[JPT]

This is a strange one. The latest firmware introduces a specific custom image to be used only with specific lenses.

New function-expansion firmware for PENTAX K-1, K-1 Mark II and K-3 Mark III cameras?RICOH IMAGING

The first one is summer themed and can be used with the K-3 III plus HD 14mm ltd or the the K-1 or K-1 II with the new 21mm ltd.

Interestingly, they are going to continue to release these on a quarterly basis, targeting different lenses search time. I guess the idea it’s encourage purchases of the targeted lenses.

[The Squirrel Mafia]

Interesting. Must be the HD DA Limited lenses for the K-3III for the image tone to work. Yeap. They definitely want us to start buying more lenses. Hahaha!

It does make me wonder if they'll release those image tones on future DCU5 software

[detour]

I found your thread about the update not long after I posted mine. Never mind, let me enrich some info.

Some Samples of the New KATEN mode https://pentaxofficial.com/camerakatateni/14263/?utm_source=rim_top_newcnt&u...campaign=14263

The whole season-specific custom image mode plan goes like this:

[wadge22]

Interesting. Must be the HD DA Limited lenses for the K-3III for the image tone to work.

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.

[StigVidar]

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.

You cannot. The old DA15/4 Limited can not use KATEN

[kypfer]

I'll take the "Improved stability for general performance" and hope it addresses the intermittent a/f lockup issue.

[house]

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.

[biz-engineer]

Can't get the new jpeg style(s) without buying a new lens? Buy the lens, still can't use the Jpeg color profile with your other lenses? What a strange marketing idea.
How about having the camera locked-up via a firmware count-down timer if after 90 days if customer doesn't buy a DFA21?

[slartibartfast01]

Can't get the new jpeg style(s) without buying a new lens? Buy the lens, still can't use the Jpeg color profile with your other lenses? What a strange marketing idea.
How about having the camera locked-up via a firmware count-down timer if after 90 days if customer doesn't buy a DFA21?

Can't you just manually adjust the jpeg settings to achieve the same result or isn't it that simple

[Rondec]

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.

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.

[house]

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.

It's locking it to a lens that could be seen as provocative. There's no technical reason for this only fake "curating" of user experience and an opportunity to over sell the specificity of lenses and coatings. Others such as Fuji have reasonable arguments that some of their styles can't be used on older processors/systems. Arbitrary limitations are usually not great PR. If you're big enough you get away with it (see canon) but here Pentax are trying to sell the limitation as value. That's where the disrespect comes in. They expect users to be happy about being thrown crumbs that are arbitrarily limited.

I upgraded and tried my hd15ltd the style appers to be a high contrast style that makes the sky more purple. Haven't made a lot of tests yet.

[biz-engineer]

Can't you just manually adjust the jpeg settings to achieve the same result or isn't it that simple

I didn't have the KATEN profile. Not sure if the baseline is the same for all Jpeg style. I once tried to adjust the "Natural" profile with the settings of other JPEG profiles but the resulting rendered Jpegs didn't match.

---------- Post added 23-06-22 at 12:24 ----------

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.

I like to have the Satobi profile, it a nice addition, I used it and I liked it. Now, I have a DFA 15-30 and I didn't buy the DFA21 even if I'd like to have it paired with my DFA28-105. But at 1500 Euro , with the current economic situation outlook, I decided not to buy that new lens and it's not KATEN that will change my decision.

Processing raw files out of camera , most of the time, and recently doing Astro captures, I realized that the approach to have sophisticated in camera processing has limitations, and is probably, traditionally more appreciated in the Japanese market. On the other hand, I guess that a lot of photographers world wide now rely on post processing their raw files on personal computer / big display. I this respect, we now see other camera brands not even including raw conversion support in camera, that's another approach. That's another topic.

[house]

I didn't have the KATEN profile. Not sure if the baseline is the same for all Jpeg style. I once tried to adjust the "Natural" profile with the settings of other JPEG profiles but the resulting rendered Jpegs didn't match.

---------- Post added 23-06-22 at 12:24 ----------


I like to have the Satobi profile, it a nice added option, I used it and I liked it. Now, I have a DFA 15-30 and I didn't buy the DFA21 even if I'd like to have it paired with my DFA28-105. But at 1500 Euro , with the current economic situation outlook, I decided not to buy that new lens and it's not KATEN that will change my decision.

I'm sure the gui doesn't expose all the knobs that control the Custom Image styles. The settings also have limited range. In other words you can't get the results of all styles from the Natural Style. Would be super cool if Pentax enabled users to craft their own styles with all knobs revealed and upload them to the camera. There must be a software somewhere that reveals the full range of controls.

[biz-engineer]

I'm sure the gui doesn't expose all the knobs that control the Custom Image styles. The settings also have limited range.

Exactly. When I tried to emulate Pentax JPEG style in RT, using HSV color correction curves, I found that I needed a combination of global adjustment and then some fine tuning one color at a time. When all the sliders at at 0, each Pentax JPEG style starts from a different HSV baseline applied to all colors.

[house]

Another aspect of this type of marketing is that Pentax may have hopes for another social media hashtag. #KATEN to up the volume and specificity of Pentax social media.

Does fuji do that with their looks?