[biz-engineer]

36MP is plenty unless you are printing extremely large images.

If 60x40cm is extremely large print, how do you call a 160x120cm print? Monster print? Gigantic print?

[biz-engineer]

Can anyone venture to guess when we might get a mark 3 version of the K1 and how many megapixels do you think it will have?Cheers!

Some months ago, Ricoh issued a press release about their camera business, they would replace mass production of cameras by workshop style production of cameras and they would re-organize sales around online direct sales. The press release didn't clearly say if Ricoh would stop making Pentax cameras/lenses or not. New lenses were planned in a road-map, but no further news / progress were provided since the press release from Ricoh. Some people decided to sell their Pentax kit, no sure if it was due to the press release or unrelated. Other people are hoping to see new Pentax products in the coming years. While other people are satisfied with their current Pentax kit and took no action. What we can see right now is that Ricoh are still selling Pentax cameras and lenses, even with some renewal such as the new pentax.eu site (which look nice BTW), no much change so far in Europe. As for the Pentax R&D, if it is maintained or not , I have no idea, we will see a year or two down the road.

---------- Post added 23-09-22 at 09:00 ----------

The Nikon D850 is a much more expensive camera, about 1/3 more than the K1-II.

Yes, but if you buy 3 Tamron lenses that cost half the price of the Pentax re-branded ones, the D850+lenses doesn't cost more than the equivalent Pentax kit (if you buy 4 Tamron lenses, the D850 kit becomes cheaper than Pentax).

[Lord Lucan]

software processing has overtaken the need for more MP in-camera. 36MP is plenty unless you are printing extremely large images

Tell that to the reviewers and YouTube influencers. Most hate Pentax and think it is lagging behind the times already. A K-1iii with 36Mp would let them claim Pentax has ground to a complete halt; let's not give them that ammunition. Whether more than 36Mp is needed for pictures or not, sales need it.

Same issue with video. I am not interested in video (or even fast focussing) but I will be disappointed if they do not significantly improve, because sales. There will be no excuse for it, the tech is out there so Pentax just need to buy it in.

[Paul the Sunman]

I sort of dread more mpx because of the increased storage. I never feel the need for more, but understand that bragging rights are important to Pentax's future. Mirrorless is a boat that has already sailed, and indeed they've even burnt the dock.

Just porting the K3iii innovations to the K1 with a modest mpx increase would be a good start. And being Pentax, we should also expect the unexpected with some left-field new feature no-one ever thought of or knew we needed.

When? Well, no-one would say that even now was too soon. It has been quite a while. But as many have pointed out the K1 and K1ii are not lacking a lot in quality or features. Given that Pentax has had a steady stream (well, trickle perhaps) of FF lens releases, they must be intending for the line to continue. Given that the K3iii is already over a year old, if its tech is being ported to FF, it should happen sooner rather than later.

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Last edited by Paul the Sunman; 09-23-2022 at 02:24 AM.

I’m going to cross Gypsy Petulengro’s palm with silver next week and let you know she comes up with.
Watch this space.

[redpit]

Owning and using both the K-1 and the K-3iii I can't wait for the new K-1iii. I'm sure It will be the DSLR I have been wishing for and surely on par with the D850. If Pentax doesn't make compromises and go for cost reduction solutions I bet it will beat the D850 and will the best FF DSLR in the market.


It needs to pack an even more improved AF module, the relevant super bright viewfinder, a new high Mpxl sensor (>40Mpxl) and most importantly faster FPS and a deep buffer in comparison with the K-1, even if requires CF cards. The only things that want to keep from the original K-1 is the exact same body in terms of size and grip (by far the best camera I have ever hold - the OVF cover and shape doesn't matter). The other thing that concerns me is the actual IQ. The K-3iii is a great camera but still I think that the IQ of my K-5iis is the top of a APS-C camera (not based on scientific data but to my eyes). The IQ of the K-1 is all I was wishing for (again to my eyes a tad better than the best DSLR's now the D850) and I hope the K-1iii offers the same IQ or even better but surely I don't want to loose this superb rendering of the K-1.

I don't know when it will be released but I know that I will buy it and probably it will be my camera for the years to come with my K-1 serving as a back-up. If I had to guess about the price, I think it will be close to 3000USD/€ and around 2800 if we are lucky and Ricoh/Pentax strategy is to jump on the head of FF DSLR category offering the best camera at a competitive price (more or less the same as the Nikon).

[robgski]

More snapping, less yapping

[Oldbayrunner]

Don't know, don't care.

---------- Post added 09-23-22 at 09:07 AM ----------

Not being a new feature chaser, I have no problem with my K1 Mkll as is. For my photography I enjoy it more than any Pentax I have owned and see no need to change. I've spent more $$$$ on lenses for it, which I feel more important.

[EssJayEff]

Make obligatory noise reduction for higher ISO settings in RAW optional. As post processing software continues to improve, let higher ISO noise be addressed there. Better auto focus, particularly for tracking moving objects (and any other goodies in the K-3 III that are appropriate).

