[EricBT]

Assuming for the sake of argument that the screen is not articulated, then what exactly is that unlabelled button meant to do? There doesn't seem to be any likely functions missing from the other buttons and dials.


So what do you think it could do that would be worth keeping under wraps? Maybe it pops the top off so you can swap interchangeable modules for flash, GPS or wi-fi?

[PJ1]

the small "gap" at the lower right corner

I believe it is like that because it is "press to release". If the bottom was not shaped that way, it could not be pressed easily. The curves would get in the way. Pentax ergonomics rule!

[troenaas]

In addition to improved AF, I would like silent shutter on the new camera.

[Rondec]

The lack of flash has been litigated a lot with cameras like the K3 II. It seems as though you have the choice of astro tracer/GPS or a pop up flash. Pentax hasn't figured out how to put both in a camera (or maybe they could but the form factor would be too big or unwieldy).

Overall, this looks like a camera to me. Nothing amazing or special. Yes, it has lots of buttons, but you expect that with a flagship model. At the same time, the question is what is under the hood and that's what we don't know yet and won't know for a little while. But I'm going to choose to remain optimistic. Pentax has been working on this for a long time and surely this camera is going to be better than the K70 in many ways, even if it doesn't have a pop up flash.

[Kunzite]

Assuming for the sake of argument that the screen is not articulated, then what exactly is that unlabelled button meant to do?

Anything but transform the fixed LCD into an articulated one.
People, I know there's a raffle and so on, but please, just drop this subject. The LCD, on the camera shown, is fixed.

[Zooland]

The lack of flash has been litigated a lot with cameras like the K3 II. It seems as though you have the choice of astro tracer/GPS or a pop up flash. Pentax hasn't figured out how to put both in a camera (or maybe they could but the form factor would be too big or unwieldy).

Overall, this looks like a camera to me. Nothing amazing or special. Yes, it has lots of buttons, but you expect that with a flagship model. At the same time, the question is what is under the hood and that's what we don't know yet and won't know for a little while. But I'm going to choose to remain optimistic. Pentax has been working on this for a long time and surely this camera is going to be better than the K70 in many ways, even if it doesn't have a pop up flash.

And must have made a decision that gps and Astro are more important in a flagship than a pop up flash.

[alfa75ts]

Pentax hasn't figured out how to put both in a camera

Way back in 2012 you could get a 4mm x 4mm x 2.8mm gps chip which would happily fit in the hump in front of the hot shoe.

At the same time, the question is what is under the hood

Yep, and it's a good question.

[Rondec]

Way back in 2012 you could get a 4mm x 4mm x 2.8mm gps chip which would happily fit in the hump in front of the hot shoe.



Yep, and it's a good question.

It isn't GPS alone though. It is the astro tracer.

The question is how Pentax stands out. If they release a D500 knock off for a similar price to Nikon, it may make some people happy, but they need features that are different. To this point the things they have landed on are (1) IBIS (2) pixel shift (3) astro tracer. Those are things that Nikon doesn't put into any of their SLRs to this point. Maybe there are some other bells and whistles they can drop in, but there need to be things that are different and special about this camera.

One thing is sure, a pop up flash isn't a real stand out feature (and incidentally the D500 doesn't have one either).

[troenaas]

Anything but transform the fixed LCD into an articulated one.
People, I know there's a raffle and so on, but please, just drop this subject. The LCD, on the camera shown, is fixed.

No features or specifications have been leaked or announced. Nobody can be 100% sure about anything. That is the fact...

[EricBT]

Anything but transform the fixed LCD into an articulated one.
People, I know there's a raffle and so on, but please, just drop this subject. The LCD, on the camera shown, is fixed.

I'm not sure what you mean by this remark. My post specifically asks people to speculate on what they think the button does by assuming there is no articulating screen. The button is unlabelled and Pentax clearly has something they want to keep as a suprise. What's the harm in speculating on what that function might be? After all, this is a discussion forum.

As for the raffle, this reply is only my second post for the month so I'm making a poor effort to win a prize.

[Zygonyx]

Assuming for the sake of argument that the screen is not articulated, then what exactly is that unlabelled button meant to do? There doesn't seem to be any likely functions missing from the other buttons and dials.


So what do you think it could do that would be worth keeping under wraps? Maybe it pops the top off so you can swap interchangeable modules for flash, GPS or wi-fi?

Obviously the H/O V (hybrid/optical viewfinder) button.

[Kunzite]

No features or specifications have been leaked or announced. Nobody can be 100% sure about anything. That is the fact...

This is why I said on the camera shown.
And in this context yes, it is a fact - no matter how much reality denying happens on the Internet.

---------- Post added 08-10-19 at 01:37 PM ----------

I'm not sure what you mean by this remark. My post specifically asks people to speculate on what they think the button does by assuming there is no articulating screen. The button is unlabelled and Pentax clearly has something they want to keep as a suprise. What's the harm in speculating on what that function might be? After all, this is a discussion forum.

As for the raffle, this reply is only my second post for the month so I'm making a poor effort to win a prize.

Sorry, I took your post as giving credit to "the button might somehow pop out the LCD" - a theory which I've seen around. And it's not you, but a constant stream of reality denying posts - imagining the most cumbersome, Rube Goldberg-esque ways of disguising an articulated LCD into a fixed one.

I'm somewhat interested in reasonable speculation about that button's function - somewhat, because I don't expect anything extraordinary.

[Serkevan]

There is more than one person that needs to "drop this subject" here...

Let's go back to the healthy speculation of what the unlabeled button could possibly do. It's no longer LV, so what is it? Logic says it's something not so frequently changed as it requires the left hand. It's also something obviously not present in the previous cameras, as the usual functionality is completely covered by the already labeled controls...

I'm thinking it could be a new "special" shooting mode (à la Pixel Shift, maybe Focus Stack?), but there's no button for PS, bracketing and interval shooting I doubt it. Worst case scenario it's just an Fx button that can be customized.
Any other suggestions?

[D1N0]

It will enable/disable touch functionality on the screen (that can flip out using a finger nail )

[redpit]

Let's go back to the healthy speculation of what the unlabeled button could possibly do.

I think it could be controlling the lights on the body and the screen for night photography, since that button on K-1 was at the space taken from the big selector button.