[lukulele]

I get the impression that these articles are quite carefully worded, with a fair amount of marketing sauce thrown in. I would not be surprised to learn that there's a lengthy back-and-forth between engineering and marketing before they go live.

So, sheer joy, maybe, but then a lot of both elbow and palm grease.

I just enjoy the English translation and the amount of time that went into effective descriptions. The K-3 and KP will have to do for a while.

[stevebrot]

With story 7 out on the web, how many KP cameras is Pentax still selling.

Probably about as many as before. It is a desirable camera with very little competition from the K-3iii. While I respect the KP and am an active participant in this months raffle, it never checked the same boxes as the K-3/K-3II, hence the appeal was subdued for at least part of the market that is currently salivating for the K-3iii. The new camera checks all of the boxes along with a few huge improvements (at least spec-wise) and for those of us with aging K-3s, the interest level is high as a result.

As for the KP...I would expect it to reach EOL on schedule in 2022 with the K-70 doing likewise perhaps sometime this next year (rumors being as they are).


Steve

[sdhute]

It's going to be interesting to feel that new shutter bottom. My guess similar to k1

All about the shutter button.

Product Stories of New APS-C "K-3 Mark III" Vol.7 (Wakashiro) | PENTAX official

[torge]

how are the shutter buttons on the K1 and the 645d/Z being perceived?
I am still on my trusty K5 ...

[Breakfastographer]

how are the shutter buttons on the K1 and the 645d/Z being perceived?
I am still on my trusty K5 ...

I think the 645D has the older design, it's my understanding that it's the Z and the K-1 where the leaf switch was introduced.

I've not heard any complaints about it on the 645Z. Some people said it takes getting used to on the K-1 in that it goes down so much more smoothly. Some people miss having the kind of resistance that a tactile switch would offer, but I suspect it's a matter of getting used to. Some have described the new shutter button feel as stroking the button rather than pressing it. I suspect there's at least a little bit of exaggeration going on.

[Serkevan]

The K-1's shutter certainly goes off with less downward pressure than the K-7's, but it's not *super* noticeable. The "half press", however, does require a significantly lighter touch.

[house]

how are the shutter buttons on the K1 and the 645d/Z being perceived?
I am still on my trusty K5 ...

It was one of the first things I noticed when handling the k-1. It also makes it unpleasant to use the k3II after getting used to the k1.

[Qwntm]

All about the shutter button.

Product Stories of New APS-C "K-3 Mark III" Vol.7 (Wakashiro) | PENTAX official

Not sure what the shutter is going to be like on the K3 MIII, but I do know that the best digital shutter button I've ever used is on my XPro-3. It's a lot like a Leica M series film camera.

It turns out that Fuji had 1 guy spend a lot of time making sure it was as good as it could get and they documented that here. (It's time coded so you can find the part, the entire video is 1.5 hours long!)

You Tube

You Tube

Good to see Pentax paying attention to the details.

[Larrymc]

Not sure what the shutter is going to be like on the K3 MIII, but I do know that the best digital shutter button I've ever used is on my XPro-3. It's a lot like a Leica M series film camera.

It turns out that Fuji had 1 guy spend a lot of time making sure it was as good as it could get and they documented that here. (It's time coded so you can find the part, the entire video is 1.5 hours long!)


Camera Punk (2019) / FUJIFILM - YouTube

Good to see Pentax paying attention to the details.

Pentax has always paid attention to the details, maybe not the ones you notice but they definitely have paid very close attention to details like button placement and ergonomics.

[someasiancameraguy]

Pentax has always paid attention to the details, maybe not the ones you notice but they definitely have paid very close attention to details like button placement and ergonomics.

The K-1 is spectacular in this regard. I basically don't ever feel the need to lift my eye off the viewfinder except to look at the results.

[torge]

Pentax has a long tradition of paying attention to the details and going their own sometimes slightly different way.

1. this is why we have the Limiteds,
2. this is why there is Hybrid Mode,
3. this is why there is why there is a Pentaprism
4. this is why there is AF in MF
5. this is why there is in-body SR
6. this lis why this list could go on for much longer ...

But not always do these 'firsts' become appreciated features (flashy LEDs anyone?) and not always are they convincing features driving buying decisions that are often purely based on feature lists (on which they don't show up, because they are too new (SR back then), or too subtle (this shutter button) maybe ...

[Serkevan]

The K-1 is spectacular in this regard. I basically don't ever feel the need to lift my eye off the viewfinder except to look at the results.

