[bertwert]

I'd like super high ISO (TBH wouldn't actually use above 1600 most likely), super high dynamic range, and a flippy screen. I'd be using it mainly for astrophotography.

This is the second time I've seen it today... how does a flippy screen help with astrophotography? I was under the impression that live-view tended just to show a black screen...

[VoiceOfReason]

This is the second time I've seen it today... how does a flippy screen help with astrophotography? I was under the impression that live-view tended just to show a black screen...

Nope, live view shows various stars and even bright things like star clusters. If you do a go-to and you're slightly off on a preview pic you can watch live view and see where the bright stars are and then move the mount to center what you want to capture. With the flippy screen out it makes it much easier to get stuff that is nearer the zenith, or if the scope has the camera in a weird position you just use the flippy screen to precisely center things. It's great for walking by and looking at a preview when an exposure ends too, just to make sure your stuff hasn't drifted. That is one of the things I absolutely love about the flippy screen on my K1ii, how much easier it is for AP. I wish my other cameras had that.

[bertwert]

Nope, live view shows various stars and even bright things like star clusters. If you do a go-to and you're slightly off on a preview pic you can watch live view and see where the bright stars are and then move the mount to center what you want to capture. With the flippy screen out it makes it much easier to get stuff that is nearer the zenith, or if the scope has the camera in a weird position you just use the flippy screen to precisely center things. It's great for walking by and looking at a preview when an exposure ends too, just to make sure your stuff hasn't drifted. That is one of the things I absolutely love about the flippy screen on my K1ii, how much easier it is for AP. I wish my other cameras had that.

Makes sense...

[reh321]

Nope, live view shows various stars and even bright things like star clusters. If you do a go-to and you're slightly off on a preview pic you can watch live view and see where the bright stars are and then move the mount to center what you want to capture. With the flippy screen out it makes it much easier to get stuff that is nearer the zenith, or if the scope has the camera in a weird position you just use the flippy screen to precisely center things. It's great for walking by and looking at a preview when an exposure ends too, just to make sure your stuff hasn't drifted. That is one of the things I absolutely love about the flippy screen on my K1ii, how much easier it is for AP. I wish my other cameras had that.

Have you tried using ‘Image Synch’ in this setting?

[Serkevan]

Any time I've tried to use Image Sync I get a black screen without actual Live View feed. The camera clicks and takes the photo, but you don't know where it focuses .
Using the phone app is an exercise in frustration...

[TwoUptons]

So what have we learned in 31 pages? I learned how some people come in here just to get everyone riled up:

1. Make up some bogus specifications about the new camera
2. Complain loudly about the fake specification you just made up: "why would anyone buy this camera??????"
3. Sit down and watch.

It's called "trolling" and it's as old as the internet...

Oh, come on... it's far older than that

I seem to recall some guy living under a bridge who would yell at goats passing by... "Pentax autofocus is terrible... you need a mirrorless..."
They wrote stories about him back when DPR was doing autofocus tests of people on horses because bicycles hadn't been invented yet...

-Eric

[VoiceOfReason]

Have you tried using ‘Image Synch’ in this setting?

Unfortunately it is too slow for it, especially for focusing with a Bhatinov mask. It also doesn't work for my K3, K5, or K-01.

[reh321]

Unfortunately it is too slow for it, especially for focusing with a Bhatinov mask. It also doesn't work for my K3, K5, or K-01.

I was thinking of your using it instead of the flippy screen on your K-1ii.

[Trick Fall]

I think this camera might herald a step forward in video capabilities for Pentax. With the high likelihood the rumored Sony sensor will deliver 4K. I think it is possible that IBIS for video will be introduced with the ability to easily turn it off using the SR button ( in order to reduce audible noise) Plus the PLM motor, KAF4 (step less aperture) lenses ranging from 16-300mm.

I really hope this is the case. I'm hoping to be able to upgrade my camera in the second half of the year and better video is one of the main reasons I'm looking to upgrade. I have to admit though that I thought an articulating screen was pretty much a standard at this point and I'd prefer my next camera to have one.

[SteveinSLC]

This is the second time I've seen it today... how does a flippy screen help with astrophotography? I was under the impression that live-view tended just to show a black screen...

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Image Synch either for this.
The other thing the tilt screen helps with for astro is shooting at high angles. If the lens or telescope is on a tripod and pointed up at the sky, then you'd have to crouch way down to see the screen. A tilt screen lets you see it without getting all contorted.

[ffking]

This is the second time I've seen it today... how does a flippy screen help with astrophotography? I was under the impression that live-view tended just to show a black screen...

