[house]

Did you pair the lens with a K-1, K-1 MkII, or K-3 MkIII?
If K-3 MkIII, in addition to the Custom Image feature, did you notice any "Improved stability for general performance." Only the K-3 MkIII gets that "secret sauce". Apparently, the K-1 and K-1 MkII do not. They only get the Custom Image.

Cheers... M

Tested on a K-1 (vanilla) with the hd15ltd. Can't say I noticed any "Improved stability for general performance." but as you say I'm not supposed to get any.

[reh321]

That is interesting. We will have to wait till someone tries it out to see if they will also work with the SMC DA 15mm Limited, but the way it's worded it appears not.
It does look like you can use the DFA 21mm with the K3iii or the DA 15mm with the K1, at least.

I don’t use ‘special tones’; I wouldn’t emulate a film if I used Fuji; I use “natural”.
On the other hand, my KP may be the last camera body I buy.
I believe they are playing to their home audience.
That is fine. If they do do something, like improve focusing for under $1000, I’ll spend more money on them.
otherwise, I’ll read here about their actions, then go out and use the KP {or, as I just did, the K-30 with flash} I already have.

[AfterPentax Mark II]

This is ridiculous! I'm sure they just want to stay "connected" with the users. With the slow pace of gear releases they have to do other things to stay in peoples minds. You could argue it's just a bit of meaningless fun but I think we're seeing one of the downsides to their new strategy of getting closer (in the way of) users.

We've seen it with the Custom Image stuff that Pentax really wants to curate looks and the whole experience. I guess following Fuji's lead on looks. It's been pretty harmless so far but this move suggests they are toying with more advanced lock in strategies and faking consumer value through crippling. The sillynes of season based themes combined with the lock in suggests they don't have the highest regard of their users. It's for users who see the camera as a black box silly toy and are incapable of crafting their own looks from a raw file.

Perhaps the lighthearted sillyness of season based looks helps them avoid the ususal cripple/lock in anger but they are playing with fire doing this kind of stuff.

As you describe it, it made me think of the Japanese market. We non-Japanese keep on toying with all those outdated SMC Takumars and other old manual lenses instead of buying new toys as the Japenese like to do. In a short while they shall release the K-1 Mark III which will only work if it is in the vicinity of Japan and has the latest of DFA lenses attached.

[gatorguy]

I don't think there is any "playing with fire" here. The firmware is free for those who own these cameras and the user has a choice whether or not to enable it based on their shooting preferences and whether they own the lens in question. I'm not a jpeg shooter and I don't own the DFA 21 limited (although I hope to own it one day).

There was actually a generally good response to the Satobi jpeg setting. This will affect a smaller audience than that, but I don't see it as disrespecting the folks who use their cameras.

I agree, what does it matter if everyone benefits from some particular piece of the update? Playing with fire?? Heck, I'm happy that Pentax appears to be giving the K3III a lot of attention, thinking beyond the typical three or four updates with unspecified fixes.

I don't plan to update, at least immediately, as I don't use those lenses anyway, and no current plans to. Now if the other K3III owners report some other camera improvements lumped in I'll jump in myself. Otherwise, I'm happy to wait for the next firmware version which will incorporate this anyway.

[UncleVanya]

The things people find offensive with are bewildering to me.

[jslifoaw]

This is likely/hopefully an attempt at a "quick win" that likely didn't require too many resources and maintains continuity with the more engaged Pentax customers. It's not uncommon for companies to do this in between product development cycles.

Likely nobody with an excluded lens is going to behave much differently than they would have without this promotion (since there's a greater likelihood they were either bought used and/or a long time ago), current owners of supported equipment might feel uniquely valued by the exclusivity (however superficial), and if Ricoh is lucky, maybe a few really curious people might buy a supported body and/or lens!

[biz-engineer]

Looks like Ricoh finally, maybe, discovered of how the same camera hardware can be improved via firmware updates. And perhaps, designing solid hardware followed by firmware extension is more adapted to the current and future camera market. I just wished the new "features" weren't only about an additional color profile. Ricoh could have, among other things, extended electronic shutter to exposure bracketing, hdr and composite drive modes for the K1 and K1 II.

[Rondec]

I agree, what does it matter if everyone benefits from some particular piece of the update? Playing with fire?? Heck, I'm happy that Pentax appears to be giving the K3III a lot of attention, thinking beyond the typical three or four updates with unspecified fixes.