Yes! I can use the INFO screen a couple times per outing, and everything else is already committed to muscle memory of the dials and buttons. Such a pleasure to use.
Now if they could increase the size of the OVF in the K-1iii by another 11% (same increase the K-3iii gets) to 0.78x (dare I say 0.8x) and add a small histogram indicator to the overlay, I'd be all over that thing.

---------- Post added 12-15-20 at 04:59 AM ----------

But not always do these 'firsts' become appreciated features (flashy LEDs anyone?) and not always are they convincing features driving buying decisions that are often purely based on feature lists (on which they don't show up, because they are too new (SR back then), or too subtle (this shutter button) maybe ...

I think it all ties into the "non-measurable" qualities that Pentax pointed at in their latest promotional materials. How do you quantify the shutter sensation? Sure, you can talk about the linear response and dynamometers, but that would go over the heads of virtually everyone. Unfortunately, some of the people who wouldn't be able to tell what the numbers mean in real life are the same ones who demand them in the first place...

[Breakfastographer]

With story 7 out on the web, how many KP cameras is Pentax still selling.

1. The KP is a good camera.
2. The K-3 III could be 2.5-3x the price when it comes out.
3. We're still months away from the K-3 III.

I don't think the intention or effect of the "product stories" is so much to discourage KP spending as it is to discourage people from migrating to other brands, or making investments in them.


It's also giving Pentax a continuous attention stream, which it hasn't had previously because it often announced one, maybe two cameras per year, and maybe two or three lenses.


Canon and Sony for some time did nearly annual incremental updates of some of their products. I think I prefer Pentax' new way of getting exposure.

---------- Post added 12-16-20 at 05:14 AM ----------

Yes! I can use the INFO screen a couple times per outing, and everything else is already committed to muscle memory of the dials and buttons. Such a pleasure to use.
Now if they could increase the size of the OVF in the K-1iii by another 11% (same increase the K-3iii gets) to 0.78x (dare I say 0.8x) and add a small histogram indicator to the overlay, I'd be all over that thing.

Isn't there a magnifier eyecup that will work?

I think it all ties into the "non-measurable" qualities that Pentax pointed at in their latest promotional materials. How do you quantify the shutter sensation? Sure, you can talk about the linear response and dynamometers, but that would go over the heads of virtually everyone. Unfortunately, some of the people who wouldn't be able to tell what the numbers mean in real life are the same ones who demand them in the first place...

I think the reason is that the new shutter and mirror assemblies reduce vibration, but it will not show up on a CIPA standard test. The CIPA tests only test for compensation of movement. But if there is no movement to start with, that also adds to the ability to do longer exposures hand-held without blur. But how many stops of improvement is it? CIPA cannot tell you. Nonetheless, it is real.

It's not really non-measurable, but the existing set-ups aren't suited to the job.

[Serkevan]

Isn't there a magnifier eyecup that will work?

I already use the O-ME53 on the K-1, but with glasses in the equation, it would be better if the OVF itself was larger... so I can still put the magnifier on it to reach almost ME-size

---------- Post added 12-16-20 at 05:24 AM ----------

I think the reason is that the new shutter and mirror assemblies reduce vibration, but it will not show up on a CIPA standard test. The CIPA tests only test for compensation of movement. But if there is no movement to start with, that also adds to the ability to do longer exposures hand-held without blur. But how many stops of improvement is it? CIPA cannot tell you. Nonetheless, it is real.

It's not really non-measurable, but the existing set-ups aren't suited to the job.

I was referring exclusively to the sensation on the shutter button, not the shutter itself, which is more easily measured. The Olys do get much better results at long handheld exposure, but that's mostly the IBIS, not the shutter itself, right?

[someasiancameraguy]

I already use the O-ME53 on the K-1, but with glasses in the equation, it would be better if the OVF itself was larger... so I can still put the magnifier on it to reach almost ME-size

---------- Post added 12-16-20 at 05:24 AM ----------



I was referring exclusively to the sensation on the shutter button, not the shutter itself, which is more easily measured. The Olys do get much better results at long handheld exposure, but that's mostly the IBIS, not the shutter itself, right?

I have a similar problem using the O-ME53 on the K-1. The viewfinder isn't particularly bright to begin with, and the magnifier has a very small pupil, making it hard to see the image corners at times. Then I put the magnifier on the MX and it was truly mindblowing.