[clackers]

Pentax don't really have the lenses for that at the moment, and there's nothing on the roadmap either (not that that stopped Sony when they released the A9, but they are throwing rather more moeny at it than Ricoh)

The DFA 150-450 is the analogue of the Canikon 100-400, and there is the DFA70-200 of course. For Pentaxians rolling in cash there's the DA560.

[repaap]

Improved autofocus would be welcome by many. In all likelihood Ricoh would build on existing technology I could imagine something like a 15x5 array with some additional side sensors, 75 plus points would be plenty. In addition I would expect a new rgb sensor for improved scene analysis, perhaps even designed to work as part of the autofocus module.
The lack of an articulation on the rear screen would support this as a sports/wildlife camera.

I’d think that they have developed quite a bit things for this. Ofcourse there willbe parts that exists, but perhaps one of reasons why it has taken so long is actually that they have developed something new.

[boriscleto]

The DFA 150-450 is the analogue of the Canikon 100-400,

And arguably better than the Nikon 200-500, though a lot more expensive...

[ffking]

The DFA 150-450 is the analogue of the Canikon 100-400, and there is the DFA70-200 of course. For Pentaxians rolling in cash there's the DA560.

Mmm - the DFA* 105-300, as APSC users like to think of it is a super sharp fast lens, but 300mm is only really much use for larger animals or touchline close-ups, and while I'd certainly get a150-450 if I had the money, it's at least a stop too slow at the long end for serious wildlife work - as is the 560. Not that you can't get nice results, I'm sure, but IMHO they don't warrant a too specialised camera. Not that I think this will be one - I think that just as the K-1 is a generalist camera leaning towrads landscape, this withh be a generalised camera leaning towards sport/wildlife - it's the thought of it being a sport wildlife camera first that I question, and partly on account of the lenses.

[derekkite]

Mmm - the DFA* 105-300, as APSC users like to think of it is a super sharp fast lens, but 300mm is only really much use for larger animals or touchline close-ups, and while I'd certainly get a150-450 if I had the money, it's at least a stop too slow at the long end for serious wildlife work - as is the 560. Not that you can't get nice results, I'm sure, but IMHO they don't warrant a too specialised camera. Not that I think this will be one - I think that just as the K-1 is a generalist camera leaning towrads landscape, this withh be a generalised camera leaning towards sport/wildlife - it's the thought of it being a sport wildlife camera first that I question, and partly on account of the lenses.

The K1 high iso performance makes the need for big aperture long lenses less important.

[BigMackCam]

Mmm - the DFA* 105-300, as APSC users like to think of it is a super sharp fast lens, but 300mm is only really much use for larger animals or touchline close-ups, and while I'd certainly get a150-450 if I had the money, it's at least a stop too slow at the long end for serious wildlife work - as is the 560

Are you getting a little mixed up on crop factor there, or am I misreading your post? The D FA 150-450 on APS-C gives field of view equivalent to 225-675mm on 35mm "full frame" (so slightly better reach than my Tamron 150-600 on full frame). As for the long end aperture being too slow, I think the high ISO performance of this new camera should be enough to allow decent shutter speeds at 450mm in half-decent lighting...

[ffking]

The K1 high iso performance makes the need for big aperture long lenses less important.

#

I think the high ISO performance of this new camera should be enough to allow decent shutter speeds at 450mm in half-decent lighting...

I'm thinking more about defocussed backgrounds.

Are you getting a little mixed up on crop factor there, or am I misreading your post?

You're misreading my intention, not necessarily my words - I went from talking about the 70-200 as a 105-300 to talking about the other lenses in their standard 35mm formulation - for no good reason, admittedly

[BigMackCam]

I'm thinking more about defocussed backgrounds.

You're misreading my intention, not necessarily my words - I went from talking about the 70-200 as a 105-300 to talking about the other lenses in their standard 35mm formulation - for no good reason, admittedly

That'll teach me to speed read the last page of a thread

[Not a Number]

QuoteOriginally posted by asahi man:

for the precise eyes....

Have a look under the mirror.

Eye-AF?

[mee]

I haven't heard of knobs failing on the K-1. Was this a common occurrence or something that you read one thread on and generalized to "a number of people?"