I would add that you can also dial in more exposure to see the scene more clearly (if a little more noisily) in LV to compose, then return to the proper exposure to take the shot

[wooly11]

Hi, I am one of those people with a foot in both the Fuji and the Pentax camp. I have had the Fuji X-H1 and the Fuji X-T3 but have parted with both of them due to ergonomics and at the moment have just an X-T1 which I love due to it's size, handling and output, I have a good range of Fuji primes and zooms. With Pentax I arrived having come through the collector background moving from compact film to SLR film and finally after buying quite a few K and M lenses I bought a second hand KP which I love. I now have a large collection of early autofocus lenses and some more modern.
Next year I had decided either to buy a Fuji X-T4 or Pentax K-NEW, I was one of those unhappy about the lack of flip screen, I have had occasions when I want to shoot above the crowd of I-phones and the flip screen was invaluable to get "that" shot. So the Fuji X-T4 looked as if it would be in the lead of the two horse race - until it was announced that instead of a really useful flip screen we will have a fully dancing articulating selfie screen - no simple flip there - pull it out to the side, turn it round and miss the shot - ye gads that's really upset the Fuji camp! So there we are looks as if it's a dead heat - neither have the screen I would really like. Please Pentax don't listen to the complaints and fit a selfie screen - be careful what you wish for!!

[Serkevan]

Hi, I am one of those people with a foot in both the Fuji and the Pentax camp. I have had the Fuji X-H1 and the Fuji X-T3 but have parted with both of them due to ergonomics and at the moment have just an X-T1 which I love due to it's size, handling and output, I have a good range of Fuji primes and zooms. With Pentax I arrived having come through the collector background moving from compact film to SLR film and finally after buying quite a few K and M lenses I bought a second hand KP which I love. I now have a large collection of early autofocus lenses and some more modern.
Next year I had decided either to buy a Fuji X-T4 or Pentax K-NEW, I was one of those unhappy about the lack of flip screen, I have had occasions when I want to shoot above the crowd of I-phones and the flip screen was invaluable to get "that" shot. So the Fuji X-T4 looked as if it would be in the lead of the two horse race - until it was announced that instead of a really useful flip screen we will have a fully dancing articulating selfie screen - no simple flip there - pull it out to the side, turn it round and miss the shot - ye gads that's really upset the Fuji camp! So there we are looks as if it's a dead heat - neither have the screen I would really like. Please Pentax don't listen to the complaints and fit a selfie screen - be careful what you wish for!!

I think most of us agree that the "proper" way would be to add a KP-type tilting screen.

By the way, yesterday I managed to get a great angle on a heron because of the K-1's tilt screen (yay! Otherwise I would have ended very much wet ) but then LV AF decided to focus on the background and messed up the shot completely (nay!). Oh well, another time

[JPT]

I was really happy to see the new camera will have a bigger viewfinder. The OVF is going to be the critical differentiator between this camera and its competitors, so it should be as good as it can be.

This makes me think back to the survey Ricoh did in Japan about 16 months ago. It asked what features were most desirable in a new K-mount camera. A tilt screen was on there and so was a bigger OVF. I guess the tilt screen was simply not a popular choice but the bigger OVF was. I personally didn't choose a tilt screen. I didn't think it was a compelling enough thing to select when they had things like mechanical video SR, touch panel control, frame rate and focus tracking. Based on the direction of that survey, I would expect further development of the viewfinder, multiple aspects of AF improvement (spread, density, indicators and more were on the list) and also some kind of features to assist the use of manual lenses. These three areas (OVF, AF, manual lenses) each had a special wish-list section to themselves.

The reason Ricoh is not saying too much about the specs is pretty obvious to me. They don't want their current models to look out of date. The K-1 II is good case. If you were thinking about that camera, would you still buy it if Ricoh was talking about a (purely hypothetical) 99-point AF system in a new camera? They have much more to lose than gain from letting out specs too early. They also risk making people too excited too soon, and then having the hype die down before it becomes available for purchase. Talking about the bigger APS-C OVF, on the other hand, is completely non-threatening to the K-1 II. I think that was carefully calculated.

The good thing is that they have reiterated that it is coming this year, and also announced a couple of pretty interesting lenses too. Another positive way to look at it is that we are now two months closer to the launch date than we would have been if they had done this presentation in Yokohama in March.

[bertwert]

By the way, yesterday I managed to get a great angle on a heron because of the K-1's tilt screen (yay! Otherwise I would have ended very much wet ) but then LV AF decided to focus on the background and messed up the shot completely (nay!). Oh well, another time

That's why you need a boat... and if you have no background (or AF for that matter...) it's easier to focus on the bird