Pentax K-7 Now $999 at B&H

LeDave · 02-16-2010, 02:18 PM

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Originally posted by GoremanX

I'd love to see some examples of that. My own experience has been the complete opposite; blown highlights tend to be unrecoverable, while shadows retain tons more detail. This is typically at ISO 100 to 400. Granted, there's a balance needed to avoid noise, but I've had very little trouble minimizing noise in those situations.

GoremanX don't even bother with these type of people man; I realized there's a nice group of K-7 haters on here, most and if not, nearly all of them have never held the K-7 before. Don't waste your time.

Those who just complain about the K-7 because they follow rumors.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/864939-post116.html

Those who just complain about the K-7 because they just love to complain.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/911631-post199.html

**Rondec** · 02-16-2010, 02:27 PM

I don't think Gordon is a troll, although his technical explanations are often quite a bit over my head. I do think that there is a sense in which a lot of people pick at a camera they are never going to buy anyway. That's fine. Opinions vary on every subject (I just happen to be right).

The K7 is creaping closer to my price range and I hope to get it one of these days. I just know the kx would frustrate me in several ways and the high iso thing is just not that important to me. The lens rebate thing doesn't really do anything for me either. Don't really need a whole lot of lenses right now...

harmonica2 · 02-16-2010, 02:58 PM

With a coupon code, you can get the K7 from Abe's of Maine with free shipping for $984. Click the link below for details:

Pentax K-x 15MP DSLR Camera Body $984 - dealnews.com

Perhaps there should be a special section of this forum just for tracking prices? Each current Pentax camera and lens could have it's own thread. Then we could really geek out with discussions about Bing Cash Back, etc. for those who are interested.

gazonk · 02-16-2010, 03:50 PM

Originally posted by harmonica2

Pentax K-x 15MP DSLR Camera Body $984 - dealnews.com

That page has an interesting title :-)

Kirivon · 02-16-2010, 04:13 PM

Originally posted by robgo2

Over at the other Pentax forum, GordonBGood has stated that the K-7 actually has limited DR at low ISO, because of shadow noise. This makes it more difficult to open shadows aggressively without bringing forth a lot of noise. The K-x and the Nikon D300s seem to be better in this regard.

Shadow noise affects DR testing procedures that use a noise threshold (i.e. Imatest). DPreview tests off of in camera JPEGs, so the amount of noise reduction directly affects the tested DR. If you look at the "ACR best" DR results from a converted RAW image, you'll notice the K-7(10.5EV) is right with the D300S(10.1EV) and 7D(9.8EV).

You should lose about 1 stop of DR for every stop you raise the ISO above the sensor's native setting. So, the tests that show the DR practically even across the ISO range seem somewhat questionable. Notice also on the ISO noise testing at DPreview, the 7D and D300S both show their noise output triple from the JPG to RAW comparison, while the K-7 stays pretty much even. Don't get me wrong, the K-7 does, for whatever reason, produce more noise in the blacks than the other cameras. However, up to ISO1600, the amount of chroma noise is nearly identical to the 7D and D300S.

In any event, posting anecdotal information obtained from synthetic image benchmarks to refute real-world success is kind of weak.

GoremanX · 02-16-2010, 04:38 PM

Originally posted by Kirivon

In any event, posting anecdotal information obtained from synthetic image benchmarks to refute real-world success is kind of weak.

You mean like you just did?

Kirivon · 02-16-2010, 08:12 PM

Originally posted by GoremanX

You mean like you just did?

Ouch. =(

On the topic of the thread, though, I've been waiting forever for the K-7 to dip below the 1k mark. Even though I know Pentax won't announce anything significant at PMA, and that the March something launch of the 645D probably won't affect the K-7 price, I figure I'll wait a month anyway to see if it'll fall any further. The K20D started shipping in Feb 08, and dipped into the low 800s by October of that year. The K-7 shipped in July of last year, so maybe we'll see low 900s by the end of March?

cousinsane · 02-16-2010, 08:49 PM

You are probably thinking of someone else. GordonBGood seems to be pretty well respected and very knowledgeable about ISO/noise stuff.

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

GordonBGood is known as something of a troll anyway, isn't he? I seem to recall him harping nonstop on one of the DA* lenses, for no reason anyone could discern.

**grey goat** · 02-16-2010, 09:37 PM

Well, three weeks ago B&H had the K-7 at $1028, and the kit at $1122. That's when I bought the kit, thinking it was $6 less than the body itself. Got the DA 70 at the same time, too.

