[kooks]

Same features as K3 but with improvements..

- 36mp sensor.. or 24mp could also work if it boost the ISO handleing
- better and faster AF,
- PTTL delay fix,
- crop mode ( already announced ),
- tethering ( lightroom especially ),
- great ergonomics,
- small body ( a little bigger than K3 is ok ),
- even better low light focussing -4ev/-5ev,
- dual SD card, wifi ( to transfer and to control the camera ),
- no AA filter as K3,
- focus picking,
- faster procesor,
- at least 8fps,

and some other nice tweeks

[jatrax]

The thread on the Ricoh forum has the most responses of anything that has been posted there. Might give them some sense of the interest in FF if nothing else.

I would encourage anyone with an interest in FF to post over there in this thread. They have stated repeatedly they do not follow anything here. So if you want your voice heard, post there and let them know what you want.

Here is my post:

• Superb dynamic range, more MP is nice but dynamic range is more important
• Selectable crop mode - Auto = crop to best ability of lens, enable = crop to APS-C on non FF lenses, disable = no crop, no matter what, let us fix it in post
• Full Lightroom supported hardware tethering. WiFi is fine but please let me just plug it into the computer or laptop without having to fuss with WiFi
• Big bright viewfinder that allows manual focusing. AF is nice but manual is critical
• Better AFC tracking especially for bird's in flight
• ISO 50
• Built in GPS and astrotracker
• Built in radio trigger flash with multiple channels. P-TTL is nice but all manual is better
• Tilting/flipping screen
• 2 SD slots
• Lots of customizable buttons and wheels
• Add a third control wheel around the 4 way key pad customizable to function
• Spread out the AF points or add some outliers so you can focus at the edge of the frame
• Optional battery grip
• 7 shot exposure bracketing

Personally I think features are already locked for this camera but maybe not. And even if so this is input they can use later on.

[zmohie]

but these specs will be oudated at the release time . things are changing very quickly

[jaad75]

Most things are in place allready. They only wait as long ass possible, before putting in the sensor. That way, they are shure they have the latest and best technology available in the camera before starting production. This is very good thinking by Ricoh! Very much can change in sensor technology in 6 months...

It's not that easy, to put a new sensor when it's available. Another important thing is the image processor - it has to be able to deal with the sensor. The problem I see is that the Pentax is using Fujitsu processors, and AFAIK Milbeaut 8 hasn't been out yet. There's no chance for much better performance than K-3/645Z with PRIME III (Milbeaut 7), so I don't see a chance to effectively use any new hi-res sensor with that processor.

[kenspo]

It's not that easy, to put a new sensor when it's available. Another important thing is the image processor - it has to be able to deal with the sensor. The problem I see is that the Pentax is using Fujitsu processors, and AFAIK Milbeaut 8 hasn't been out yet. There's no chance for much better performance than K-3/645Z with PRIME III (Milbeaut 7), so I don't see a chance to effectively use any new hi-res sensor with that processor.

I didnt say it was easy! But they have control and knows what they are doing

[jaad75]

I'm sure they know. I'm just not buying the story that they're only waiting for a new sensor to be ready to put it in. There is much more to match than just a sensor usually. Did they tell you anything about the processor they are going to use - this is my biggest concern so far, 'cause I've read that you cannot pair those Fujitsu chips to get better performance.

[jatrax]

I'm just not buying the story that they're only waiting for a new sensor to be ready to put it in.

They would be shown sensor specs and samples long ago, but until it comes out of the fab they cannot put it in the camera. Waiting for the first of next generation is a smart move. Better than putting in last generation sensor already on the market for 2 years now. They are in no hurry, might as well get it right.

They did the same thing with the k-3, it was ready almost 1 year earlier but Ricoh did not like the performance so stopped development until new processor chips were ready.

[bwDraco]

It's not that easy, to put a new sensor when it's available. Another important thing is the image processor - it has to be able to deal with the sensor. The problem I see is that the Pentax is using Fujitsu processors, and AFAIK Milbeaut 8 hasn't been out yet. There's no chance for much better performance than K-3/645Z with PRIME III (Milbeaut 7), so I don't see a chance to effectively use any new hi-res sensor with that processor.

