[LaurenOE]

Normally I bristle at the "I'm leaving Pentax" posts because they're usually just whining... but you really do have a valid reason to be disappointed - though I can't say I'm surprised at the outcome given Ricoh / Pentax's (lack of) prioritisation of video in their DSLR functionality thus far. Personally, I think it will be quite some time before they offer competitive video capabilities, if in fact they ever do. For now, Sony / Canon / Panasonic undoubtedly offer a better proposition for video...

Yep. I personally will never leave Pentax, but I am one of the few professionals who really made a go at working Pentax into a workflow and being *seen* doing so. Even now, I love the look of the K3 video even compared to other cameras. Personally, I will own a K1 when it comes out, however, for the budgets and recommendations in the coming weeks, I can't in good faith say Pentax cameras are a viable upgrade path to our existing K3 workflow.

So a potential chapter for Ricoh/Pentax will have to find someone more famous than me to be a champion for their cameras.

Pretty much everything on my personal demo reel was shot on a Pentax camera (except for the drone footage and GoPro).

Go ahead..look at this video. Pentax cameras. Pentax lenses. Pentax on a Ronin. Pentax on a GlideCam. Pentax on Kessler Sliders and Jibs.

Vimeo

So yes...not having better video is a severe disappointment.

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Last edited by LaurenOE; 02-17-2016 at 10:52 PM.

[a5m]

Sorry guys don't mind me. Just wanted to pop in and be part of the excitement. Feel like a celebration is in order. Congrats Pentaxians!

[ogl]

The main feature of K-1 is the FIRST Pentax FF camera. And it's extremely well. We have been waiting for 15 years. Somebody didn't live till this moment. I don't care about specs. K-1 has FF sensor and I don't see any sense to waste time for long discussing of pros and cons. I can put all my FA LIMITED on K-1 and I will be happy. My congratulations to all Pentaxian!

[thibs]

The K-1 captures Full HD movie clips (1920 x 1080 pixels; 60i/30p frame rate) in the H.264 recording format, and comes equipped with a stereo mic terminal for external microphone connection and a headphone terminal. The user can also adjust the audio recording level manually, monitor sound pressure levels during microphone recording, and cut down wind noise using a new wind noise reduction mode. In addition to a host of distinctive visual effects available for movie recording,* the K-1 also provides the interval movie mode, which captures a series of 4K-resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) movie clips at a fixed interval.

Not that bad IMO.

[kadajawi]

It appears to be D810 hardware from the sensor to the image processor, so I wouldn't expect modern video features. My biggest surprise is that it took Ricoh so long to develop a camera with such old technology. I guess the time was spent on the SR system and OVF. As you say everything else is 2013 technology. It's a great buy.

Might as well buy a second hand D810 :P

[Not a Number]

Might as well buy a second hand D810 :P

And if you have a collection of K-mount or 645 lenses and no Nikon lenses how will that be cheaper?

Buy what you want, nobody is stopping you from buying Nikon or forcing you to buy Pentax.

[Zygonyx]

The K-1 captures Full HD movie clips (1920 x 1080 pixels; 60i/30p frame rate) in the H.264 recording format, and comes equipped with a stereo mic terminal for external microphone connection and a headphone terminal. The user can also adjust the audio recording level manually, monitor sound pressure levels during microphone recording, and cut down wind noise using a new wind noise reduction mode. In addition to a host of distinctive visual effects available for movie recording,* the K-1 also provides the interval movie mode, which captures a series of 4K-resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) movie clips at a fixed interval.

Not that bad IMO.

Exactly.
Wake up guys...
Again, for specific and demanding video, there's nothing better than a dedicated video cam.
End of a false dream.

[kadajawi]

Please stop mixing dedicated uses.
Serious video users dont take time-formats-functionnalities-limited DSLRs !!!

You mean users like Lauren, who does videos for Oracle?

Mirrorless cameras and DSLRs are relatively close to professional video cameras in terms of looks, at a significantly lower price point. A RED costs how much? 10k? Arri Alexa... 50k? 100k? Even Hollywood uses DSLRs... IIRC they used 5Ds and 7Ds for The Avengers. Mad Max used 5Ds too. They are used besides the big gear. But if you can intercut footage from those cameras in big Hollywood blockbusters, surely quality will be good enough for people working at the not so high end.

Btw., IIRC film had a time limit of roughly 10 minutes, after which you'd have to change the reel. I don't see how that stopped Kubrick, Hitchcock, Spielberg and everyone else making movies for the past 100+ years.

DSLRs with good video capabilities are interesting for those who do plenty of stills, but also do video. Not enough to warrant spending 20k on video gear, but still enough to make it worthwhile.

@Not a Number: Yeah. If you have plenty of Pentax gear. That's not attracting new users from other brands though.

[grispie]

Even now, I love the look of the K3 video even compared to other cameras.

Yep, I'm fully with you, despite its flaws.

Regarding the K1 video, the proof is in the eating of the pudding... specs never tell the whole story.
Maybe it is at a point where good enough is just good enough.

