[OoKU]

Pentax official questionnaire survey, two new models exposure

PENTAX ?????????

K-3 III monochrome model
K70 Astro model

Attached Images

   

[Michail_P]

I’m just a bit skeptical about that monochrome sensor thing... I think it’s a waste of money, although it’s being said that noise levels are lower than normal. Decades passed before photography became colored, now why go back? Monochrome should be a pp choice, just my opinion.
On the other hand, that Astro - K70 is really adding something special.

[biz-engineer]

I’m just a bit skeptical about that monochrome sensor thing... I think it’s a waste of money

now why go back? Monochrome should be a pp choice, just my opinion

Because shooting with monochrome sensor camera with color filter in front of the lens gives more refined images, natively free of fringing (once you let only red or yellow through the lens, there is no much blue light to fringe edges). I'm shooting a lot of B&W, and I can tell achieving red filtered B&W via post processing has the advantage of being flexible, but noise / edge quality can be atrocious. Also , when you add a red filter in post, what you get is the resolution of the red array within the CFA, that's half of the green. So unless using pixel shift, resolution takes a big hit with high contrast B&W from color sensor. And I'm not even mentioning the lower ISO noise that comes from removing the CFA. For doing B&W images, in my opinion, a monochrome camera is better, at the cost of not being able to do color photography.

[BigMackCam]

I’m just a bit skeptical about that monochrome sensor thing... I think it’s a waste of money, although it’s being said that noise levels are lower than normal. Decades passed before photography became colored, now why go back? Monochrome should be a pp choice, just my opinion.
On the other hand, that Astro - K70 is really adding something special.

B&W conversion of a colour photo is far inferior to a native image from a dedicated monochrome camera with the same resolution sensor.

Colour filter arrays and associated demosaicing algorithms are a clever solution to capturing colour, but result in rather imperfect image quality due to loss of light in the filters, interpolation errors in demosaicing and resulting artefacts (false colours, moiré, zippering etc.). Choosing different demosaicing algorithms depending on image properties and content can help to some extent, but there are compromises in all of them.

Removing the colour filter array from the sensor significantly reduces light loss (effectively increasing sensitivity) and enables more precise recording of light hitting the sensor. Since demosaicing is no longer required, there are no artefacts to deal with and image quality is improved considerably.

I can't justify the cost of another brand-new camera, but if I could, a dedicated monochrome model would really get my attention. I realise it's not for everyone, but for those who enjoy B&W photography, it's a very attractive option...

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 04-08-2022 at 12:47 AM.

[JPT]

What's odd is the K-70 Astro model. That camera doesn't have GPS for built-in Astrotracer, neither has it had Astrotracer Type 3 added to the firmware. In addition, the O-GPS1 accessory is discontinued so you can't currently add the GPS functionality.

So I guess they plan to have the O-GPS2 ready by the time they market this. Either that or they plan to add Astrotracer Type 3, which would be a lot of development work for such an old model.

I know that there are other more professional ways of doing astrophotography, but I still think it would be strange for Pentax to offer this kind of camera if it didn't leverage Astrotracer.

However, the good thing is that a limited version of the K-70 would be more affordable than a K-3 III for a limited use camera.

I wonder if this will be using crowdfunding again, or sold in some other way.

[cport]

Because shooting with monochrome sensor camera with color filter in front of the lens gives more refined images, natively free of fringing (once you let only red or yellow through the lens, there is no much blue light to fringe edges). I'm shooting a lot of B&W, and I can tell achieving red filtered B&W via post processing has the advantage of being flexible, but noise / edge quality can be atrocious. Also , when you add a red filter in post, what you get is the resolution of the red array within the CFA, that's half of the green. So unless using pixel shift, resolution takes a big hit with high contrast B&W from color sensor. And I'm not even mentioning the lower ISO noise that comes from removing the CFA. For doing B&W images, in my opinion, a monochrome camera is better, at the cost of not being able to do color photography.

well, BW pictures from BW sensor are much better in image quality. What is more important that this allows you to use higher ISO (about 2EV) and this is a significant step ahead.

[Mistral75]

For those interested in the text of the survey.

Will you buy the following cameras if they become available? ※ Commercialization has not yet been decided.

K-70 model dedicated to astrophotography

○ Features

• The imaging system is 10 times more sensitive to H-alpha spectral line than the standard model.

○ Restrictions

• Not for daytime use.

○ Price: ¥150,000 (tax included)

○ Release date: 2022 or later

K-3 Mark III model dedicated to black and white photography

○ Features

• Special CMOS image sensor without colour filter
• Better image quality than that of the standard model in monochrome mode, with more natural resolution and noise.
• Black and white design

○ Price: ¥350,000 (tax included)

○ Release date: 2023 or later

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Last edited by Mistral75; 04-08-2022 at 02:47 AM.

[BigMackCam]

K-3 Mark III special model for black and white photography

○ Features

• Special CMOS image sensor without colour filter
• Achieves a natural resolution and a noise-sensitive picture quality, compared to monochrome shooting with a standard model.
• Black and white design

○ Price: 350,000 (tax included)

○ Release date: 2023 or later

¥350,000 is approximately GBP £2,165 at current exchange rates. That's not at all unreasonable for a specialist model with low volume production...

[thibs]

A monochrome GR would probable cause me to empty the bank account (if not already empty lol).

A monochrome GRIIIX would certainly drain my money.

A monochrome K1-3 too but later (due to price).

[thibs]

The astro K70 is wierd IMO.

[Fogel70]

I’m just a bit skeptical about that monochrome sensor thing... I think it’s a waste of money, although it’s being said that noise levels are lower than normal. Decades passed before photography became colored, now why go back? Monochrome should be a pp choice, just my opinion.
On the other hand, that Astro - K70 is really adding something special.

I can understand the monochrome idea, but to me it is a little strange they choose K3 III for that.
To me it would be more logical from them to make a K1 II monochrome.

But I assume it is for promoting K3 III.

[Kunzite]

The astro K70 is wierd IMO.

Not necessarily.
Its problem is that it doesn't support the new AstroTracer. Otherwise, it makes a lot of sense to choose a non-flagship camera: you don't need the K-3iii's speed, and autofocus, for astrophotography.
L.E. Or price.

[Mistral75]

¥350,000 is approximately GBP £2,165 at current exchange rates. That's not at all unreasonable for a specialist model with low volume production...

In the Ricoh Imaging online store the standard K-3 Mark III costs ¥280,000. The monochrome model would be 25% more expensive than the standard model.

[RobA_Oz]

For those interested in the text of the survey.

Will you buy the following cameras if they become available? ※ Commercialization has not yet been decided.

K-70 model dedicated to astrophotography

○ Features

• The imaging system is 10 times more sensitive to H-alpha spectral line than the standard model.

○ Restrictions

• Not for daytime use.

○ Price: ¥150,000 (tax included)

○ Release date: 2022 or later

Interesting. This suggests that such a body may be intended for dedicated astrophotography, not necessarily using the Astrotracer firmware. It would be a pity if so, because that would cut quite a number of potential low-budget users out of the market. Not everyone can afford a dedicated telescope and equatorial mount, so I hope the Type 3 Astrotracer firmware can be adapted.

[nonpigliounoshoot]

It seems to me that he can still deduce that the k70 still remains in production and without substitutes.