The Milbeaut M7-M uses the relatively slow ARM Cortex-A5 MPCore (dual-core if I'm not mistaken). The Cortex-A7 is more efficient and about 20% faster per clock. If cost is not an issue (and it shouldn't be), they could use the even more efficient 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53. A 64-bit processor can bring dramatic performance improvements for image processing applications without substantially increasing power consumption.

Not sure if Ricoh is able to strike a deal with Fujitsu to get a custom chip, but if any application needed a custom processor, this is it.

—DragonLord

[Ray Woolley]

I concur with the above wish lists. With the larger FF sensor the Pentax FF will be great for detailed landscapes. I enjoy shooting in low light and would love to see an inbuilt swivel viewfinder blind that easily closes off the viewfinder when making long exposures to cut out stray light via the viewfinder. The removable plastic cover currently available on Pentax SLRs is fiddly and easy to lose. The Nikon high end models have had this feature for some years now...

[sculptor666]

i want!

a pressure sensitive shutter button that focuses slowly/quickly depending on how hard i push it.

shutter speed > 1/8000.

[kooks]

I'll also like to have at least 1/200 or even better 1/250 flash sync.

[Cyril_K5]

* I think 36MP is a minimum. Unfortunately the MP race is on, and if Pentax were to debut a FF in 2015 with less than 36 it would lack the clout of the other brands. Canon have just announced 50MP and Olympus a 40MP option through sensor shannanigans so I'd like to see Pentax do something eye-catching on the MP front too.

Hi Luke,

Sorry to disappoint but I am of the view that the resolution race is just a marketing gimmick. A "good" Pentax camera should have a very good dynamic range (in the same vein as the K5 or 645Z). Look at the D750 from Nikon with the 24MP sensor that has one of the best DR from recent FF cameras as well as the new A7S from Sony that is unbeatable with a 12MP sensor. People who will want resolution "just for the sake of it" (what else?) will still be able to go for the medium format camera. With today's sensor technology, if you go beyond 36MP on FF sensors, you don't have the best results in terms of DR (D800 has the same 14EV than the K5 for instance).

Last point, the higher the resolution, the more expensive the camera due to the CPU cost (and the slower the performance in terms of FPS)

[ragmanjin]

Hi Luke,

Sorry to disappoint but I am of the view that the resolution race is just a marketing gimmick. A "good" Pentax camera should have a very good dynamic range (in the same vein as the K5 or 645Z). Look at the D750 from Nikon with the 24MP sensor that has one of the best DR from recent FF cameras as well as the new A7S from Sony that is unbeatable with a 12MP sensor. People who will want resolution "just for the sake of it" (what else?) will still be able to go for the medium format camera. With today's sensor technology, if you go beyond 36MP on FF sensors, you don't have the best results in terms of DR (D800 has the same 13.5EV than the K3 for instance).

Last point, the higher the resolution, the more expensive the camera due to the CPU cost (and the slower the performance in terms of FPS)

THANK YOU. Finally. I would love for the FF to be 16-20mp (Sony won't sell the 12mp sensor) for the sake of available-light image quality, useable DR, high ISO performance, an 11fps burst rate and everything else MP-chasers claim to love.

[Cyril_K5]

THANK YOU. Finally. I would love for the FF to be 16-20mp (Sony won't sell the 12mp sensor) for the sake of available-light image quality, useable DR, high ISO performance, an 11fps burst rate and everything else MP-chasers claim to love.

Agreed but with the latest sensor technology, a 24MP sensor will give you the same DR as the 645Z, which is an outstanding 15EV, more than enough for me!! I know a few night and Astro photographers who went for the Sony A7S, this is primarily targeting this market I think (See Stephane Vetter's photography for instance)

[kooks]

Didnt Pentax/Ricoh announce that they might use some new technology in order to enlarge images ( MP ) like Olympus does?? perhaps with this technology people will not need such a huge MP sensor and we can have enough with a 24mp.. and push a great DR and low light performance.. This is something that can be really interesting if they do it.