I don't plan to update, at least immediately, as I don't use those lenses anyway, and no current plans to. Now if the other K3III owners report some other camera improvements lumped in I'll jump in myself. Otherwise, I'm happy to wait for the next firmware version which will incorporate this anyway.

It's a way of saying to Pentaxians, "We are still paying attention to the K mount" without actually releasing a new lens or camera. Maybe they are gently trying to nudge folks to buy a limited lens or two. There isn't anything more to see here.

It is actually unusual for a camera company to release new firmware for a six year old camera that does more than simply support a newer lens, but the K-1 is six years old.

[c.a.m]

I think that this feature is delightfully quirky. It also focuses on the experience and outcome of picture-taking.

For those who tend to shoot JPEG or use images straight-out-of-camera, the KATEN profile offers yet another Custom Image mode and finishing touch. It's interesting that the season-specific modes are tied to specific lenses; I wonder if the developer(s) tried a lot of lenses and selected the ones that worked best for each of the new Custom Images.

I tend to shoot in RAW mode, and use a variety of adjustments and presets in my post-processing apps to achieve my vision for each image. I also use polarizing filters when I desire a 'deeper' sky or water. However, I'm not sure that I could replicate the KATEN profile.

The firmware release spotlights various Limited lenses in K-mount, which is not a bad thing. Who knows, some Pentax users might be tempted to acquire a new lens, having been reminded of their unique qualities.

- Craig

[biz-engineer]

This is likely/hopefully an attempt at a "quick win" that likely didn't require too many resources and maintains continuity with the more engaged Pentax customers. It's not uncommon for companies to do this in between product development cycles.

There are 4 seasons each year, one color profile added each season, that's one year gap filling. Anything to make talk about Pentax is better than complete silence for one year, if there is no new Pentax product ready to be released.

---------- Post added 23-06-22 at 17:36 ----------

I think that this feature is delightfully quirky.

I have the feeling that Ricoh decided to play a version of Leica marketing. With emphasis on the Japanese origin of Pentax, instead of German. Having videos in Japanese only, doing special ferocious J limited models only for the Japanese market, and now some quirky color profile add-ons. The subliminal message is Pentax = unique, differentiated Japanese cameras ethos. We're different.

[DeadJohn]

I'm almost always using DNG so this doesn't impact me but it looks like Ricoh did this feature in an overly complex way. Some modes only work with some lenses and no lens can access all 4 modes. It's impossible to compare all 4 modes using 1 lens.

Let's use the example of Pentax' best customer, someone who owns every lens. That person packs their 21mm and 77mm lenses for a day of shooting and wants to use a new style, but wants to use one style with both lenses so their photos that day have a consistent look. It's impossible because those lenses don't have any "season style" in common. (The photographer needed to bring their 70mm instead of the 77mm because then the 21+70 can share the Autumn style.)

It's confusing and needlessly restrictive. If Pentax wants to only support some lenses to encourage sales, fine, but let every supported lens work with all 4 modes. If someone really likes the Summer look and want to use it for everything, Ricoh is restricting that photographer to only 2 lenses. I don't see how this will increase lens sales.

[house]

That person packs their 21mm and 77mm lenses for a day of shooting and wants to use a new style, but wants to use one style with both lenses so their photos that day have a consistent look. It's impossible because those lenses don't have any "season style" in common. (The photographer needed to bring their 70mm instead of the 77mm because then the 21+70 can share the Autumn style.)

It's a mistake. Pentax has had a reputation of being "photographers" gear. Few niggles or intentional limitations, across the range of products, that get in the way of using and enjoying photography.

This obviously goes against this ethos. It only makes sense from a marketing perspektive, for users it makes no sense what so ever. It's like Pentax have confused themselves with a content provider of some sort.

[NatureHike]

I like the idea of this. Once every season, grab your camera and lens, set the camera to "summer sky" or whatever, go for a walk and just have fun trying to make it work well. Would be fun in a group or online community. I don't actually own any of the cameras or lenses supported though.

[biz-engineer]

Looking forward to AKI , FUYU and HARU style. SHIBUI style and HINODE style might be cool as well.

[gatorguy]

Well, after saying I would wait to update I decided to at least look. The K3III one is 5 times the file size of the firmware update for the K1. Obviously, there's "other stuff" included, perhaps significant and perhaps not.

So I'll update the K3III now rather than later.