[BigMackCam]

Altogether it's a good day for Pentax. They got their price low enough for me to think about it. I didn't expect that. Sure they lose a few more video users, but their main market, low end still users have to be impressed with the upgrade path. It gives us all the chance to sneak into a full frame without really wanting one. At that price, I can buy it just to use all those cheap FF lenses I own. For every high end video user, there are 99 guys like me. In terms of profitability this makes sense. It's still problematic, for me, but as I said, at that price, I can buy it because it's there. Not because I can justify it in any way, which I can't. And if I can get a few hundred bucks for my K-5, it has a K-5 built in.

Spot on, Norm. I'm going to end up eating my words because I had said I wouldn't be going for the FF any time soon. But looking at the pricing, once those deals come in - I'm thinking Black Friday next year - who knows? As you say, the pricing is such that people will buy it without justification other than its FF and affordable.

[Asahiflex]

I actually like the updated teaser site and in particular the interview with the development team:

Challengers | PENTAX K-1 Special site | RICOH IMAGING

[ffking]

For what it's worth...

I gave myself a night's sleep before commenting.

I am definitely in the expected more camera for more money camp - possibly helped along by rumours along the way - but in the end what I expect is irrelevant and what we have is what we have. A lot of the wanting more is perhaps actually wanting to stick it to Canikon users who have often (deliberately or not) made (or tried to make) Pentaxian's feel inferior. But that's also another issue.

The great wisdom that the night has given me (haha) is that this is a camera,and a camera is as good as the images it produces. You can't have it all - you can't have pro-spec ruggedness (which it does) in a featherweight body -you can't (at the moment) have a machine-gun shutter in a 36mp camera (Canon and Nikon have spotted that one, too). A successful design in design terms is one that achieves what it sets out to achieve - which might be different from a successful design in marketing terms. The jury is out on both issues, but I have a lot of faith i the fact that the camera will punch well above it's weight in the results it produces - none of us (well nearly none of us) has ever seen a 36mp pixel-shifted image - that's not four year old technology, and if you can have the detail of 42 or even 50 mp with the noise characteristics of a great 36mp sensor, what's not to like? The price definitely takes this a big step closer to reality not dream for me, and I am one of the Pentax faithful - been with them since the 80's but one who is not uncritical of their short-comings either.

So, back to the rather obvious conclusion: this is a camera. It's as good as the images it takes, and the ease of obtaining those images and the images it can take where others might struggle. I have faith that it will deliver.

[Nicolas06]

You mean users like Lauren, who does videos for Oracle?

Mirrorless cameras and DSLRs are relatively close to professional video cameras in terms of looks, at a significantly lower price point. A RED costs how much? 10k? Arri Alexa... 50k? 100k? Even Hollywood uses DSLRs... IIRC they used 5Ds and 7Ds for The Avengers. Mad Max used 5Ds too. They are used besides the big gear. But if you can intercut footage from those cameras in big Hollywood blockbusters, surely quality will be good enough for people working at the not so high end.

If in big hollywood blockbusters that need 4K video and could pay millions dollars for gear, you can do away with DSLR doing only fullHD then surely K1 is good enough too and so requirement for more features are unfounded.

Btw., IIRC film had a time limit of roughly 10 minutes, after which you'd have to change the reel. I don't see how that stopped Kubrick, Hitchcock, Spielberg and everyone else making movies for the past 100+ years.

DSLRs with good video capabilities are interesting for those who do plenty of stills, but also do video. Not enough to warrant spending 20k on video gear, but still enough to make it worthwhile.

@Not a Number: Yeah. If you have plenty of Pentax gear. That's not attracting new users from other brands though.

This doesn't mean the still camera manufacturer have to target them. They are taking the risk, its their money, their business. If you don't like what they do, well don't buy their gear.

[kadajawi]

Yep, I'm fully with you, despite its flaws.

Regarding the K1 video, the proof is in the eating of the pudding... specs never tell the whole story.
Maybe it is at a point where good enough is just good enough.

And I love the look of my K-5. I'll be a Pentaxian until the camera can't fulfil my needs anymore, but I won't be investing in lenses.

As for 60i... If it is properly interlaced, you can convert it to 60p and it will look good. Takes plenty of CPU power though.

I wonder if this is as professional as a Pentax will get, or if they wanted to get an affordable FF out of the door before doing something higher end (and then hopefully with proper video? Like, just use current hardware and invest a tiny bit into finding out what is needed and implementing that in the firmware.)

For all I care that next step could be an APS-C camera again...

Sometimes I feel like Pentax is intentionally holding back the video capabilities because of a deal with one of their suppliers...

The issue is IMHO that Pentax isn't future proof. 1080p may be enough now. But clients will start asking for 4k. Or you may want to crop to get 2 different angles from one video. A K-1 is still a big enough investment... If it will only serve well enough for a year then...

[jaad75]

On DPR Richard Butler confirmed directly to my comment that -3EV and f2.8 sensitivity was limted to the center three vertical cross points.

I thought the -3EV AF was on all point? He said that Ricoh confirmed just on the three points

Ricoh USA? :P
The K-3 (AFAIK) and K-5II both had -3EV sensitivity on all points. You could easy check it by comparing the regular K-5 and K-5II in dark conditions - the improvement was easy to notice on all points, not just a center one. And the K-1 uses the same AF module as the K-3...