[Deni]

Great. I am still waiting for $400 used K20s to hit the market place

[Rorschach]

I would think you would be using a GPS system to mark your research points anyway regardless of whether you are photographing things anyway. I would hate to have to rely on my camera for GPS or my gps as a camera.

Yes, I do use a GPS unit to mark the research points but it's not very convenient to use for geotagging your photos. You have to fiddle around with software and that's an activity that I am already sick of, without worrying about geotagging the images. I'd much rather have built-in GPS in the camera for the shots. That way I wouldn't have to carry a separate GPS unit on the trips on my free time (I never rely on a GPS when orienteering).

[jct us101]

I don't see Pentax upgrading an entire camera just to add GPS. They might do something like they did with the Canon 20Da which is an IR version of the camera.

[Unlocker]

Chris & SRS (UK) is expecting stock in 10 days.

Anyone have anymore info?

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

If I can't remember where I took my photo's by looking at them I need to be shot.
Next they will put a TV tuner in so we can watch TV will waiting for our next shot.

It wouldn't be so bad with a 3G connection and a built in web browser so you could get your daily dose of Pentax Forum directly on the camera LCD...

Chris & SRS (UK) is expecting stock in 10 days.

Anyone have anymore info?

Expect to pay a premium of 10 to 20% over K20D depending on the dealer's greed and initial availability.

Regards,
Radu

[Ratmagiclady]

Hey, if they can put a camera in a phone, why not put a phone in a camera? "Hello, Chief?"

Actually, I can see the GPS being useful, for those that'd be carrying one anyway. Especially so you can find a spot again later if you like to chase light. Or just cause you might get lost while concentrating on photos. If the rumor's true, that's as good a reason for them to have put a regular ol' K20 in my hands as any. Bonus is, I won't even feel like I'm missing anything I can't live without, in my own particular case. It'd still be a handy gadget, relative cost aside.

[Mountain Vision]

Expect to pay a premium of 10 to 20% over K20D depending on the dealer's greed and initial availability.

Regards,
Radu

Fairly useless feature IMO.

There is lots of software that can merge GPS track logs with photo shoot time.

Yeah, yeah, the two clocks must be synced and all that. It's really not all the difficult. I know quite a few people that do this and are happy. There are also "hot shoe GPS" that do basically all the work for you. They cost $100 or so.

GPS is one of the biggest waste in history. It dumbed down the outdoor population, and created all sorts of geniuses on the roadways. I see an article in the paper a dozen times a year about an idiot who wrecked his car because the GPS told him to go that way! I see dozens of people a year get in over their heads in the backcountry because of the confidence in modern technology that is designed to be flawed. GPS can be shut down at any moment for national security reasons, and it's accuracy can also be intentionally blocked. Batteries fail, and datum must be set correctly.

Is it really that hard to remember where you took a photo? I can look at any photo I have ever taken and tell you where it was in less than 10 seconds. Heck, I can even recalls sections of a trail, a lake, or where in the city it was!

Maybe my memory is exceptional, or I just don't get out much, but either way it's not all that hard!

So if the K20D Super is on it's way for GPS, I'm standing in line for a $400 slightly used K20D sans GPS!

[Blue]

. . .(I never rely on a GPS when orienteering).

I don't either. It is too much trouble and slows me down. I can appreciate not wanting to worry about tagging the photos.

[ryan s]

It wouldn't be so bad with a 3G connection and a built in web browser so you could get your daily dose of Pentax Forum directly on the camera LCD...

Haha Irony for sure

The connection will be the issue, IMO. Here in the city, the 3G is good. But go out into the suburbs and it reverts back to EDGE. Then go further, and the GSM signal could be lost.

So...what would Pentax do? Standard GPS style, CDMA or...I wonder.

Well, my N95 can do pretty much anything well, except for the camera (although it's a Zeiss lens). GPS, web, MP3 player, FM radio etc...My camera can't do anything but take pictures. Hmmmmm...I think I'm set with a camera that only takes pics (or video would be kinda cool)

[regken]

Fairly useless feature IMO.

There is lots of software that can merge GPS track logs with photo shoot time.

Yeah, yeah, the two clocks must be synced and all that. It's really not all the difficult. I know quite a few people that do this and are happy. There are also "hot shoe GPS" that do basically all the work for you. They cost $100 or so.


Maybe my memory is exceptional, or I just don't get out much, but either way it's not all that hard!

