[joerg]

I am going to catch some flak for this but, honestly I think the camera should be compared with at the very least the D700 and 5D, the camera offers all the same pro level features in a smaller size (I am not necessarily on board with the entire concept, but that is its market position). The build quality is D3, 1D quality. The speed is between the 5D and D700. The image quality is yet to be seen but as long as it does not go down hill it should be a step above the rest in everything but high iso performance (which im scared might be the cameras only real vice), weather sealing alone elevates it up quite a bit, the 100% vf screams i am professional grade, and quite frankly I still maintain that because it is the companies top of the line body it should be compared with top of the line bodies in other systems. I know that it is no D3 or 1D when it comes to speed, but in other aspects it is the APS-C equivalent.

[Philippos]

One very, very, very, very...*four hundred thousand "verys" later*...important feature that's got me hooked:

That's genius. No, it really is. I know a lot of people find a high-capacity dedicated battery more than adequate, it's true, but I also know that shopkeepers all over the world aren't gonna let you borrow a powerpoint to charge it if it runs dry. No, they're gonna sell you the thankfully ubiquitous AA batteries. Many a time shooting a gig has the also-ubiquitous 7-11 saved my butt, because they have spare batteries for my camera (after some damn lead guitarist has nicked my backup Vartas to power his radio transmitter for his guitar.) ...[/i].

Totally Agree.
The best of both worlds.
I have three ultra fast AA chargers that charge a set 2200MAh batteries in 15 minutes each. That means I can have two grips and change them instead of changing the battery. Never ending shooting - now I need to buy me an extra dozen 8GB SDHC cards...

[RiceHigh]

We'll just have to see how it really performs then, especially the IQ, noise, AF, and the exposure.

Exposure tendency is UNDER so far I have seen from those four samples posted officially at the Japanese site, no matter CWA or 77 Matrix were used.

A warning signal?

If they really cannot get rid of the exposure issues, I shall cancel my pre-order! :-(

[ftpaddict]

This was the camera Pentax should have introduced last year. I shudder to think what Nikon will do with the D400.

[nosnoop]

I shudder to think what Nikon will do with the D400.

Exactly, Nikon is probably going to make D400 a "Super Dreadnought" - and that makes the "Pocket Battleship" K-7 even more appealing!

Shudder indeed.

[RMabo]

there's the video + the rugged build. The only thing the d300 really has in terms of a huge advantage is that it's full frame and has 51 point AF... the K7 is weather sealed after all

No, the D300 is APS-C just like the K-7.
K-7 is like a D300 with video in a more compact package, and at a lower price.
Plus with some Pentax special things just for the fun of it.

[Steelski]

Lieca M8.2

My thoughts are that it will apeal to D300 and D90 users. 40/50D users, A700 and A350/380 Users, E520/620 30 and 3 users.
Possibly some people will see it as a second travel system for their FF cameras.

[Bophoto]

Lieca M8.2

My thoughts are that it will apeal to D300 and D90 users. 40/50D users, A700 and A350/380 Users, E520/620 30 and 3 users.
Possibly some people will see it as a second travel system for their FF cameras.

Nikon/Sony people are looking for their D400 and A800.
Perhaps Nikon come with D400 in July as K7, i think they are in a hurry now.
Sony A800 are a ?, but can come a little later, september or so.

So, K7 are a higher grade of camera than K20, 100% viewfinder, 1/8000s shutter and so on to a "nice price".
Competitions are Nikon D400, Sony A800, Canon D50 and Olympus E3/30.

But we don´t now so mouth more now than for 24 hours ago,
1/8000s shutter ok, but is it 1/250 or 1/180s flashsynk? and so on...

[RiceHigh]

No, the D300 is APS-C just like the K-7.
K-7 is like a D300 with video in a more compact package, and at a lower price.
Plus with some Pentax special things just for the fun of it.

I hope the K-7 should be robust for its basic functions, i.e., the AE and the AF.

I know that you will say that these are of no problem, as for every Pentax DSLR ever made! ;-D

Of course, on paper and design, I would give the K-7 more than 90 marks out of 100. Otherwise, I won't have pre-ordered it so early, more than one week ago. However, its field performance needed to be verified!

[RiceHigh]

Nikon/Sony people are looking for their D400 and A800.
Perhaps Nikon come with D400 in July as K7, i think they are in a hurry now.
Sony A800 are a ?, but can come a little later, september or so.

So, K7 are a higher grade of camera than K20, 100% viewfinder, 1/8000s shutter and so on to a "nice price".
Competitions are Nikon D400, Sony A800, Canon D50 and Olympus E3/30.

But we don´t now so mouth more now than for 24 hours ago,
1/8000s shutter ok, but is it 1/250 or 1/180s flashsynk? and so on...

Sony and Olympus will be kicked axx by the K-7 and Pentax. The K-7 will boost sales of the K-m, too. My bet..

[opfor]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned, it looks like they are trying to have a serious go at the "Pap" market.
How many journalist and entertainment "professionals" will now take a look at a weather proof, small, well built alternative that has video?

[StephenG]

I think pentax have finally caught up with the others in the aps-c segment, and could just have their head slightly in front..

but that wont be for very long, as the others seem to be on a different release schedule to pentax, so pentax only lead for a short while..

and as Ricehigh correctly points out - so far the evidence of under exposure does not look good..

we really do need to see a lot more test shots to see what it can deliver properly.

[Rondec]

I think the release schedule has little to do with it. Most camera companies now have approximately 18 month release cycles. Every so often they break them to release something early (like video). The Nikon D90 was released in December, that means that line won't be updated till next spring/summer.

Camera companies kill themselves releasing too many cameras too close together. You have to sell enough units of each model to pay for costs, R&D etc. before you launch your next model.

I think the interesting thing is the effectiveness of the shake reduction in video mode. It has been commented that it is significantly better than lens stabilization. All in all, a pretty amazing package.

[Unlocker]

Exposure tendency is UNDER so far I have seen from those four samples posted officially at the Japanese site, no matter CWA or 77 Matrix were used.

A warning signal?

If they really cannot get rid of the exposure issues, I shall cancel my pre-order! :-(

Come on, how do you know that it wasn't the photographers choice to do that for artistic reasons? Wait until you try one for yourself!

[Samsungian]

& scroll down to see the white D3.

Nikon Rumors

Even Nikon D3 looks stupid in white huh?

K-7 is very cool and will be game changer for Pentax. I'd buy one if it had articulated viewscreen. So I wait... for bigger K30D with articulated screen. Its a race really, who will provide best hd dslr ergonomics? Thats who I'll finially commit to for HD featured Dslr.

In the meantime I'll enjoy K20D & my Pentax DS2 clones from Samsung.

Exactly, Nikon is probably going to make D400 a "Super Dreadnought" - and that makes the "Pocket Battleship" K-7 even more appealing!

Shudder indeed.