[reh321]

FC = First Class?

You really need to use the quote feature. I tried, but I cannot find a reference to "FC".

[Zygonyx]

...
With the looming K-P this Christmas or K-new next Christmas decision looming, I see nothing here I trust to be true. But then, I'm functioning in the real world. It's not just speculation for me.
...
Did I miss something?

Sorry to intervene, but yes, you already miss the KP, and should buy one.

[SteveinSLC]

On the Z front, seems like Pentax should be able to to compete with Fuji, at least on price for the body. The lens front is a bigger question. Pentax can barely get 35mm lenses out, much less medium format too. I think this would also be the problem with moving to the larger medium format size...it would mean that the newer 645z lenses wouldn't work without a lot of vignetting.

As far as the new body goes, not thrilled about a wait until next summer. The fact that it is taking that long gives me a little hope that they might add in a tilt screen into the final version, but not a lot of hope, unfortunately. I still don't understand the thinking there. Pretty much all newer high-end bodies from any manufacturer have them, touch screen or not.

[Mistral75]

(...)

Did I miss something?

I'm afraid so. A flip-up screen would mean a new body, perhaps a new chassis, definitely new moulds and a completely new EMC study. In short: a lot of extra time and money to be spent.

[totsmuyco]

A flip screen comes handy at times. I believe it's an advantage. But if it doesn't have one, it doesn't mean it's not a good camera. Personally I'm more interested in the image quality, AFC and wifi connectivity.

[Mistral75]

On the Z front, seems like Pentax should be able to to compete with Fuji, at least on price for the body. (...)

Could they? I would say that a prism and mirror dimensioned for a 33x44 sensor + a dedicated autofocus module and their assembly with very tight tolerances might cost (much) more than a plug-in electronic viewfinder (the cost of which doesn't depend on the sensor size, obviously).

[reh321]

Users here always find something to focus on - in the case of the K-3ii, it was the lack of an On-Board Flash. Here it was the presumed lack of a GPS {because of the presence of a On-Board Flash} - but lately it has been the lack of a flippy screen. Pentax cannot put everything in, and they are not large enough to build a special one for each customer.

[fsge]

"most of the remaining ongoing developments concerned the firmware."

Does that confirm no flip up back screen? We are talking a speciific option, not "most".
To many if the back screen is flip up, you need that specific knowledge. If that's it, declaring no flip up back screen is a completely irresponsible assessment. You were told there will be changes. Not to all of it but to some of it.

That isn't enough to convince me to just order the K-P because there is no possibility there won't be one of the K-new. But then, I'm thinking real world real time purchasing. If I ordered a K-P based on speculation there would be no flip up back screen on the K-new, and there was one... it would cost me money and time.

To me it would make perfect sense to leave the back screen until production. A working prototype wouldn't need it to test and debug.

But, you were there, I wasn't so it was it a "This is the final model but I can't say so yet, wink wink nudge nudge" kind of statement or was it "There will definitely be some changes to some of the design" type of statement? In your opinion.

And how would we know this man even knows that information?
Are we to assume he knows what changes will be made in the final production model? To me that would be odd, because I'm not convinced even Pentax knows what they will have to alter, and I've seen nothing to indicate they've even finalized the external design.

As far as I know if the production line is not finalized things are open to change. Sometimes even after the line is complete and production starts they have to shut things down and revise the design. Why is that an irrelevant thought?

With the looming K-P this Christmas or K-new next Christmas decision looming, I see nothing here I trust to be true. But then, I'm functioning in the real world. It's not just speculation for me.

Here's what you actually know.

There is no tilting back screen on the pre-production test models... but there is a possibility that will change in the final production run.

I see nothing that would enable me to confidently predict any more than that. The rest is speculation based on vague statements that can be interpreted many different ways.

Did I miss something?

Enjoy upcoming KP deals during black friday sales, have fun with its tiltable screen. When K-new is out next year you know for sure it was a good decision as it could well cost 3 times the price of a hugely discounted KP... Dont you think 1200 USD is a lot for a nice to have feature?

[TwoUptons]

You really need to use the quote feature. I tried, but I cannot find a reference to "FC".

K-FC

As in the restaurant chain...

It was funnier a couple of weeks ago

-Eric

[enoeske]

I'm still quite happy with my K-1, so I don't mind the 2020 wait. I always like seeing rumors, but real news is even more exciting.

[thibs]

Could they? I would say that a prism and mirror dimensioned for a 33x44 sensor + a dedicated autofocus module and their assembly with very tight tolerances might cost (much) more than a plug-in electronic viewfinder (the cost of which doesn't depend on the sensor size, obviously).

And yet, low end Canon DSLRs cost less than most low end mirrorless.
How can ?

[reh321]

And yet, low end Canon DSLRs cost less than most low end mirrorless.
How can ?

They are very cheaply built - I hard two die in less than eight years, a total of something like 4400 clicks {I'm a low-volume user} just before I switched back to Pentax.

[mlt]

Looks like closing out the low margin entries from both Canon and Nikon.

[RobA_Oz]

Users here always find something to focus on - in the case of the K-3ii, it was the lack of an On-Board Flash. Here it was the presumed lack of a GPS {because of the presence of a On-Board Flash} - but lately it has been the lack of a flippy screen. Pentax cannot put everything in, and they are not large enough to build a special one for each customer.

The KP has everything but the on-board GPS to make it attractive to me – although dual SD cards and a bigger buffer would have been nice, too, but I recognise what they were trying to do with the KP. On the new, larger body, which is clearly different to that of the K-3/ii, and several years worth of technological development later, I’m sure they could have fitted some sort of movable LCD screen, as well as GPS. I can only assume that the price envelope, rather than the body envelope, was the limiting factor, if even one of those things is missing.

Personally, I can live with a separate small flash (I bought a Metz M400 specifically to use with the K-1 – and I have used it, once I think) and with using my phone to compose and shoot (I’ve often done that with the K-3), provided there’s enough in the new body to attract me, namely faster accurate AF (preferably with face or eye detection using the OVF) and a bigger buffer with faster image processing. A hybrid viewfinder would probably overcome a lot of resistance, otherwise. On-board GPS isn’t an absolute deal-breaker – I’d much prefer it to the on-board flash and it would be a higher priority than the movable LCD – but the positives would have to be spectacular for me buy without it.

[Mistral75]

And yet, low end Canon DSLRs cost less than most low end mirrorless.
How can ?

• Pentamirror, not pentaprism
• 14.8x22.2 sensor, not 33x44 (again, the cost of pentaprism + mirror increases with the sensor size, that of an electronic viewfinder does not)
• Lower margins