First of all, I would like to point out that I recently purchased a new 55-300mm WR lens for my K5II and my K30 (as a back up), and really appreciate this lens greatly! I am posting one of my first photos with this lens, taken at Point Reyes National Seashore, Northern California, on my first weekend of testing - a keeper for sure!
That said, I am hoping that a better camera than the K3 is out by the time I want to upgrade my K5II, one which has more than somewhat faster autofocus and only fractionally better picture quality up 800 iso.
Having both Nikon and Pentax systems, however, it is hard to ignore the superiority (IMO) of the Nikon d7100 in terms of high iso performance, color depth, and dynamic range - three things very close to my heart! In terms of operation and build quality, however, I would always choose the K3. The main reason I also photograph using the Nikon system is because I have kept about ten great manual lenses over the years (20mm to 400mm), and I also feel need a FX camera for my most serious Landscape work, as well as shooting the best B&W film I can find on some very good, old Nikon film cameras. However, If I was able to sell many images for a good profit, I would instantly buy a Z645 and the new 28-45mm lens for it, and not have to think about my Nikon system again... or maybe keep that system around for a light fx hiking kit.
What I am hoping, and what my rant is really about is, what I am hoping for in a replacement model for the K3, to create a genuine desire for a justifiable upgrade. Things that I am looking for, besides the obvious boost in sensor resolution are:
1. Better video capabilities and functionality - just for the the occasional video on demand, when something special happens in front of your camera!
2. Better low-light performance at higher resolution, including low-light focusing capacity.
3. Better color depth and dynamic range.
4. A tilting monitor.
5. More weather-sealed prime and wide-angle zooms, especially a 10-22+mm ultra-wide for landscapes!
6. More reliability in SDM model lenses.
7. A much improved version of the 20-40mm zoom, preferably with a somewhat wider range!
Guess I got carried away with my wish-list. However, I want Ricoh-Pentax to be more substantial and innovative in their future, high-end camera models and lenses.
Cheers,
Peter S.