Originally posted by sandilands Not to be argumentative, but I'll be argumentative. APS-c is not a stop gap to anything. There is no magic to FF other than a generation of glass optimized for it- an ancient generation at that. My first camera used 120 film. Using the FF logic on this thread, THAT's what you should be demanding from Pentax. There is nothing wrong with the IQ from a K-5 and a decent DA lens.
Now I would LIKE to get more from my old Pentax glass. What I NEED is better and faster AF. Low light (high aperture) AF currently stinks. I bring a high power flashlight to my outdoor model shoots, just so I can focus. I don't care how Pentax does it (CD, PD, mirrorless) but the K-5 doesn't hit the mark let alone lead the industry.
I NEED a useful flash system, and Pentax NEEDS to market flashes that compete with much better flash systems from Canikon.
I NEED much less noise in my images. I make promotional photographs for live theatre productions. These are shot in TAv mode (actors move so 1/60 is about as slow as I can go, and I have to dedicate aperture to control depth of field; that is I can't just shoot wide open). So when the only alternative is to shoot above ISO 800 Pentax stinks again.
To wrap up this diatribe - and to address the issue of various camps mentioned before, lack of FF won't make me jump ship. Wasting R&D time and money to make a FF body instead of fixing these real problems is far more likely to cause me and my camp (if I have one) to jump ship.
Well my K-5 can produce solid images at ISO's up to and even over ISO 3200.. of course it depends if your shooting hand-held or on a tripod... and Yes, Pentax NEEDS a better Flash system. I do like the idea of disable SR for faster flash sync.. I'm ok with loosing SR all together for how little I ever use it.
They need to address their AF system to bring it up to the competitions level more-so than updating their flash system.. But there is no reason this can't be done while implementing it IN a new FF system..
bring it out as their new flagship FF.. even for $2000-2500 it WILL sell. As for "Wasted" R&D money.. to me that is what SR was all about.. yes it's a nice feature.. but IMHO it's also gimmicky.. if you know WTF your doing and how your settings should be, you should need it anyways. For the amount of pics "saved" by SR, if that money was put into a better AF system, you would end up with more keepers than those "saved" by SR.
PP work cleans up a LOT of noise, and PP work on a FF image (especially something like the D800's 36MP image) would be able to be cleaned up and then resized say, down to 20MP size and you would have never known there was noise.. and still be able to get any size of large print etc..
The IQ from the K-5 is great, FOR an APS-C, when comparing to a FF competitor (even those that are older than it, D700 or 5DMark II, and can be picked up for under $2000) the difference in FoV/DoF, and overall IQ is quite noticeable. If you have tried out a FF camera you would see the difference. I've tried a 5D MarkII and a D3 so far.. I sure would have LOVED a K-mount FF (K-5 on steroids) type of camera.
I am wondering if Pentax simply cannot GET a FF sensor from Sony to do it, until XX/XX/XXXX date and is simply waiting for availability, instead of going to another vendor and seeing what the PRIME Processor can do with a different FF sensor.
Saying APS-C is all that's ever needed is like saying a AWD minivan should be the only vehicle made.. it can do pretty much everything.. even though it doesn't do any of them "the best possible"