[MikeD]

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The last few days I've been playing with a used D700 and my old S-M-C Takumars and it got me to thinking about FF and Pentax. It's been a pleasure to use the old Taks as they were designed without the crop factor. It felt old school to manually focus, set my own aperture and shutter speed and I've been having a ball.

So IF Pentax is working on a FF camera I hope they don't go overboard with the gizmos, whizbangs, and especially the megapickles. Based on my experience with the 12 MP D700 I think 24 MP is the upper limit and 18-20 would be even better. It's amazing the detail I can get out of that 12 MP sensor and noise up to ISO 3200 is easily controlled with a little NR.


The area where Pentax is better is in ergonomics. The K-3's body is as well built as the D700 but the grip of the K-3 is deeper and more comfortable. Button placement is also better on the K-3. The two buttons inside the grip of the D700 couldn't be in a worse place. The D700 is bigger than the K-3 and a FF Pentax will likely be a little larger too. For my all around shooting I'd like a FF Pentax. Please just don't put all the AF points in the center of the frame though. That's my one gripe with the K-3.

Speaking of the K-3, for sports and wildlife I'll keep my APS-C thank you very much. This is where the crop factor works best. Just remember the comment about all the AF points in the center of the frame.

Anyway, just a few of my thoughts on a FF Pentax. And if they price it around the same as a D610 they'll have a waiting list a mile long!

I have a friend who is a pro and works at a camera store. He uses primarily a D800 and it is amazing. Personally I think that the 24 mp may be the sweet spot. I don't agree with your 18-20 Mp statement based on what I have seen with the D800.

[zmohie]

if they realy want to release a full frame they have to update their lenses first . most are SDM where the others are screw drive. you cant make a good car with out a good engine.

[.a.t.]

The last few days I've been playing with a used D700 and my old S-M-C Takumars . . .

Can you focus to infinity?

. . . and I've been having a ball.

Great to hear. That's what it's all about!

. . . I think 24 MP is the upper limit and 18-20 would be even better.

Agreed. 20 would be plenty for me.

[wtlwdwgn]

Can you focus to infinity?

Yes, with a good quality adapter. I use a Kood adapter with a glass lens and I do get infinity focus. There isn't any deterioration in IQ either using this adapter.

[Rondec]

No, no, no you have that backwards. 24mm will be 16mm not 24mm. That's what I keep saying, these lenses on FF will look all weird. If I put a 24mm lens on I want the 24mm angle of view not 16mm!! If I want 16mm I put a 16mm lens on.I think that is the difference in sensor tech. Most seem to acknowledge that Canon is behind at this point. Maybe the best they can do is 22MP. 1Dx is a different ballgame, designed for sport shooters with 14fps. I suspect 18MP is all they can process at that FPS and FPS is more important than megapixels for sports.

I thought 16MP was more than enough until I got k-3, but I would not want to go back now. I do think 24MP is the sweet spot, but then I thought 16MP was when I had the k-5..... But going over 24MP just seems to add a lot of file size for no gain in most situations. Landscape though, the more MP the better I think.

I started shooting film a little bit recently and honestly, it was not a revelatory experience to shoot my FA limiteds/other full frame primes on it. You frame based on the lens you have on the camera. You have to stop down a little more for landscape and have to watch not to get too narrow depth of field when shooting wide open, but it wasn't that big a deal and it didn't make me see my FA 31 or FA 77 in a new light, by any means.

I do think 36 megapixels makes more sense, at least from a landscape standpoint. I shoot stopped down and I doubt I would see a big difference between a K3 and a new 24 megapixel Pentax full frame camera with regard to most shooting that I do.

[rawr]

K-XL
24 effective mega-pixels in an 35 mm Full-frame sized CMOS sensor
Dual PRIMEIII
SAFOX XII Sensor Slide AF
Fastest continuous shooting at 10.0FPS
Real Time Scene Analysis with 86,000 pixel sensor

Sounds great. Lots of incremental tech improvements, but an overall great sounding package. Be nice if true.

Steal a flippy screen out of the 645Z parts bin, spread out the AF points more, keep the -3 EV AF sensitivity, keep the shutter muffled, and they'll have a winner.

[pinholecam]

I started shooting film a little bit recently and honestly, it was not a revelatory experience to shoot my FA limiteds/other full frame primes on it. You frame based on the lens you have on the camera. You have to stop down a little more for landscape and have to watch not to get too narrow depth of field when shooting wide open, but it wasn't that big a deal and it didn't make me see my FA 31 or FA 77 in a new light, by any means.

I do think 36 megapixels makes more sense, at least from a landscape standpoint. I shoot stopped down and I doubt I would see a big difference between a K3 and a new 24 megapixel Pentax full frame camera with regard to most shooting that I do.

I guess opinions vary, but I agree with you on this.
For me as the photographer, I frame with what I have at hand and thats it.
No harking back to 'what it should/could have been', for me.


FF can cut both ways imo.
I used a 5D with mainly M42 lenses and now a A7 with all my lenses.
I liked the FA31, 77ltd with the FOV and working distance, but I lost it with the 43ltd changing from a 'shyish' tele like street lens to a rather 'in your face' 'daring' street lens.
For the small room I work in for home portraits with limited space to back up on, 43mm on aps-c was just right.
Now, on FF, its too wide and sees too much out of the backdrop.


All said though, for the isolation via shallow DOF effect and working distances, FF does have an advantage here that I prefer for 24mm and under and 50mm and above.

[carpents]

It's harder to make a good wide angle lens than it is a good normal lens. So when you throw a wide angle on a camera and get a normal-looking view, it isn't ideal.

Of course, this only matters if you're using a lens mount (Pentax K) designed for a different view. You can argue for Fuji X or m4/3 that they bring other developments to their new mount, like small size/weight, or adaptability, and so talking in 135 film terms doesn't paint the whole picture. (But for Pentax K it does.)

[Poit]

Not to add more useless rumours, but I was searching for info floating around on the web regarding pentax autofocus, and came across this... not sure of the original source other than it was largely in japanese, or if this has been hashed out already here, but thought the specs were at least reasonable based on current pentax gear.

K-XL
24 effective mega-pixels in an 35 mm Full-frame sized CMOS sensor
Dual PRIMEIII
SAFOX XII Sensor Slide AF
Fastest continuous shooting at 10.0FPS
Real Time Scene Analysis with 86,000 pixel sensor
body-based Shake Reduction (SR)
Pentaprism Optical Viewfinder for 100%
100-51200 ISO(up to 409600)

Thanks mate. It's been ages since we had a good useless rumour 'round here and, anyway, what's one more after all these years

I have to agree, though, it does sound largely reasonable...

[.a.t.]

Yes, with a good quality adapter. I use a Kood adapter with a glass lens and I do get infinity focus. There isn't any deterioration in IQ either using this adapter.

No loss of IQ? That's intriguing.
Thanks for the info and example.

[wtlwdwgn]

Another sample image.

[todd]

I guess opinions vary,

Yup... I haven't used the Three Amigo's a ton on film, but enough to know I am going to continue to love them on Pentax FF. FA31 is like a DA21 FOV (which I don't have but know I would like from using FA31 on film), FA43 FOV being pretty close to what FA31 is on crop but a little bit wider, more like 28mm on crop which is my absolute favorite FOV on crop, and FA77 close to what a 50mm is on crop. And then throw in FA50/1.4 into the mix... And my 135mm.... I can't wait...