Last Wednesday I shot a small group of actors reading one of my wife's plays around our dining room table. Available light. ISO 1600, typical exposure with the DA 70 at 1/50 sec at F2.8. I was actually underexposing 2/3 of a stop because I forgot to change the EV adjustment after switching from my K17/4 FE. It was my first time working with DNGs, too, and it was a very fun learning experience.

I edited them as B&W. Noise? Sure, I saw it. I also thought about what film would look like. But with a little judicious noise reduction (all in Adobe's raw editor), and it became a non-issue. Would I make huge prints? Probably not: I've never been a huge print guy, my archival prints in the darkroom usually running 8.5 x 5.5 or so. (Maybe I'd feel differently if I knew lots of people with huge, unfilled walls.) But I wouldn't hesitate to print them much larger than I usually do.

But I was very impressed with the results: very happy with what the K-7 gave me to work with, and very pleased with how the editing went.

I can't say how much better or worse the K-7 is compared to the D300s, or vice-versa. But I'm very happy with the three K and M series lenses I've bought, and the DA 70 too. With glass like that, I'm not regretting moving away from Nikon--though that's a move away from the manual-focus Nikon world. (Which explains in part why I wasn't overly attraced by some of the Nikon's stronger attributes.)

I don't know how much lower the price will go, but I'm pretty happy with the deal I got. I'm glad I didn't keep waiting, glad that I'm shooting with it now.

There'll always be another, better camera. We all know that. I know some people would be happier with a D300s, or a D700, or whatever Canon has to offer. But for me, I'm glad I've got the K-7. Shooting in that light and getting great results just affirmed it for me.

JohnBee · 02-17-2010, 11:37 AM

Great price, could be a sign that Pentax is nearing an update too.
Personally the only reason I'd buy a K7 would be for the video. However we already have a Kx in our kit so it wouldn't make much sense.

I'm holding off for a K7 replacement with Kx noise performance, then well clear out our K20's.

aleonx3 · 02-17-2010, 03:01 PM

Originally posted by Kirivon

On the topic of the thread, though, I've been waiting forever for the K-7 to dip below the 1k mark. Even though I know Pentax won't announce anything significant at PMA, and that the March something launch of the 645D probably won't affect the K-7 price, I figure I'll wait a month anyway to see if it'll fall any further. The K20D started shipping in Feb 08, and dipped into the low 800s by October of that year. The K-7 shipped in July of last year, so maybe we'll see low 900s by the end of March?

Hopefully... I am also waiting for the K-7. I know others will wait for the K-7 replacement (there is always a better camera in the pipeline), but for me, I have already skipped K20D. So, the K-7 is my next target upgrade - hopefully sooner than later.

aragondina · 02-17-2010, 09:54 PM

Originally posted by aleonx3

Getting close to my striking price...

- waiting for similar price drop in Canada.

Why wait, just get it from the US. With the dollar at basically par, you can get the K7, battery grip and extra battery, and shipping for the same price as just the body in Canada.

You will never see prices in Canada anywhere near the US prices.

Blue · 02-17-2010, 10:17 PM

Originally posted by aragondina

Why wait, just get it from the US. With the dollar at basically par, you can get the K7, battery grip and extra battery, and shipping for the same price as just the body in Canada.

You will never see prices in Canada anywhere near the US prices.

Prodigital may surprise you . . .

Edit: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Pentax-K-7-Digital-SLR-Camera-Body-14MP-720p-Video_W...item48397506ad

johnmflores · 02-17-2010, 11:00 PM

Don't forget Bing. You'll get an extra 3% back from B&H and up to 8% from eBay.

must....not....add....to...cart....

aragondina · 02-18-2010, 06:44 AM

Originally posted by Blue

Prodigital may surprise you . . .

Edit: NEW Pentax K-7 Digital SLR Camera Body 14MP 720p Video! - eBay (item 310201616045 end time Feb-18-10 18:02:43 PST)

Virtual stores will always have an advantage over a brick and mortar store. Still it's an ebay sale, so it can still go up a lot in the next 12 hours. If that was the "buy it now" price I think a lot of people would jump at it.

Seems weird that a "Canadian store" is selling a USA camera. No warranty in Canada, but you wouldn't get that from the one from B&H either (unless you also get the MAC warranty)

02-16-2010, 02:58 PM	#18
harmonica2 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 157	An even lower price on the k7 With a coupon code, you can get the K7 from Abe's of Maine with free shipping for $984. Click the link below for details: Pentax K-x 15MP DSLR Camera Body $984 - dealnews.com Perhaps there should be a special section of this forum just for tracking prices? Each current Pentax camera and lens could have it's own thread. Then we could really geek out with discussions about Bing Cash Back, etc. for those who are interested.

