Originally posted by Kunzite To be fair, the LEDs were functional with the camera on a tripod - as a timer countdown, and as a face detection counter. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they had any function when handholding the camera.
The above was the marketing response after having been caught* in the embarrassing design flaw. The LED’s were a flashy feature, intended to appeal to young phone users, to entice them to try an SLR. They could have been placed anywhere else on the camera body to achieve their supposed function, but the designers**chose the handgrip.
* I have personal communication from a member of the first group to see the finished production prototype K-S1. The design team running the focus meeting was reportedly stunned to silence by this person’s observation that the LED’s were covered when actually holding the camera. They reportedly hadn’t thought of it.
** As I recall, much of the Camera design was outsourced to the Japanese office of a California industrial design company. The design brief was a camera designed to appeal to first-time dSLR buyers. As I recall, RIcoh Imaging AMERICAS had a strong hand in the design brief and selection of the designers.
I note Pentax cameras are now designed in-house.
Last edited by monochrome; 11-13-2018 at 04:30 PM.