[Fogel70]

What if there was a new, bigger battery? Would that require a larger capacity charger?

I really don't know that much about these things but I would think a new K-1 or 645Z would have a feature set that may require more power and therefore require a more powerful charger.

To answer the OP. I don't think a replacement for the K-1 would be ready yet.
Apparently the Z645 has been developed and is ready to go, there was talk of a video centric APS-C camera being developed too and I don't think the GR will be replaced soon as it is selling well.
For my guess if I had to choose out of the four then it is either the 645Z or K70 with higher video features and possibly a new 50-135 PLM to go with it!. But would it need a new charger?

The new 645z would definitely have a bigger battery or two and would require a larger capacity charger.


Oh OokU she really has stirred things up...

Technically a battery with higher capacity do not necessarily need a new charger, but the new battery would need to be mechanically and electrically compatible with the charger. So it limits how the battery can be modified.

With a higher capacity the battery would take longer to charge. I believe it would also be possible to make a D-LI90 with higher capacity without changing the size of the battery (increase maybe 20-25%). But the Pentax D-LI90 is already quite high in capacity. It has almost twice the capacity than the Sony NP-FW50 I have for my mirrorless cameras. Pentax D-LI90 has about the same capacity as batteries on other brand of high end ILC. They are usually around 15Wh, and D-LI90 is 14Wh.

So it may be a better power management Pentax cameras need.

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Last edited by Fogel70; 09-13-2022 at 05:46 AM.

[Serkevan]

Technically a battery with higher capacity capacity do not necessarily need a new charger, but the new battery would need to be mechanically and electrically compatible with the charger. So it limits how the battery can be modified.

With a higher capacity the battery would take longer to charge. I believe it would also be possible to make a D-LI90 with higher capacity without changing the size of the battery (increase maybe 20-25%). But the Pentax D-LI90 is already quite high in capacity. It has almost twice the capacity than the Sony NP-FW50 I have for my mirrorless cameras. Pentax D-LI90 has about the same capacity as batteries on other brand of high end ILC. They are usually around 15Wh, and D-LI90 is 14Wh.

So it may be a better power management Pentax cameras need.

Nowadays slightly larger charging current should be possible without much drawback; there's no need to go to the ridiculous 65 W charging my phone has. Even then, if we just keep the current "fast charger speed", to have 2 hours charge time instead of 1.5h or so*, I'd be happy to take the extra half hour if that gives us 25% more juice on the field. I know that Pentax cameras will always drain more power than comparable DSLRs from other brands, due to the extra current draw from the IBIS, and I'm okay with that, I don't mind lower battery life - but not to the extent where I run two batteries** dry in the time my mate's Nikons and Canons aren't even done with the first. Any improvement there would be beneficial.

For example, the current Nikon EN-EL15C and Sony NP-FZ100 batteries (in use in their FF mirrorless cameras) are a bit higher nowadays, at 16 and 16.4 Wh, calculated (against the 13.4 of the Pentax, calculated the same way - not sure why they write 14 Wh). I agree that the enclosure of the D-Li90 wouldn't really let them improve capacity, but a 20% improvement would be welcome.


A 645Z with IBIS would probably need a higher voltage - the Canon 1D series runs 11V instead of the typical 7 as well - so I suppose if we see a new high-end battery it will be there or with the proverbial K-1iii (though the K-1iii technically wouldn't need it, it would be very appreciated )

*Well, compared to the evening my current charger takes, everything is fast
**Both Pentax-branded.

[NickLapin]

I’m sure it will be a new battery and charger for the KP!-D

[Zygonyx]

The "KP-next", that will in fact be "between" it and the K-70, which name will be the one of a Mozart recitative...

[BROO]

’m sure it will be a new battery and charger for the KP!-D

It may well be. At least for that battery.

A replacement for the K70 could be an interesting machine. Finally the flippy screen fans can rejoice?

I would hope Ricoh take full advantage of the capabilities of the 26mp sensor and produce an uncropped 4K video to go with the 16-50mm f2.8 PLM and hopefully in the not-too-distant future a 50-135mm F2.8 PLM.

I would be interested to see whether they keep the high RI pentaprism too?

Hopefully we will find out in the not too distant future?

[ffking]

I would be interested to see whether they keep the high RI pentaprism too?

not for a K-70 replacement - too expensive

[JPT]

not for a K-70 replacement - too expensive

I have a feeling the cheaper APS-C I’d going to get the new prism anyway. It’s an in-house part, made in Vietnam and shipped over to the Philippines. Even if it was more difficult to develop, it might still be simpler to standardize on one part for both APS-C cameras. Much easier for managing stock of a difficult part.

When you think about the last time round, the K-3 got a new prism, and after that the K-S1 and all subsequent cameras got that prism. I expect that to happen again.

I mentioned it in another thread, but I expect the (hypothetical) K-90 to be to the K-3 III like the K-30 was to the K-5. In other words, a lot of shared components, and differentiated by build quality, top LCD, battery grip, single card slots, slower burst speed, and so on. It may have some consumer-oriented features like flash and flip screen added. I doubt it will have better specs for video than the K-3 III already has because it will share the same processor and engine.