It was actually the mode dial, though any top dial with the same internal design is prone to these issues (saw complaints on K-01 and K-5, and K-r too). But if you were really interested in knowing versus just blindly defending, you could have taken a search yourself. A cursory google search finds several hits. Actually google autocompletes 'k-1 mode di' into 'k-1 mode dial failure' so I guess others have been wondering too.


A few selections for your perusal:

• K1 Mode Dial Failure - PentaxForums.com
• K-1 mode dial failure - PentaxForums.com
• K-1 Mode dial failure after 1 year warranty period - PentaxForums.com
• K1 Mode dial issue - Self serve and problem part identified - PentaxForums.com
• K1 stuck in manual mode - PentaxForums.com

As far as number of buttons, I really prefer them to menu diving. I have my front dial set for shutter speed, back dial set for aperture and top dial set for iso and I can control all aspects of my exposure fairly easily. It looks to me as though this camera shifts a few things around from current standard and adds a joystick (probably a necessary thing for a camera with high number of auto focus points). I guess to me, number of buttons is a bit like video. If you don't want to use them, you don't have to use them, but they are nice for those of us who use a lot of different settings and don't want to scroll through menus to figure them out.

(A high number of buttons is correlated with "professional" level camera. Have you seen the back of a D5 or 1Dx?)

Yes I'm championing buttons over extra dials too.


I don't need most of the extra features often that are on those extra dials. And, looking at what is fixed on them, I doubt anyone really does while out shooting either. Putting some of these features behind a few extra buttons cleans up the exterior and they can still be easily accessed with a button hold while rotating either the rear or forward dials.

I like the row of buttons on the top of Canon DSLRS behind the shutter release button -- dual function buttons that are quick and easy but don't intrude like a giant dial intrudes.

I'm not sure their malleability but with Nikon, a number of the buttons all over the body can be remapped wherever you want them. For instance, I've remapped my video record button on top as my ISO selection button. So when I am in stills mode and I hold the record button down, then turn the rear dial, it alters my ISO. Handy. I could have mapped it just about anywhere on the camera too. Very flexible.

I'd like to see a combination of those two on the Pentax... taking the best ideas from other brands and incorporating them into something even better. The other plus to this is it frees up the top to have a larger LCD viewer which I find is very beneficial on a DSLR.

[reh321]

No flip out screen makes video very difficult without using an additional monitor.

Partly depends on what you are recording - the world or yourself.

[mee]

The screen doesn't really matter under certain circumstances.

...


If it really is a Sports camera the configuration would be substantially different than if it isn't. A fixed monitor might be preferable on an Action camera. Consider the possibility the K-1 line is optimized to be the flagship field camera and the APSc flagship is optimized to be a Sports/Action/Birding camera, while KP and K-70 lines are more enthusiast and generalist cameras. FWIW, I really like my second hand K-5lls and KP and just might decide not to buy an Action camera.

IDK whether or where Video fits in there but I never use it so I don't care. Lens release priorities would then follow their line philosophy.

The D500, arguably THE current action DSLR, has a flip screen. There is no reason this new Pentax could not if it shares the same field considering your argument.

[luftfluss]

The D500, arguably THE current action DSLR, has a flip screen. There is no reason this new Pentax could not if it shares the same field considering your argument.

I was just about to post this

Pentax currently lacks the lens lineup for a dedicated "wildlife" camera. That doesn't mean you can't photograph wildlife with Pentax gear (I do), but there simply aren't lenses that have the long / fast / fast-AF capabilities that dedicated wildlife enthusiasts typically want.

[BigMackCam]

Five pages of discussion already, and almost all of it positive and up-beat. This is better than the news itself (which, I'll admit, is pretty darned exciting)...

Fourty-four pages in, and normal service has been resumed. The new camera has no flip out screen, one SD card slot, the sensor resolution is too low, the body is too tall, it looks old fashioned, there are too many dials, and not enough lenses...

[Not a Number]

It would seem to me that macro shooters would favor APS-C for the same reason birders or sports/action shooters would too. That being able to fill the image/sensor with more of subject without losing pixels by cropping the final image. Macro shooters will probably agree what a godsend flippy/articulated screens are. Lack of a movable screen would probably more a weight/size/cost decision rather than intended market.