So if the K20D Super is on it's way for GPS, I'm standing in line for a $400 slightly used K20D sans GPS!

You are wrong on the price of GPS units that will work with RAW and have a usb connection. The best solution I can come up with that works reasonably well is $200 US and even then you have to do some program syncing.

Your opinion on the usefulness of this feature is , IMO, very short sighted. There are a ton of ways this could be used for both pleasure and business applications.

For the niche market customer that wants/needs this capability Pentax has an immediate $200 advantage over the big boys. If this rumor is true could this possibly be the first example we have of what Hoya has in mind for the long term Pentax game plan? Small, rugged, weather proofed, and feature loaded for the landscape, backpacking, and outdoor event enthusiasts.

It also puts a stamp on the Pentax Brand that could be marketed against the other brands as a better answer for a specific market segment. Add a little better AF tracking system to it and combine it with a fully sealed 60-250 you have an ideal tool for the casual wildlife shooter.

Yep, my bet is, if this rumor is true, Hoya is staking out the niche markets they plan on going after.

[Ratmagiclady]

If this rumor is true could this possibly be the first example we have of what Hoya has in mind for the long term Pentax game plan? Small, rugged, weather proofed, and feature loaded for the landscape, backpacking, and outdoor event enthusiasts.

It's a good niche market. And a lot of it's just not as 'niche-ey' as it seems. A lot of serious shooters who didn't feel the need for a big camera with a 5 fps winder and the like have been left pretty high-and-dry by the digital tendency to make anything reasonably durable or full-featured in the old-school sense *huge* in order to support features we might find superfluous.

To my recollection, a lot of old-school Pentax shooters fall into this category. It fits pretty nice. Me, not that I don't love the outdoors, (I'd have some trouble going far enough afoot to *get* lost, sad to say,) but I don't want to spend a thousand dollars or two on something that can't take a drizzle downtown without becoming a paperweight. (Frankly, I think it's foolish of other camera makers to not spring for the O-rings on items that cost that much. I'm not climbing the Matterhorn, here: a little due diligence makes all the difference.)

There's a lot of applications that a little outdoorseyness fits. If it's meant to deal with less-than-ideal conditions of any kind, that covers a lot of ground.

Fairly useless feature IMO.

There is lots of software that can merge GPS track logs with photo shoot time.

Yeah, yeah, the two clocks must be synced and all that. It's really not all the difficult. I know quite a few people that do this and are happy. There are also "hot shoe GPS" that do basically all the work for you. They cost $100 or so.

GPS is one of the biggest waste in history. It dumbed down the outdoor population, and created all sorts of geniuses on the roadways. I see an article in the paper a dozen times a year about an idiot who wrecked his car because the GPS told him to go that way! I see dozens of people a year get in over their heads in the backcountry because of the confidence in modern technology that is designed to be flawed. GPS can be shut down at any moment for national security reasons, and it's accuracy can also be intentionally blocked. Batteries fail, and datum must be set correctly.

Is it really that hard to remember where you took a photo? I can look at any photo I have ever taken and tell you where it was in less than 10 seconds. Heck, I can even recalls sections of a trail, a lake, or where in the city it was!

Maybe my memory is exceptional, or I just don't get out much, but either way it's not all that hard!

So if the K20D Super is on it's way for GPS, I'm standing in line for a $400 slightly used K20D sans GPS!

AKAIK there are no plans to put GPS on every K20D and I think Pentax wants to create some buzz with a paralel model and probably test if this feature is sought after by the average customer. So you'll still can buy a "regular" K20D new in the close future ...
But if Pentax is smart and they have their new AF module ready I think it would be a nice coup to put it on the K20D GPS to show a sneak preview of new technologies and really build anticipation for the next gen. I won't hold my breath though!

Regards,
Radu

[alohadave]

That story has an interesting picture. I wasn't aware that any of the modern lenses used radioactive yellow glass.

[Kunzite]

I don't understand why people are complaining about this.
Yes, GPS could be useful for some of us. Yes, it goes on the line of "Pentax - a system for outdoor shooting". And again we will have a great value for money setup compared to other brands, if we need this feature. Even if it's not essential, even if it doesn't improve image quality or camera performance, it makes sense in every way.
On the other hand, it's true that some people would never use this feature - but I fail to see how they could be affected by the "K20D GPS Edition". It's easy, folks: just don't buy it!