I don’t have any inside knowledge at all, but that is what I expect Pentax to do. After all, the K-30 was one of the best selling digital low-end DSLRs Pentax has made (along with the Kx).

[reh321]

It may well be. At least for that battery.

A replacement for the K70 could be an interesting machine. Finally the flippy screen fans can rejoice?

I would hope Ricoh take full advantage of the capabilities of the 26mp sensor and produce an uncropped 4K video to go with the 16-50mm f2.8 PLM and hopefully in the not-too-distant future a 50-135mm F2.8 PLM.

I would be interested to see whether they keep the high RI pentaprism too?

Hopefully we will find out in the not too distant future?

Before the K-3iii was released, the even the original KP was too “low” for many fans.
It did have a “flippy” mirror,
but most fans wanted
#1 more battery power
#2 faster bursts
#3 longer bursts
etc

A new battery might fix #1, but bursts and the other issues would still be there.
I’m afraid that the KPii is just a hope, about as likely as my hope for a new “Q”.

I guess I should stop looking for anything this week, or any week.
It might be better for us to continue hoping without end for those things that will never happen.

[reh321]

I have a feeling the cheaper APS-C I’d going to get the new prism anyway. It’s an in-house part, made in Vietnam and shipped over to the Philippines. Even if it was more difficult to develop, it might still be simpler to standardize on one part for both APS-C cameras. Much easier for managing stock of a difficult part.

When you think about the last time round, the K-3 got a new prism, and after that the K-S1 and all subsequent cameras got that prism. I expect that to happen again.

I mentioned it in another thread, but I expect the (hypothetical) K-90 to be to the K-3 III like the K-30 was to the K-5. In other words, a lot of shared components, and differentiated by build quality, top LCD, battery grip, single card slots, slower burst speed, and so on. It may have some consumer-oriented features like flash and flip screen added. I doubt it will have better specs for video than the K-3 III already has because it will share the same processor and engine.

I don’t have any inside knowledge at all, but that is what I expect Pentax to do. After all, the K-30 was one of the best selling digital low-end DSLRs Pentax has made (along with the Kx).

I agree with your hypothetical K-90 - except that I’m not sure the low-tier body would be sufficiently strong to support the new prism.
Personally, I would like the new focusing - because the KP doesn’t handle motion well - but that may be too much to hope for also.

[Fogel70]

Nowadays slightly larger charging current should be possible without much drawback; there's no need to go to the ridiculous 65 W charging my phone has. Even then, if we just keep the current "fast charger speed", to have 2 hours charge time instead of 1.5h or so*, I'd be happy to take the extra half hour if that gives us 25% more juice on the field. I know that Pentax cameras will always drain more power than comparable DSLRs from other brands, due to the extra current draw from the IBIS, and I'm okay with that, I don't mind lower battery life - but not to the extent where I run two batteries** dry in the time my mate's Nikons and Canons aren't even done with the first. Any improvement there would be beneficial.

For example, the current Nikon EN-EL15C and Sony NP-FZ100 batteries (in use in their FF mirrorless cameras) are a bit higher nowadays, at 16 and 16.4 Wh, calculated (against the 13.4 of the Pentax, calculated the same way - not sure why they write 14 Wh). I agree that the enclosure of the D-Li90 wouldn't really let them improve capacity, but a 20% improvement would be welcome.


A 645Z with IBIS would probably need a higher voltage - the Canon 1D series runs 11V instead of the typical 7 as well - so I suppose if we see a new high-end battery it will be there or with the proverbial K-1iii (though the K-1iii technically wouldn't need it, it would be very appreciated )

*Well, compared to the evening my current charger takes, everything is fast
**Both Pentax-branded.

Nowadays I think the benchmark on battery life is mirrorless and here Pentax has an advantage already, but I think they should have a larger advantage over mirrorless.
Fi Fuji XH2 has a rated battery life of 680 images and Fuji XH2S has 580 (CIPA) compared to Pentax K3 III with 800. Although Pentax rating has improved over the years. K3 II had a rating of 700 and K3 had a rating of 560.

But it is only theoretical values so actual battery life will probably differ on all these cameras. On a mirrorless it is usually live view that consume most power, and on DSLR it is the capture of images that consumes most power.
So in normal use a DSLR will have much longer battery life than mirrorless if you do not capture images constantly.

Looking at mirrorless medium format with IBIS. Fuji GFX 50S II has rated battery life of 440 images and GFX 100S has 460.
Hasselblad X2D 100c has rated battery life of 420. So they are all similar.

Pentax 645z has rated battery life of 650, similar as K1 II at 670.

[ffking]

I have a feeling the cheaper APS-C I’d going to get the new prism anyway. It’s an in-house part, made in Vietnam and shipped over to the Philippines. Even if it was more difficult to develop, it might still be simpler to standardize on one part for both APS-C cameras. Much easier for managing stock of a difficult part.

