[ogl]

15 days

PENTAX ESPAA

[Caat]

My friend got the specs. He said that it's revolution for PENTAX. For
digital time. The competitors has some similiar features too, but K-7 is
ALL-IN-ONE, and has a lot of NEW, and it's the first Pentax real semi-pro camera for the last 10 year.

5fps, 1/8000, 1/250 would be a revolution for Pentax. I am not holding my breath

I hope the "lot of NEW" are not things like the 21fps mode on the K20D (i.e. nice but not amazing). I hope they are substantial photographic elements.

The long delay between leaks and announcement lead to posts like this that build expectations. Its like when Benjikan claimed the K20D's shutter was virtually silent and was as good as the 5D for image quality. Or that he saw someone using the camera without having to move his head away from the viewfinder etc etc etc etc ad nauseum.

I hope all this hope is justified.

[Caat]

I’m loosing interest here, nothing new and it’s still two and half weeks left. This isn’t working.

No news isn’t good news. I’ve had enough of speculation and groundless guesstimation now. Some hard facts are required or this campaign will die pretty soon. Personally I’m beginning to doubt if this is the camera I’m waiting for… Getting all negative now.

I largely agree.

[Kenn100D]

Pentax K-7 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia *deketed* =(

[falconeye]

Damn, falconeye -- you always get me with your "science."

But, I will say this -- the Tokina 11-17 f/2.8 is a gorgeous wide-angle lens, and I don't think many shooters would need to go much wider than that on APS-C.

Compare its weight and price tag to full-frame lenses of the same perspective, field-of-view and depth-of-field, and I think APS-C still wins out.

I agree. My Sigma 12-24 on film is actually hard to compose with (would be 8mm on APS-C)

The Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 is gorgeous, indeed.
The parallel on FF (DoF, FoV) would be 17-25 f/4.

Well, the Canon 17-40 f/4L and Tokina are about equally priced but probably, a 17-25 f/4 made by Tokina would be cheaper (already because 25 f/4 is less glass than 40 f/4).

So, I would say that 12mm is about the point where FF starts to be cheaper than APS-C. And some day, the sensor cost will have become marginal...

[vinzer]

My friend got the specs. He said that it's revolution for PENTAX. For
digital time. The competitors has some similiar features too, but K-7 is
ALL-IN-ONE, and has a lot of NEW, and it's the first Pentax real semi-pro camera for the last 10 year.

Well, considering it's a revolution for *Pentax*, I'm with Caat below.

5fps, 1/8000, 1/250 would be a revolution for Pentax. I am not holding my breath

I hope the "lot of NEW" are not things like the 21fps mode on the K20D (i.e. nice but not amazing). I hope they are substantial photographic elements.

The long delay between leaks and announcement lead to posts like this that build expectations. Its like when Benjikan claimed the K20D's shutter was virtually silent and was as good as the 5D for image quality. Or that he saw someone using the camera without having to move his head away from the viewfinder etc etc etc etc ad nauseum.

I hope all this hope is justified.

I'm also taming down my expectations like you. I would hope the specs would be near-class-competitive if ever, if not class-leading, though I never expect Pentax to be class-leading. The other aspects of Pentax like weathersealing and in-body stabilization will make up for the shortcomings in head-to-head comparisons in specifications, at least personally.

SAFOX IX (with real improvements) would be a welcome sight, even if it's not the 51-point mega-AF module the Nikon has.

And some day, the sensor cost will have become marginal...

I totally agree. FF will eventually come down in cost (dunno how long until that happens, though, but still) and I'd be interested to see how players with no FF offerings react, unless m4/3 and digital MF are already their answers to FF.

[Art Vandelay II]

The Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 is gorgeous, indeed.
The parallel on FF (DoF, FoV) would be 17-25 f/4.

If you can find one. I ordered one the other day from Adorama for Nikon and they tell me it's on back order indefinitely. If I get it in my hands by mid June I'll be surprised.

[ytterbium]

Do you think that WS kit lens will be available separately soon after the camera?
I guess optically it will be based on 18-55 II.
How much more over current kit lens it could cost..
...makes me think of a nice and hopefully affordable (compared to * optics) addition to k200d for those rainy days.

[Steelski]

All we need now are samples....
First I think they will come at Iso 100-400.
Then slowly we will see 800-3200
Then We will see 6400 and Iso 50 if some specs are to be taken seriously.
Of course the first batch will be underexposed. and under Firmware 0.4a
Then finally the goods will be spilt on the 17th with a real good sample at Iso 5000......
We will all be giddy

Oh and I think I predict* that on the 07th of May...... we will get something great!!!. Something NEW!


*warning, all predictions liable to change and all based on the fact the camera has a 7 in its name.... Anyone else?

[Caat]

I'm also taming down my expectations like you. I would hope the specs would be near-class-competitive if ever, if not class-leading, though I never expect Pentax to be class-leading. The other aspects of Pentax like weathersealing and in-body stabilization will make up for the shortcomings in head-to-head comparisons in specifications, at least personally.

SAFOX IX (with real improvements) would be a welcome sight, even if it's not the 51-point mega-AF module the Nikon has.

Very true.

Pentax need to provide the basic core specifications of other cameras in its price range to be competitive.

Its seems likely the K-7 will be competing with the 50D/D300 style pricing if not directly against them in terms of purpose.

We shall see. I think Pentax need a new higher-performance AF module in the K-7 because if perceptions can be changed in the new model these may filter back, retrospectively, to the other models. If you expect slow AF you'll find it whether its there or not. If Pentax can't start to address its reputation in this area it will make all their models appear better.

[jay]

Oh and I think I predict* that on the 07th of May...... we will get something great!!!. Something NEW!

*warning, all predictions liable to change and all based on the fact the camera has a 7 in its name.... Anyone else?

Too bad they didn't release it 07/07/07 -- we would have had it years ago!

[zorobabel]

I've never dropped the batteries on my k100d, but the mode dial has turned accidentally for more times than I can remember, especially on the k10d.

Sounds quite reasonable... only i've never accidentally turned that dial on my k100d (it seems stiff enough to me).
As for accidental stuff.. dont you ever accidentaly eject batteries? With my k100d it happened numerous times, when just touching camera bottom during handling (or when small finger goes under camera).. several times i almost lost my batteries (after that i removed the spring that pushes the lid open).

[Gimbal]

Weird. Why?

You're as bad as the crazies that think fossils were planted in the ground by the divine to test our faith.

It seems like you aren't trying to refute the fact that composite materials are stronger than most metal alloys. Yet, you still want a metal body? When composites are clearly a better choice, economically, environmentally, and structurally?

I'm sorry for being insanely rude, but really -- did I miss something?

As I already said, a metal house is strong enough, it’s all about the design. And again the K10/20 aren’t invulnerable even though they are made of some sort of plastic.
So, the strength point is not valid.

Metal is heavier, and I don’t mind it. On the contrary I don’t like those cheaper Canons that feels like empty shells.

Metal is colder in the winter, yes, that is a drawback.

Finely machined metal has a superior feel to it, period. Composite material never even comes close to that.

And that’s why I want metal, and the fossils found on earth are obviously dumped there by evil Martians.

[fejker]

If you're after "the feel" why not make it wooden ... metal feels so cold.

As far as I know the K10D/K20D has a metal inner shell wrapped in a plastic composite outer shell and I think that is the case with the K100D/K200D also. I'm not sure about the K-m.

[er1kksen]

They have a metal "chassis" of sorts but no metal shell a la Nikon D300 or Olympus E-3. The structural shell is PVC or plastic or whatever.