02-17-2010, 09:54 PM	#27
aragondina Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Photos: Albums Posts: 117	Originally posted by aleonx3 Getting close to my striking price... - waiting for similar price drop in Canada. Why wait, just get it from the US. With the dollar at basically par, you can get the K7, battery grip and extra battery, and shipping for the same price as just the body in Canada. You will never see prices in Canada anywhere near the US prices. Last edited by aragondina; 02-17-2010 at 09:55 PM. Reason: grammar-fu is weak.

02-17-2010, 10:17 PM	#28
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by aragondina Why wait, just get it from the US. With the dollar at basically par, you can get the K7, battery grip and extra battery, and shipping for the same price as just the body in Canada. You will never see prices in Canada anywhere near the US prices. Prodigital may surprise you . . . Edit: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Pentax-K-7-Digital-SLR-Camera-Body-14MP-720p-Video_W...item48397506ad Last edited by Blue; 02-17-2010 at 10:36 PM.

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02-16-2010, 02:18 PM	#16
LeDave Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minneapolis - St. Paul Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,067	Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Originally posted by GoremanX I'd love to see some examples of that. My own experience has been the complete opposite; blown highlights tend to be unrecoverable, while shadows retain tons more detail. This is typically at ISO 100 to 400. Granted, there's a balance needed to avoid noise, but I've had very little trouble minimizing noise in those situations. GoremanX don't even bother with these type of people man; I realized there's a nice group of K-7 haters on here, most and if not, nearly all of them have never held the K-7 before. Don't waste your time. Those who just complain about the K-7 because they follow rumors. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/864939-post116.html Those who just complain about the K-7 because they just love to complain. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/911631-post199.html

02-16-2010, 02:27 PM	#17
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	I don't think Gordon is a troll, although his technical explanations are often quite a bit over my head. I do think that there is a sense in which a lot of people pick at a camera they are never going to buy anyway. That's fine. Opinions vary on every subject (I just happen to be right). The K7 is creaping closer to my price range and I hope to get it one of these days. I just know the kx would frustrate me in several ways and the high iso thing is just not that important to me. The lens rebate thing doesn't really do anything for me either. Don't really need a whole lot of lenses right now...

02-16-2010, 03:50 PM	#19
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	Originally posted by harmonica2 Pentax K-x 15MP DSLR Camera Body $984 - dealnews.com That page has an interesting title :-)

02-16-2010, 04:13 PM	#20
Kirivon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 173	Originally posted by robgo2 Over at the other Pentax forum, GordonBGood has stated that the K-7 actually has limited DR at low ISO, because of shadow noise. This makes it more difficult to open shadows aggressively without bringing forth a lot of noise. The K-x and the Nikon D300s seem to be better in this regard. Shadow noise affects DR testing procedures that use a noise threshold (i.e. Imatest). DPreview tests off of in camera JPEGs, so the amount of noise reduction directly affects the tested DR. If you look at the "ACR best" DR results from a converted RAW image, you'll notice the K-7(10.5EV) is right with the D300S(10.1EV) and 7D(9.8EV). You should lose about 1 stop of DR for every stop you raise the ISO above the sensor's native setting. So, the tests that show the DR practically even across the ISO range seem somewhat questionable. Notice also on the ISO noise testing at DPreview, the 7D and D300S both show their noise output triple from the JPG to RAW comparison, while the K-7 stays pretty much even. Don't get me wrong, the K-7 does, for whatever reason, produce more noise in the blacks than the other cameras. However, up to ISO1600, the amount of chroma noise is nearly identical to the 7D and D300S. In any event, posting anecdotal information obtained from synthetic image benchmarks to refute real-world success is kind of weak.

02-16-2010, 04:38 PM	#21
GoremanX Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Georgia, VT Photos: Albums Posts: 1,657	Originally posted by Kirivon In any event, posting anecdotal information obtained from synthetic image benchmarks to refute real-world success is kind of weak. You mean like you just did?