[texandrews]

I do hope this in not yet another thread about the future that descends into squabbling, "Pentax IS Doomed!!!", "I must leave Pentax if they don't come out with X soon", & etc. We've had plenty of these I think? Posted as a moderator.

[biz-engineer]

but I will be disappointed if they do not significantly improve, because sales. There will be no excuse for it, the tech is out there so Pentax just need to buy it in.

I don't think we'll see a K1 Mk III (with K33 features) any time soon if the idea if to offer a K3 mk III (fast but without flip screen) as a companion to the K1 body (slow landscape, with flip screen). IMO, they'll wait to "force" customers to get both K1 and K3 III bodies, so that to also sell apsc lenses and thus get more money out of customers, a bit like Canon with the 5D / 7D series, and Nikon with D8xx and D500 series. I would like Ricoh to know that I know the trick, and I won't buy a K3 III, I may jump ship instead (the Ricoh marketing trick turns out to lose customers). The big issues I see with releasing a K1 Mk III with 62Mpixels, 101 AF points, and quicker burst rate, better buffers, better memory card tech, is that once you get that camera you'll be fully satisfied , very happy Pentaxians, and you won't feel the need buy another cameras for a very long time, that could be a business problem for Ricoh as well. Whenever Ricoh release a K1 III with 62Mp sensor and K33 specs, they'll see a HUGE demand for it , unable to produce enough to honor all customer orders, but after the initial period of intense sales, large profits and extreme success of the new K1 III, they'll have to deal with customer need being completely satisfied, which will be a huge problem for Pentax long term, as Pentaxians won't need to buy a new camera for 10 years or more.

[Wheatfield]

Can anyone venture to guess when we might get a mark 3 version of the K1 and how many megapixels do you think it will have?
Cheers!

Late 2023 at the earliest, 60mp.

---------- Post added Sep 23rd, 2022 at 08:17 AM ----------

No idea. But I always ask this follow up question.... What does a 36MP FF camera like the K-1 II not have, that anyone would need ?

The MP race ended a number of years ago in my view. The game is now all about processing software....Super resolution et al.

The race for MP has not really ended, but it has slowed down. The K1's 36mp is fine, but at some point they won't be able to get the sensor, which must be approaching 10 years old by now. Not being able to get 36mp sensors will force them to upgrade. Also, even though 36mp is fine, the industry has moved on to higher density sensors, so they will need to increase MP just to look like they are trying to stay somewhat up with the times.

---------- Post added Sep 23rd, 2022 at 08:18 AM ----------

Perhaps a mirrorless version then? DSLR body with a hybrid OVF like Fujifilm on the X-PRO series cameras ?

Not likely, Pentax has indicated they are not interested in mirrorless/EVF cameras.

---------- Post added Sep 23rd, 2022 at 08:28 AM ----------

The 42mp sensor is the best of the Sony sensors in many ways but the 36 is very close. 33mp sensor is also excellent. The 61mp I’ve not had a lot of desire for but that’s a meaningful jump for sure.

The thing is, jumping from 36mp to 42mp is a tiny jump in linear pixel density. If you look at the specs of the 42mp cameras, it's only a few hundred pixels more on the side. It's not significant enough to move present K1 users to the new camera on it's own. Other performance improvements might, but megapixels are still the big driver of upgrade camera sales.
I would like to see much faster AF, my K1 still falls behind 10 year old Canons for tracking speed, for example, but I likely wouldn't buy a new camera based on that as it isn't something I need often enough to fork over what will probably be close to $3k. The same with buffer and speeds and the like. It would be nice, but I wouldn't buy a new camera for it.
I don't know if I am in the majority on this, but judging from the number of "what does the K1 lack?" posts, I suspect I'm not far off the norm in this regard. OTOH, if they want to erode DSLR sales from what will be stagnant development from Nikon and Canon, they will need to move the bar on their cameras to compete on resolution with those manufacturers, and they are all in the 60mp range now for their upper level bodies.

[redpit]

The big picture that we sometimes forget is that Pentax has essentially been left alone in the DSLR photography after the big players moving on to the MILC category. Imagine that they release a camera in 2023 or later that falls behind the Nikon D850 that was released in 2017! That is unacceptable in many ways. If Pentax wants to dominate the DSLR sector (and now they have the chance to do it) they should be the first choice for someone interested in buying serious equipment and doesn't want or like to go mirrorless. That's why I strongly believe that the K-1iii will be a monster FF camera taking the lead from the D850, or being at least at that level...

[Racer X 69]

Can anyone venture to guess when we might get a mark 3 version of the K1 and how many megapixels do you think it will have?
Cheers!

Sometime in the future, but way later than some people would like, and more megapickles than the previous model, but less than some people would like.

I guarantee it.

[chd]

AF speed and accuracy and buffer size and speed are really the only things about my K-1 that I notice enough to wish for changes. Even there I'm not sure improvements would warrant another $2k investment for me.

Obviously Ricoh has to be convinced that people want the improvements badly enough to replace their current K-1, or they won't make the investment in developing them.