[monochrome]

My K-1 AF is faultless. 100% hit rate. All keepers.

[stevebrot]

So someone, anyone, could start a rumor that tomorrow Pentax will release a FF camera with AF faster and more accurate than the Nikon D500, with 20fps burst, 100 image buffer, DxOMark score of 110, priced at $700??

Consider it done. May I add 1/1000s flash sync?


Steve

[BruceBanner]

It is always tragic to invest heavily in a system before realizing that the gear will not suit one's needs. Sometimes it happens due to lack of pre-purchase market research. Other times it happens as one's interests and skills develop in directions beyond what the chosen brand's products are able to deliver. In both cases, a change of system is much more likely to bring relief than waiting for a desired feature to make its way into the brand's ecosystem.

The sad thing is that it is that much of the time the frustrated user cannot shoulder the expense of changing brands or purchasing a new camera with the desired feature mix should it become available tomorrow. The best they can hope is that when the magic camera is finally announced finances may allow for the purchase. Along with the frustration of the wait is the angst that either the company may fail (who will be first...Pentax, Olympus, or Nikon?) or that the desired capabilities may never aggregate into the mix to satisfy all desires.

In regards to that last sentence, the cruel aspect to the suggestion of changing brands is that the desired mix of features and capabilities may not exist in any available system regardless of price and that the person making the suggestion knows this to be the case. At some time, I may compile a list of "MUST offer" features and then go in search of that perfect camera as a series of articles or blog posts. I suspect the search may be a short one.


Steve

Wise words.

[Gedeon]

Do Nikon or Canon publish a road map showing what and when they are releasing things over the next 24 months? If so can someone please point me to that, I'm curious about it.

ahahaha the ROADMAP ! Yes for sure, the roadmap that pentax follows faithfully, is it worth it that I specify here the disregarded exits, the products that this roadmap planned with this great care? and what about the magic formula "or later" ?
I would have read everything here, really

[swanlefitte]

A dxo score for a pentax that hasn't been out for years is a dead giveaway its just a rumor.

[clackers]

ahahaha the ROADMAP ! Yes for sure, the roadmap that pentax follows faithfully, is it worth it that I specify here the disregarded exits, the products that this roadmap planned with this great care? and what about the magic formula "or later" ?
I would have read everything here, really

And why do you think Canon or Nikon don't do such a thing? Why did Canon prosper in the States all those years under a product manager whose mantra was to never reveal future plans?

Because decisions involving millions of dollars are greenlit - or cancelled - by interdepartmental and boardroom battles based on real data modelling, not by the vox populi of the Internet.

[redpit]

I want the K-1 Mark 2 to be good enough that many upgrade to it so I can buy a used K-1 at a reasonable price. That's been my plan now for almost five years and though I wasn't expecting it to be this year I'm hopeful. My K-5 has been a good camera and still is but I want the full effect of my wider lenses without the limitations of film.

I think that the mk2 will be good enough to worth the upgrade (for many K-1 users) especially if the SR2 is working as described
The "problem" for you is that this does not necessarily mean more K-1s available second hand in the market.
The mk2 will also bring AF upgrade, but we don't even mention it, as:
1. Most people were expecting in a mk2 model the D5 AF module (but for less than 2K).
2. Most people don't even believe there is an actual upgrade (even in software) from I to II models.
I'm quite pleased with the K-1 AF though (for what I shoot) and if the mk2 brings further improvement, it will be welcomed!
In a few hours things will be clearer...

[thibs]

I want the K-1 Mark 2 to be good enough that many upgrade to it so I can buy a used K-1 at a reasonable price. That's been my plan now for almost five years and though I wasn't expecting it to be this year I'm hopeful. My K-5 has been a good camera and still is but I want the full effect of my wider lenses without the limitations of film.

My plan too. Although it means 50-200/50-135 and 16-45 should migrate somewhere else.
I don't care that much, loads of old lenses and an FA28-80/3.5-4.7 lying somewhere. Just need another zoom and I'm set.

I guess I should sell the DA*50-135...

[joergens.mi]

Exactly!

Worse, they don't seem to comprehend the immense value of what the K-1ii might offer if it manages a 1 EV improvement in ISO noise over the K-1 by using technology from the KP.

There's another thread where someone was complaining that they weren't getting enough keepers with a K-3 & f/1.4 lens which they said they were forced to use in low-light. But the K-1ii will probably be 2 EV better than the K-3 which implies they could boost the ISO by two stops and narrow the aperture by two stops for many more keepers in many situations. Similarly, better SR often enables a slower shutter speed (and narrower aperture) which reduces the stress of AF system performance.

From the standpoint of many kinds of photography (admittedly not all), a 1 stop improvement in ISO-noise is like getting a stop extra light from every lens you own. And the same often applies to SR although that has more limitations due to subject motion.

Improving the camera by one EV as you stated isn't important.
Because the 1.4 lovers want an 1.4 because they can't afford a 1.2 which they need for the next meeting to show that they have the best gear.
And when there is no 1.4 they can't complain, that the camera af is bad, because they can't get any pictures sharp from edge do edge.

And they are arguing most of the time, but there are no pictures

[ffking]

I remember thinking - along with many others here, that the specs of the K-1, when released, were a little underwhelming after all the fevered anticipation. Then I bought one...

[repaap]

I think that even when I was early adopter with K-1 (after all doing the same with K-7 I swore that never again), I do think that it was money well spent. this now little upgrade after silver K-1, is not going to make people think that ’darn, why I did not wait’. And, OTOH it is viable alternative to have second FF(I have been dreming about it) which is not just newer, but also little better than the one that you like already.

I still have my LBA list to fulfill before second body. I know what I’m looking for and love already my K-1 so these are only good news to me.

bring it on.

[redpit]

this now little upgrade after silver K-1, is not going to make people think that ’darn, why I did not wait’. And, OTOH it is viable alternative to have second FF(I have been dreming about it) which is not just newer, but also little better than the one that you like already.

As I've already said Pentax offers many different alternatives and I love that! You have just to choose which suits your needs best

[fsge]

How do you know it is not necessary?

K3 ii release is from April 2015
K3 platform is from 2013...
An update IS obviously necessary, the longer than expected wait could be necessary because of R&D issues or resources allocation for instance. In any case planning is part of the challenge and it seems Pentax is not good at it at the moment.

[mille19]

K3 ii release is from April 2015
K3 platform is from 2013...
An update IS obviously necessary, the longer than expected wait could be necessary because of R&D issues or resources allocation for instance. In any case planning is part of the challenge and it seems Pentax is not good at it at the moment.

I've been told the K3II replacement will be about this time next year :-(

[Sandy Hancock]

I've been told the K3II replacement will be about this time next year :-(

Excellent. Time for hundreds of threads of wild speculation, wishful thinking and entitled whining....