[Not a Number]

Just to rain on the parade:

The device this goes in might not be branded PENTAX on the outside.

[Kunzite]

Just to rain on the parade

And why exactly would you do that?

[ChrisPlatt]

The Fuji X100 series cameras have a hybrid viewfinder.
Though not an SLR, the first model debuted in 2010.

Chris

[Larrymc]

Just to rain on the parade:

The device this goes in might not be branded PENTAX on the outside.

Oh!!!! Its a Zenit

[kyteflyer]

The Fuji X100 series cameras have a hybrid viewfinder.
Though not an SLR, the first model debuted in 2010.

Chris

Glad someone mentioned this, I was about to ... I have the original X100 and I love the hybrid vewfinder. It would be great if Ricoh brought one to the Pentax lineup, but lets not get carried away saying its such a new concept, let alone (@winder) that one has never been brought to market.

[monochrome]

Just to rain on the parade:

The device this goes in might not be branded PENTAX on the outside.

Wouldn’t be the first dSLR I’ve owned with RICOH printed on the back.


#HOCIR

[H.Abendsen]

The back of the prism is already a one-way (kind of a see-through) mirror so no moving mirror is required for this patent (except for the main mirror).

Sorry, i just wrote down what I thought I saw... and the illustration made it seem like there would be something flipping, but since its already see -through...

It could but you would lose 1 stop of light.

yep. but if they implement a hybrid system in the way i imagined they maybe already planning to(hence the switchable mirror patents) there would not be any half-half.
it would be either: normal OVF with "overlay projections" histogram etc. (bit like in those old fuji hybrid viewfinders but no additional EVF-pic in the corner in OVF-mode like on xp2)
or it would be totally in EVF mode... (then you would have the LV-<EVF> in your viewfinder)

when the path of light going to the mirrobox is closed by some mechanism and you get the full LV-image projected into the viewfinder...
again... its just saying... I am only following the logic of the patents as I see them, how they could be used.
Could "ONLY" be this projecting of histogram or other data into the OVF...
would already be some kind of improvement... but only a real hybrid system would be a killer and sell like hotcake.
"JUST" projections into the OVF and no EVF mode ... would not be that kind of a blockbuster feature...

I think if PENTAX should implement Hybrid Viewfinder it should work out a bit like it is on the Fuji X-Pro2 just that we would not have the EVF pic in OVF mode in the right corner(actually pretty useless also on fuji since the EVF projection in the right lower corner is so incy-wincy- i dont see a sense in that)

And for sure we will NOT have that drawback that
Fuji Hybrid viewfinders have... on fujis you can not see TTL(through the lens) ... and so you never see the zoomed image.. only a frame around the area that would be your framin...
And what you see on a fuji is a bit "shifted off aside" - you would not have that if RICOH-Imaging would implement it the way we imagine it...

gosh... I gotta stop fantasizing about this feature...

men do need sleep. bye.

[lytrytyr]

This gives a reason to hope that the K-3 replacement will be more than just a minor update.

People are more concerned about a K-3 II replacement right now.

[PiDicus Rex]

Google translated:"PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an easy-to-see field-of-view display device (display device in viewfinder). A magnifying glass optical system is provided for enlarging and observing a subject image formed on a focusing screen, and a display unit for displaying predetermined information in a field of view of the loupe optical system so as to overlap or display the object image, Wherein the information input device includes at least a part between an information display section for displaying the information and a predetermined incident point to be made incident into the field of view....Claim:A loupe optical system for enlarging and observing a subject image formed on the focusing screen and information for causing predetermined information to enter the field of view of the loupe optical system so as to be superimposed on or displayed in place of the subject image....On the other hand, it has been known for a long time that superimposed (SI) function for superimposing and displaying a relatively coarse point image such as the distance measuring point position at the time of autofocus on the image of the optical viewfinder. Here, if the subject image by the photographing lens which houses the quick return mirror and formed on the image pickup element can be displayed by the superimposing function, it is possible to make the optical viewfinder function as the electronic viewfinder...."

Sounds very much like Fuji's hybrid OVF/EVF from a few years back.

It'd be a good step towards a full mirrorless, or allow mirrorless operation of a DSLR, which would allow faster burst rates for Stills, and a use of the eyepiece for Video.

It would also be a useful step forward if Pentax want to do a Camcorder style body behind the K-mount, similar to Sony's NEX-VG 10 / 20 / 30 / 900 series of cameras.

That market sector - Interchangable Lens Camcorders - is pretty vacant of challengers right now, Panasonic, Sony and Canon are all doing fixed lens camcorders for waaay to high a price (cheaper to bump up to a full Cine camera), with the NEX-VG's and the Canon XL series being the last decent cameras released for it - to the point where they still command secondhand prices higher then the new price for a K-3ii or K-1.

Mirrorless based camcorder, at Pentax's price points, with Pentax colour science, could be a very interesting product. They could easily corner the market with a HD version based on the KP sensor, and a 4K version based on the K-1 sensor.

[reh321]

People are more concerned about a K-3 II replacement right now.

That is what I meant

[Caat]

There was a Pentax patent about a hybrid viewfinder several years ago, certainly pre-Ricoh.

This is all great and I'd like to see it happen, but personally what I would like Ricoh to focus on at the moment would be shrinking down the size of the camera further.

[zapp]

The big news about a hybrid viewfinder would be that Pentax is not going mirrorless. You either go hybrid or mirrorless with ILCs. Mirror has to be up all the time.
It would be nice to have better live view features like face tracking, ... in a DSLR. If the whole decive would also the standard AF, this would also be helpful.

[H.Abendsen]

Wouldn’t be the first dSLR I’ve owned with RICOH printed on the back.


#HOCIR

I see it the very same way... I wouldnt even care if there is RICOH branded on the front of the camera.

But I sincerely doubt, that "Not A Number" is right and any products other than WG, GR and maybe a new Caplio(which I also doubt that it will happen) will get a RICOH (re)brand.


The reason why I think that it will not happen, that some K-Mount or even any ILC camera will carry a RICOH badge on its front is because, not so long ago, Ricoh-Imaging just renamed all their
"Ricoh-Imaging" web-appearances to "PENTAX - by Ricoh-Imaging"....

So its much more likely vice-versa.

[kyteflyer]

There was a Pentax patent about a hybrid viewfinder several years ago, certainly pre-Ricoh.

This is all great and I'd like to see it happen, but personally what I would like Ricoh to focus on at the moment would be shrinking down the size of the camera further.

A smaller lighter Pentax would suit me, too. The arthritics in my wrists and hands mean I very rarely use mine, these days, and the post-k5 models seem to be heavier than ever. Yes, there are a few lighter and smaller but the differences are minor...

[agukha]

A smaller lighter Pentax would suit me, too. The arthritics in my wrists and hands mean I very rarely use mine, these days, and the post-k5 models seem to be heavier than ever. Yes, there are a few lighter and smaller but the differences are minor...

Pentax have already released one in early 2017, the KP :