02-16-2010, 08:12 PM	#22
Kirivon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 173	Originally posted by GoremanX You mean like you just did? Ouch. =( On the topic of the thread, though, I've been waiting forever for the K-7 to dip below the 1k mark. Even though I know Pentax won't announce anything significant at PMA, and that the March something launch of the 645D probably won't affect the K-7 price, I figure I'll wait a month anyway to see if it'll fall any further. The K20D started shipping in Feb 08, and dipped into the low 800s by October of that year. The K-7 shipped in July of last year, so maybe we'll see low 900s by the end of March?

02-16-2010, 08:49 PM	#23
cousinsane Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: madison Posts: 239	You are probably thinking of someone else. GordonBGood seems to be pretty well respected and very knowledgeable about ISO/noise stuff. Originally posted by deadwolfbones GordonBGood is known as something of a troll anyway, isn't he? I seem to recall him harping nonstop on one of the DA* lenses, for no reason anyone could discern.

02-16-2010, 09:37 PM	#24
grey goat Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Spring Green, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 926	Well, three weeks ago B&H had the K-7 at $1028, and the kit at $1122. That's when I bought the kit, thinking it was $6 less than the body itself. Got the DA 70 at the same time, too. Last Wednesday I shot a small group of actors reading one of my wife's plays around our dining room table. Available light. ISO 1600, typical exposure with the DA 70 at 1/50 sec at F2.8. I was actually underexposing 2/3 of a stop because I forgot to change the EV adjustment after switching from my K17/4 FE. It was my first time working with DNGs, too, and it was a very fun learning experience. I edited them as B&W. Noise? Sure, I saw it. I also thought about what film would look like. But with a little judicious noise reduction (all in Adobe's raw editor), and it became a non-issue. Would I make huge prints? Probably not: I've never been a huge print guy, my archival prints in the darkroom usually running 8.5 x 5.5 or so. (Maybe I'd feel differently if I knew lots of people with huge, unfilled walls.) But I wouldn't hesitate to print them much larger than I usually do. But I was very impressed with the results: very happy with what the K-7 gave me to work with, and very pleased with how the editing went. I can't say how much better or worse the K-7 is compared to the D300s, or vice-versa. But I'm very happy with the three K and M series lenses I've bought, and the DA 70 too. With glass like that, I'm not regretting moving away from Nikon--though that's a move away from the manual-focus Nikon world. (Which explains in part why I wasn't overly attraced by some of the Nikon's stronger attributes.) I don't know how much lower the price will go, but I'm pretty happy with the deal I got. I'm glad I didn't keep waiting, glad that I'm shooting with it now. There'll always be another, better camera. We all know that. I know some people would be happier with a D300s, or a D700, or whatever Canon has to offer. But for me, I'm glad I've got the K-7. Shooting in that light and getting great results just affirmed it for me.

02-17-2010, 11:37 AM	#25
JohnBee Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Newrfoundland Photos: Albums Posts: 4,667	Great price, could be a sign that Pentax is nearing an update too. Personally the only reason I'd buy a K7 would be for the video. However we already have a Kx in our kit so it wouldn't make much sense. I'm holding off for a K7 replacement with Kx noise performance, then well clear out our K20's.

02-17-2010, 03:01 PM	#26
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Originally posted by Kirivon On the topic of the thread, though, I've been waiting forever for the K-7 to dip below the 1k mark. Even though I know Pentax won't announce anything significant at PMA, and that the March something launch of the 645D probably won't affect the K-7 price, I figure I'll wait a month anyway to see if it'll fall any further. The K20D started shipping in Feb 08, and dipped into the low 800s by October of that year. The K-7 shipped in July of last year, so maybe we'll see low 900s by the end of March? Hopefully... I am also waiting for the K-7. I know others will wait for the K-7 replacement (there is always a better camera in the pipeline), but for me, I have already skipped K20D. So, the K-7 is my next target upgrade - hopefully sooner than later.

02-17-2010, 11:00 PM	#29
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Don't forget Bing. You'll get an extra 3% back from B&H and up to 8% from eBay. must....not....add....to...cart....

02-18-2010, 06:44 AM	#30
aragondina Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Photos: Albums Posts: 117	Originally posted by Blue Prodigital may surprise you . . . Edit: NEW Pentax K-7 Digital SLR Camera Body 14MP 720p Video! - eBay (item 310201616045 end time Feb-18-10 18:02:43 PST) Virtual stores will always have an advantage over a brick and mortar store. Still it's an ebay sale, so it can still go up a lot in the next 12 hours. If that was the "buy it now" price I think a lot of people would jump at it. Seems weird that a "Canadian store" is selling a USA camera. No warranty in Canada, but you wouldn't get that from the one from B&H either (unless you also get the MAC warranty)