[thibs]

Mmm I'd take a K1-x (2 or 3 whatever) with manual focus mod AND monochrome.

[RobG]

I would buy an astro version of k-1 ii. This one, being crop sensor, is a hard sell to me, and I suspect special versions will be considerably more expensive, so I'm out.

Why is a crop sensor bad for astro?

---------- Post added 02-01-22 at 01:32 AM ----------

Maybe one of the six versions will have a screen that is articulating ?
From what I can deduct that would add another 40% to sales from us Pentaxians that are still waiting for our real "Flagship" model to finally arrive !

Did you bother to listen to the explanation that the camera designers gave for the lack of an articulating screen?

[BarneyL]

Why is a crop sensor bad for astro? (

I might have been a little too hasty in my evaluation. It isn't bad per se, it's just, if I were to use it for astro-landscapes (like here Astrophotography Cameras vs. UnModified (Normal) Cameras :: Spencers Camera), then my wide angle lenses I use on K-1 are no longer wide angle on crop sensor.

Did you bother to listen to the explanation that the camera designers gave for the lack of an articulating screen?

They gave an explanation, yes, but that doesn't mean we absolutely have to agree with it...

[Fontan]

I wonder if they will opt to use the monochrome sensor for GR mono? I would go for that in a heart beat.

[Arjay Bee]

I have the K3 Prestige and possibly paid a premium but have enjoyed the benefits of the design. The silver model shows its scratches, the black with white writing is normal and boring. I covered up the white writing on my K20 as it is too bright. The gunmetal scratches but doesnt show in high contrast..

My point is, i would be keen now to upgrade should the K3III be available in gunmetal.

[ramseybuckeye]

It's nice that these models will (apparently) exist. But I wonder how much R&D is going to be paid for with the sales of a handful of $3000 monochrome K-3 IIIs?

A few weeks ago Wheatfield was speculating that only a couple dozen Pentax Forums users had a normal K-3 III. If that's the case we'd be lucky if one or two members bought one of these boutique models. With the numbers they'd likely sell would even $3000 make them worthwhile to produce? Maybe as a halo/vanity project just for the press?

63 K3-III serial number in the database, and I doubt all forum users record the serials there. That's more than a couple dozen.

[ZombieArmy]

A few weeks ago Wheatfield was speculating that only a couple dozen Pentax Forums users had a normal K-3 III. If that's the case we'd be lucky if one or two members bought one of these boutique models. With the numbers they'd likely sell would even $3000 make them worthwhile to produce? Maybe as a halo/vanity project just for the press?

In terms of active users of the Pentax Forums it only makes a fraction of the overall Pentax userbase. Obviously these are selling well enough if they're honestly considering boutique models.

I'd be very interested in a monochrome version though. Would actually be tempting to buy as I wasn't interested in the K3-III at all otherwise. Perhaps they could also make the monochrome version manual only as well with the brighter viewfinder. Seems like that would be a solid mix and the type of user who would want that. I actually don't find the loss of autofocus that bad, especially on something that could be considered a more artistic camera.

[RobG]

I might have been a little too hasty in my evaluation. It isn't bad per se, it's just, if I were to use it for astro-landscapes (like here Astrophotography Cameras vs. UnModified (Normal) Cameras :: Spencers Camera), then my wide angle lenses I use on K-1 are no longer wide angle on crop sensor.

Oh, OK. I would like to try more of that.

[ThorSanchez]

63 K3-III serial number in the database, and I doubt all forum users record the serials there. That's more than a couple dozen.

Mine isn't there yet, I'd guess many don't so it's probably more like 100 forum users. I was always skeptical of the couple dozen guess, it was in the context of a post that was critical of various things K-3 III and Pentax so perhaps designed to be overly conservative.

[Larrymc]

63 K3-III serial number in the database, and I doubt all forum users record the serials there. That's more than a couple dozen.

I've had my Mk III since April 2021 and I haven't bothered to register the serial number there so I think Wheatfield might have under estimated the actual figures to fit his narrative.

[PocketPixels]

It's nice that these models will (apparently) exist. But I wonder how much R&D is going to be paid for with the sales of a handful of $3000 monochrome K-3 IIIs?

A few weeks ago Wheatfield was speculating that only a couple dozen Pentax Forums users had a normal K-3 III. If that's the case we'd be lucky if one or two members bought one of these boutique models. With the numbers they'd likely sell would even $3000 make them worthwhile to produce? Maybe as a halo/vanity project just for the press?

That's exactly it, I suspect. Pentax rolls out about three products per year. So it's rare for the brand to trend on dpreview, the B&H podcast, YouTube channels, and so on. The R&D division is too small to crank out six lenses, one flash, and one body per year. But waiting six months, then re-skinning a product with "designer colors" or Infrared only is a pretty cheap way to get press releases and attention.

Of course, that attention is understandably muted by the small-beans nature of many of the modifications, and those modifications might even dilute the impact of big announcements. The B&H podcast team, who ought to know better, described the K-3 mkiii as a minor refresh of the classic K-3 camera. I can understand how they might think so, as the HD updates to the Limited lenses were modest, and the red-handle update to the KP was cosmetic only.

[Rondec]

It's nice that these models will (apparently) exist. But I wonder how much R&D is going to be paid for with the sales of a handful of $3000 monochrome K-3 IIIs?

A few weeks ago Wheatfield was speculating that only a couple dozen Pentax Forums users had a normal K-3 III. If that's the case we'd be lucky if one or two members bought one of these boutique models. With the numbers they'd likely sell would even $3000 make them worthwhile to produce? Maybe as a halo/vanity project just for the press?

My impression from what JPT posted was that Pentax was feeling users out to see if there was interest for a specific model built on the K-3 III platform. They would probably treat it more as a kick starter, with a certain number of individuals having to sign up before they would release a particular body.

The point was that these were things they thought they could do pretty easily to the K-3 III body, without a lot of investment in R and D, that might interest a number of people. None of these things will generate huge revenue, but all together they could increase K-3 III sales and profit.

[biz-engineer]

Mmm I'd take a K1-x (2 or 3 whatever) with manual focus mod AND monochrome.

Once upon a time I also wanted a monochrome K1, but I changed my mind, because monochrome sensor prevents CA correction unless the lens is a Pentax lens with auto-correction in camera or in PP software such as DXO. If the lens is an non-Pentax lens , or old manual lens, CA correction isn't so easy and uncorrected CA will affect sharpness of high contrast edges of the monochrome images.

[gatorguy]

63 K3-III serial number in the database, and I doubt all forum users record the serials there. That's more than a couple dozen.

Oh, I neglected to do that myself, in fact seldom listing any of my gear. I should sit down and do it.

[Smolk]

I've had my Mk III since April 2021 and I haven't bothered to register the serial number there so I think Wheatfield might have under estimated the actual figures to fit his narrative.

I didn't register mine either.