[monochrome]

So more than likely it will be coming soon!

Knowing Pentax, we're probably not going to know anything about it until a few days before release. Pentax seems to control internal "leaks" very well.

With few people to control leak management is easier. The surprising part is the component suppliers are also tight-lipped.

[The Squirrel Mafia]

With few people to control leak management is easier. The surprising part is the component suppliers are also tight-lipped.

Yeah. Kinda like the KP. As soon as Pentax announced it, it seemed like everyone & their grandma in the industry already had one & were working on quick reviews. The NDA force is strong with all of them.

[biz-engineer]

That would mean making a new larger af-module for just the follower of K-3ii, K-1 and 645Z. Since all lower models would benefit from being smaller in body. That are low numbers in unit sales to get your invested r&d money back.

Yes. Perhaps why Nikon and Canon did it but not Pentax, because Canon and Nikon could justify enough sales of the high speed AF camera models to fit a dedicated fast AF module. Can also be a decision not to make money on the AF module of a high end camera model to build up the brand images, Canon and Nikon are doing it pretty well, just the fact of having a D500 or 1Dx build up the Canon and Nikon reputation of having good AF despite the fact that the high performance AF modules isn't mounted in most entry level camera, never mind, people in the last decent have bought in entry level Canikon DSLR simply because of the reputation.

[CarlJF]

What Samsung undeployed sensor inventory? Why would Samsung make many more sensors than required?
It makes no sense. And it makes no sense for a small player like Pentax to pay for a custom sensor development (you're thinking of one sensor, but what's the next step? And the next? And the next?)

You're totally right. And this is the biggest problem with Samsung sensors. Even if admitting that the 28MP is still available, it still remains that it's a dead end technology. As far as we know, Samsung stopped all developments of APS-C and FF sensors. So, even if Pentax could in theory spend a lot in R&D to adapt their next camera to the Samsung 28MP sensor, what would they do after that since there's nowhere go on the Samsung side ?

That was an interesting possibility when Samsung was actively developing sensors for their own camera line. But now, I don't see how Samsung could sell sensors they don't make anymore, or why Pentax would want to use a dead sensor line...

[RGlasel]

The surprising part is the component suppliers are also tight-lipped.

From a sales perspective, the last thing a component supplier wants is to give your competitors, especially Chinese ones that are more open-minded about corporate espionage, free data on your business. Leaking information to Pentax competitors is a different story, but there is little incentive for other camera manufacturers to provide free publicity to Pentax. The first leaks are to multi-brand distributors and retailers who are fed information to whet their appetite for products that haven't been built yet. Those independent customers then use that information to try to get better deals from their other suppliers and control over the message is lost at that point.

[starbase218]

Lol, seems you've never tried to get these swallows in flight, right?

Guilty as charged. Also I didn't realize they were swallows until you told me. I'm really not a birder. Well, I mean, I like to take photos of birds, but I don't know a lot about them at all. If I came across as arrogant, I am sorry. It was not my intention.

Hopefully these pictures will be more convincing for you (but honestly, griffon vultures are easier to shoot than swallows):

K5 + DA* 300 f/4:

K3 + 150-450 (@410):

K1 + 150-450 (@450):

The Pentax tracking AF is really not that bad. Not the best, but perfectly usable. If you don't manage to get in focus shots, the problem is probably behind the camera, not inside .

I was in Iceland several years ago on a photo trip, led by a professional photographer. At one point we were on a beach and there was a flock of birds flying overhead (again, don't ask me about the species). She then said, "up until now, all your photos (landscapes) could have been taken with an iPhone (save maybe for detail and dynamic range, but you get the point - the photo could have been taken with an iPhone). But this is different. This is where the technology of your camera can make a difference." At the time, I was shooting with a K-5 and 55-300. I got some shots in good focus, but certainly not the majority. I think there was only one I kept, and it's not a good one when you compare it to all the other shots I took there.

Not to say that she is right and you are wrong, but just as an indication of my own experiences, and why I've been playing with the Nikon system for a while. You may be right and I may be wrong. But if I don't try, I don't know.

I do recognize that I have other areas to improve in that don't have anything to do with technology. But at least I know why I haven't been improving there.

Your shots look great. I don't know what you did to get them. How you prepared, etc. I also don't know how high your keeper rate was. Maybe you are simply a better photographer than I am, whatever that means. Could be. I do see that most of your K-3 shots were taken from a perpendicular view. I have a K-3 myself and have noticed that it's especially hard to take BIF shots head-on. But I also have some shots I took in Africa, of pelicans (also probably slower flying animals than those swallows) with the K-5 and 55-300 on a sunny day, and they look good (almost all are in good focus). Still not head-on flying into the camera though.

[The Squirrel Mafia]

I've been semi-following the Nikon camp & it looks like Nikon is close to officially releasing the D7500. Supposedly a 20MP sensor will be onboard. No IBIS, but that's a given. Looks to be the exact same sensor used in the D500. It's interesting that they chose to go down to 20MP instead of keeping it at 24MP or going larger. My guess is that the engineers are going to try to squeeze the ultimate IQ out of this 20MP sensor while improving overall performance at the same time. More than likely it's going to be a lot faster than the already fast enough D7200.

I'd actually be cool with a 20MP sensor too, but I really don't care how many megapixels are in the camera as long as it's much improved over the K-3/3II & KP. Makes wonder what Pentax will do with their upcoming APS-C flagship. I'm all giddy!

[Zygonyx]

Much improved over and fast, i want to believe....

[The Squirrel Mafia]

...i want to believe....

The PentaX-Files.

[beachgardener]

Pentax seems to control internal "leaks" very well.

I think it is time we had some leak or teaser on the K3-II replacement

[RonHendriks1966]

I think it is time we had some leak or teaser on the K3-II replacement

Oh that is still 7 months away....

[Quicksand]

Oh that is still 7 months away....

WAIT A MINUTE. Is this the "free beer tomorrow" version of "seven months away"?

(That's what it was like at the startup I used to work at -- "oh, yeah, the IPO is like two or three years away." Meanwhile, ten years later, )

[Uluru]

It will be announced in less than two months. (Not my info though, nor I am interested in the camera; a mate got it from Ricoh Imaging Australia, so presumably that is when folks in Japan planned to do it).

[dafbp]

It will be announced in less than two months. (Not my info though, nor I am interested in the camera; a mate got it from Ricoh Imaging Australia, so presumably that is when folks in Japan planned to do it).

Sure hope you're right.
If it is on sale, and in stock in the UK, by June, it can make the airshow season, otherwise I'll wait for another year and whatever improvements that come up.
Now to get the popcorn and watch the rumours' dance...

[Kuzma]

Nikon D7200´s succesor has been announced -D7500. With 4k video and touch screen. Interesting if K3III has any of these features