When you think about the last time round, the K-3 got a new prism, and after that the K-S1 and all subsequent cameras got that prism. I expect that to happen again.

I mentioned it in another thread, but I expect the (hypothetical) K-90 to be to the K-3 III like the K-30 was to the K-5. In other words, a lot of shared components, and differentiated by build quality, top LCD, battery grip, single card slots, slower burst speed, and so on. It may have some consumer-oriented features like flash and flip screen added. I doubt it will have better specs for video than the K-3 III already has because it will share the same processor and engine.

I don’t have any inside knowledge at all, but that is what I expect Pentax to do. After all, the K-30 was one of the best selling digital low-end DSLRs Pentax has made (along with the Kx).

You might have a point - you usually do! - I was basing this on a memory that they probably weren't going to use the new glass in a K-1iii for development and material cost reasons, so the prism would have to be literally identical to the K-3iii and would still cost more than a conventional prism - but maybe not enoiugh more to rule it out.

[Rondec]

Nowadays I think the benchmark on battery life is mirrorless and here Pentax has an advantage already, but I think they should have a larger advantage over mirrorless.
Fi Fuji XH2 has a rated battery life of 680 images and Fuji XH2S has 580 (CIPA) compared to Pentax K3 III with 800. Although Pentax rating has improved over the years. K3 II had a rating of 700 and K3 had a rating of 560.

But it is only theoretical values so actual battery life will probably differ on all these cameras. On a mirrorless it is usually live view that consume most power, and on DSLR it is the capture of images that consumes most power.
So in normal use a DSLR will have much longer battery life than mirrorless if you do not capture images constantly.

Looking at mirrorless medium format with IBIS. Fuji GFX 50S II has rated battery life of 440 images and GFX 100S has 460.
Hasselblad X2D 100c has rated battery life of 420. So they are all similar.

Pentax 645z has rated battery life of 650, similar as K1 II at 670.

The easiest way to improve your battery life from CIPA's standpoint is to leave off the pop up flash. This was done for both the K-3 III and the K-1 cameras. I will say that in practice, I get much better results than CIPA indicates. CIPA says that they use factory settings, focus the lens between every photo, use flash (if available) for every other photo taken, and then take a photo every thirty seconds for ten photos, turn the camera off and start the series again.

With mirrorless, you can't really look through your viewfinder without using battery, so depending on your style of camera usage, you could easily have less than CIPA's estimated shot per battery.

On the subject of the thread, if Pentax comes out with a K-70 sequel, I would expect it to be somewhere between a K-70 and a KP. They would figure out what they could put in it and still have it priced somewhere 800 to 900 dollars.

[Serkevan]

With mirrorless, you can't really look through your viewfinder without using battery, so depending on your style of camera usage, you could easily have less than CIPA's estimated shot per battery.

I've found that for a DSLR the most critical factor is how often you chimp, and by extension doing in-camera editing and the use of Image Sync. GPS also drains the battery quite quickly. I've both managed more than the CIPA rating by a decent margin, and to send a battery from full to zero in 300 photos.

[slartibartfast01]

I have a feeling the cheaper APS-C I’d going to get the new prism anyway. It’s an in-house part, made in Vietnam and shipped over to the Philippines. Even if it was more difficult to develop, it might still be simpler to standardize on one part for both APS-C cameras. Much easier for managing stock of a difficult part.



When you think about the last time round, the K-3 got a new prism, and after that the K-S1 and all subsequent cameras got that prism. I expect that to happen again.



I mentioned it in another thread, but I expect the (hypothetical) K-90 to be to the K-3 III like the K-30 was to the K-5. In other words, a lot of shared components, and differentiated by build quality, top LCD, battery grip, single card slots, slower burst speed, and so on. It may have some consumer-oriented features like flash and flip screen added. I doubt it will have better specs for video than the K-3 III already has because it will share the same processor and engine.



I don’t have any inside knowledge at all, but that is what I expect Pentax to do. After all, the K-30 was one of the best selling digital low-end DSLRs Pentax has made (along with the Kx).

I tend to agree that it makes sense to standardise parts but they still persevere with the potentially troublesome solenoid operated aperture control on cheaper bodies.

[Fogel70]

On the subject of the thread, if Pentax comes out with a K-70 sequel, I would expect it to be somewhere between a K-70 and a KP. They would figure out what they could put in it and still have it priced somewhere 800 to 900 dollars.

I hope for that. That the K70 replacement is a mix of K70 and KP (or a mix between K70 and K3 III).
I also hope they stop using different button arrangement on lower end and higher end cameras.

It can be frustrating using Fi KP and K3 II that I do.
As the KP use lower end function arrangement on the directional buttons on the rear and the K3 II use the different higher end arrangement.
FI WB is on the down button on KP and on the left button on K3 II. And the flash button is on the left button on KP and on the down button on K3 II.
The drive mode button is on the right button on KP and on the top button on K3 II.

And also put the green button on the back on the K70 replacement.

It would be nice if they could unify the button arrangement on all cameras as much as they can.