Originally posted by RobA_Oz That experience makes me want an APS-C body that brings the same IQ and the same features as the K-1 in a smaller format and a lighter body, which this new one seems to almost provide. The 10% brighter viewfinder pentaprism is welcome, but its advantage over the K-3’s is somewhat lessened by increasing the eyepiece magnification by more than 10%.
Indeed, among other notable advancements, Ricoh Imaging has been emphasizing the
viewfinder 'experience'.
In the interview video, Wakashiro-san (the product planning manager) indicated that "compared to the KP...this viewfinder is nearly 10% brighter." I would think that the increased brightness accounts for both the new pentaprism and the viewfinder optics. The guest photographer was impressed with what he saw: [the viewfinder] is "much larger and clearer" [compared to his KP].
They are also highlighting the
image quality that is possible with this new APS-C format camera.
Wakashiro-san indicated that the camera implements a new image sensor, a new imaging engine, and a new accelerator unit. "The image processing unit has been advanced to such a level that you can expect greatly improved image quality."
Comparing the IQ to that of full-frame cameras, Wakashiro-san continued to say that "There is a common perception that APS-C format SLR cameras are inferior to full-frame SLR counterparts in term of optical viewfinder and image quality. We are hoping that this camera will be able to break that perception."
Finally in this regard, he impressed that "We would like our users to realize how advanced this camera's optical viewfinder is and how remarkable its image quality is."
- Craig