[alfa75ts]

I think that we all will have to wait and see. About flipping screen. About pop up flash.

Pretty sure that the answer is no to both.

There is exellent AF 201 compact WR flash one might consider. Could be even better than pop up and more useful?

That's probably what I will have to do but.....

I will have to remember to bring it with me.
It can't live on the camera or I will be buying a new one every day or two.
When needed I can't just push a button, I will have to fit it and will miss shots.

But pop up flashes will not come again. That is for sure. Not for topend product. Just because top end users usually do use external flashes

Top end users don't keep Pentax in business.

[alfa75ts]

Bloody good idea!

Less light and no motion freeze for a start.

[biz-engineer]

Now where’s my 70-200 f4?

Ricoh work on a new camera model and you ask for a lens.
When they'll be announcing about a lens you'll ask for a new camera model?

[MarkJerling]

Less light and no motion freeze for a start.

But, better than nothing if you've left your good flash at home.

[alfa75ts]

But, better than nothing if you've left your good flash at home.

There's always the phone

[RobA_Oz]

K3, DA*300 F4, Tamron-F 1.4 TC built-in flash.

Attachment 465382


Hopefully lower noise will help make up for the loss of the flash.

OK. Point taken. I was referring to the masking effect of a larger lens –*not always so, it seems.

---------- Post added 24th Sep 2019 at 04:49 PM ----------

Bloody good idea!

I thought so.

[MMVIII]

Reading over the review of the 11-18 (boy it sounds nice), I can't help but think you wouldn't release a premier lens like that with features aimed towards astro photography and then release a flagship without GPS. Could be wrong, but hopeful speculation a GPS unit is within.

Yes, as someone out in the field alot I would appreciate this. The lack of a dedicated button/switch is not a good sign. Maybe this iteration of APS-C is more towards faster shooting with more control through the optical viewfinder - the ommitance of a flash must have brought some space for something below the prism housing, if not GNSS then?

[Sandy Hancock]

Why would anyone imagine that a flagship Pentax DSLR, without a pop-up flash, would not have inbuilt GPS?

[BigMackCam]

Why would anyone imagine that a flagship Pentax DSLR, without a pop-up flash, would not have inbuilt GPS?

... or that a flagship Pentax DSLR would have a pop-up flash, given that the K-3II, K-1 and K-1II don't...

[thibs]

'cos Pentax is doomed ? 🙄

[MMVIII]

Why would anyone imagine that a flagship Pentax DSLR, without a pop-up flash, would not have inbuilt GPS?

Okay, I will save this for later. We will see.
The point is, a GNSS (GPS being only the US version) module is something that is useless indoors, thus it was easy to turn it off via a dedicated button at both the K1 and the K3. This prototype has no such button, at least yet. We will see.

[xmeda]

Pop-up flash comes handy when you are in dark corner just with your camera and lens trying to take pic. In 2020 I would expect camera to have not only flash, but also powerful white LEDs to help during video or even for AF in dark places.

Unfortunately they decided to do it like canon and nikon and save few yens on flash assembly, large feeding capacitor, high-voltage circuitry and part of firmware. Expecting this after K3II and K1 I bought these two small units.. but it is nowhere near as portable and there are more batteries to care about.


..

Concerning screen... I can live with fixed one like I lived till this time. But yes my compact Olympus Stylus 1s with flippy flappy screen is very addictive... so is KP or K1 screen.
Maybe if they see such amount of comments about screen, they decide to do some change.. but it will take time and won't be cheap.
But at this point they have little to loose... at least we know, that new camera is coming and that it is not just plain statement. Which is nice. Waiting 5 or 8 months.. that makes little difference. And if they offer me to wait more to get camera with flash and tilt screen, I would agree... after 8 years with K5

[Dericali]

I have found that the LCD in one of these cameras has a fairly wide angle of view .... but I doubt if this new camera will surpass a camcorder in any case.

Even then you can have a problem with glare. If you're doing video you need a flippy screen, unless you buy an additional monitor.

In terms of a DSLR versus a camcorder, the advantage to the camera would be great lens selection, greater depth of field control, better manual focus experience. Camcorders are simpler and normally have better IBIS, better all purpose video autofocus.

[zapp]

Ricoh work on a new camera model and you ask for a lens.
When they'll be announcing about a lens you'll ask for a new camera model?

I take the lens.
Lens development was announced some time before the camera development announcement.

[Rondec]

I keep getting agreeing likes on it too -- because not everyone is like you carrying a smartphone on them all the time.


I'm speaking about a design where the rear LED panel doesn't flip at all and the manufacturer forces those that want a 'flip' screen to use a smartphone app instead to mimic. Not simply a side item and the camera also performs the function, but the function is solely found in the smart phone app.


It is about developing a piece of hardware that isn't partially non-functional because external hardware or software is no longer available or developed. You have to realize that camera manufacturers are not primarily software manufacturers. And once the camera is discontinued, there is no obligation to continue to periodically update the software for it to work on the latest operating systems. Which means you're now stuck either running an old OS or perhaps even old hardware to use the old OS in some cases. Or relying on 3rd party people to keep it working. That's a messy, jerryrigged way of operating. No thanks.

Plus not everyone wants to be tethered to their phone. And if they don't already have one, its another expense and level of training on how to operate it and keep the app updated. Just another headache.


It is better to have the flip screen in the camera as an OEM factory feature. Then have the smartphone app on the side for those that want that.. instead of force funneling everyone to use the smart app if they want a feature that should have been in the camera in the first place.

Apps are nice for those that want them, and probably attracting younger generation photogs. But even then not every younger person has or wants a smartphone either. Don't make your product rely on another makers product.

Pentax is not leaving the flip screen off because "they have an app." If they leave it off it is because of one of a number of factors. They may think that it adds too much weight/bulk to the camera or they may think that it will bump the cost up above a target that they are shooting for. Or maybe there is some other reason, but bringing the app into it is neither here nor there.

Even if you don't own a smart phone, if you own any tablet device that uses either ios or android, you should be able to download and use either Ricoh Image Sync or one of the other apps available. This seems silly to argue about. The app should be available and should work well with Ricoh products. But having the app available in no way changes the intrinsic functions of the camera and isn't the reason why the choose to leave a particular feature on or off the camera. As I said before, I view the app like I view video. Having it available in no way negates your ability to use a camera the way you always have, but it may be helpful to someone else.

Overall, I think the question is how good the camera is with regard to specs, image quality and tracking auto focus. If it is at a top end level, I think it will sell decently to Pentaxians, even without a flippy screen. If the performance isn't great then it wouldn't sell, even with a flippy screen.

(But lack of a flippy screen and presence of an app do give excellent things for people to complain about. Even people who no longer shoot Pentax.)