getting a K-S2:

- shutter won't be as quiet as the K-5 (maybe the armour will mitigate this)
- would have to run another battery system, as the K-S2 uses a different battery than the K-5 and K-01
- will miss the features of the higher end body (top screen, locking mode dial...)

But none of my reservations about the K-S2 are deal breakers.

[shiner]

I'm not even considering canceling my pre-order of a K-S2 with B&H. However, my kinda rash decision to order the "forest green" variant now seems a little iffy, lol. Should probably just get it in black...
I've been using a K-01 as a companion to my K3, but I think the K-S2 will be hella better. For sure, I'll sell one of the K-01's. And then there's that K5 that I've never ever used again after getting a fab K3. I need to have a yard sale.
Anyone else ever have this problem: when I have both a K3 and K-01 around my neck for two quick lens choices, and then switch to the K-01 and try to use the optical VF... duh! This can't happen with a K-S2.

[kadajawi]

Why not ask strangers to take a photo? Well, chances are the stranger will run away with your phone (or camera). Camera is one thing, but not having your phone anymore makes your day very, very terrible, and chances are there's plenty of stuff on the phone that you don't want others to see. etc.


Basically it's just not safe.


K-5 vs K-S2... I think I'd wait for some reviews to pop up, though I am intrigued. For me the lack of a top screen is a bit of a deal breaker, and perhaps the shutter noise (we'll have to see).

[simon_199]

Interesting video on the K-S2 showing the Wifi smartphone operation and the "purotectav jacketto" :P

You Tube

You Tube

[severalsnakes]

Well, chances are the stranger will run away with your phone (or camera).

For real?? Has this happened to you or someone you know? Where do you live? Because I want to be sure to NOT GO THERE.

(I've had strangers literally put their cell phones in my hands and ask me to take pictures. Maybe I just look trustworthy...?)

[Marktax]

rash decision to order the "forest green" variant now seems a little iffy,

Someone has remarked that the Leica "safari" model is pretty sought after for its color. The green K-S2 looks kind of cool to me. It looks Army drab to me. The old Pentax F lenses will look pretty boss on it.

[ZeljkoS]

More I see this new camera, the more I like it. Really impressive. I bet it will sell really good. I would probably go for one, if I didn't buy K-5 IIs on black friday

[kadajawi]

For real?? Has this happened to you or someone you know? Where do you live? Because I want to be sure to NOT GO THERE.

(I've had strangers literally put their cell phones in my hands and ask me to take pictures. Maybe I just look trustworthy...?)

I don't recall it having happened to me or someone I know, but I might be a bit paranoid. Why take chances? The economy is bad, people are bad, there are thieves everywhere...


The armour looks like someone spilled goo all over the camera.


The WiFi app looks really basic... nowhere near the amount of control I'd want to have over the camera. API please, Pentax!

[semaca]

Nice video. I've learned today how to say "yes" in japanese.