[reh321]

Did he state in which section of the site it would be created?

Not yet. I'm also not absolutely certain when it will happen.

[Rondec]

Have you ever handled a K-3/K-3II at all? If you had then you would know the difference. Every control falls readily at hand. For instance when I move my forefinger from the shutter button to the front e-dial I don't have to lift it off the camera and bend it at a weird angle the way it appears you have to do with the KP. Its just a smooth quick movement. Reaching the ISO and EV compensation buttons is a slight move back from the shutter button. Other buttons are just as easily accessible. I haven't handled the KP as of yet but from what I have seen its just not as ergonomically efficient a the K-3/K-3II. It (KP) can definitely autofocus better and does have better IQ but I'm willing to wait to see what comes out from Pentax. My 4 yr old almost brand new K-3 still has me loving it.

Larry

I imagine that when the K3 III comes out it will mimic the KP/K-1 style (ie third control wheel), albeit with a body size that is close to that of current K3 cameras. I imagine improvements over the K-P to be deeper buffer, little tougher build, probably a little faster frame rate, dual card slots and will use the larger battery in the body, not just the grip.

Body styles do change over time and Pentax tends to have an evolutionary approach to them. At the same time, if things aren't too different, it doesn't take long to pick up little differences and for it feel natural.

[reh321]

I imagine that when the K3 III comes out it will mimic the KP/K-1 style (ie third control wheel), albeit with a body size that is close to that of current K3 cameras. I imagine improvements over the K-P to be deeper buffer, little tougher build, probably a little faster frame rate, dual card slots and will use the larger battery in the body, not just the grip.

But they could have done all that stuff this year. I don't understand the decision to push the K-1ii forward instead, unless a K-3ii followup was planned only after Pentax users demanded something between the KP and K-1

[Rondec]

But they could have done all that stuff this year. I don't understand the decision to push the K-1ii forward instead, unless a K-3ii followup was planned only after Pentax users demanded something between the KP and K-1

If I were going to guess, I think they are also going to move away from current PRIME engine and go with whatever is the next gen from SocioNext -- or whoever. That can mean improvements in video as well as other changes that are beyond me, but it certainly will be more of an improvement than just sticking an accelerator and adjustable screen on a K3 II.

[Larrymc]

I imagine that when the K3 III comes out it will mimic the KP/K-1 style (ie third control wheel), albeit with a body size that is close to that of current K3 cameras. I imagine improvements over the K-P to be deeper buffer, little tougher build, probably a little faster frame rate, dual card slots and will use the larger battery in the body, not just the grip.

Body styles do change over time and Pentax tends to have an evolutionary approach to them. At the same time, if things aren't too different, it doesn't take long to pick up little differences and for it feel natural.

I don't mind the K-1 style an evolutionary change like that is fine with me. The K-1 battery is the same as the K-3/K-3II isn't it? where else would you put it but in the grip (body grip) or are you referring to the battery grip? The thing about the KP that bothers me most is the gimmicky vertical front E-Dial and no top plate LCD!

Larry

[Mikesul]

I don't mind the K-1 style an evolutionary change like that is fine with me. The K-1 battery is the same as the K-3/K-3II isn't it? where else would you put it but in the grip (body grip) or are you referring to the battery grip? The thing about the KP that bothers me most is the gimmicky vertical front E-Dial and no top plate LCD!

Larry

He is refering to the fact that the KP has a different, smaller battery than the k-3 K-1 et al. But the KP can use the LI90 K-3/k-1 battery in the battery grip. Certainly the successor to the K-3 will use the same or improved battery rather than the small kP battery.

[Larrymc]

He is refering to the fact that the KP has a different, smaller battery than the k-3 K-1 et al. But the KP can use the LI90 K-3/k-1 battery in the battery grip. Certainly the successor to the K-3 will use the same or improved battery rather than the small kP battery.

Thanks Mike,

I thought that was what he meant, I think the KP uses the same battery that my K-50 uses.

[reh321]

Thanks Mike,

I thought that was what he meant, I think the KP uses the same battery that my K-50 uses.

Yes it does. Don't forget that one of the design requirements for the KP was that it be svelte - like the film SLRs, and a natural companion to the "Limited" lenses - and a smaller battery helps in reaching that goal.

[reh321]

I can understand those who miss "flagship" features on the KP. I guess I am one of those who it is aimed at

* small queue - I hardly ever have a situation where burst would be useful, and because I seldom had a motor drive on film cameras, I often forget to turn burst on when it would be appropriate. When I do turn burst on, I tend to use bursts that start too late and end too early

* no top LCD - I've never had a camera with that feature, so I wouldn't miss it; I would tend to look at the back or in the viewfinder for the information that a top LCD woufd show .... I'm hardy ever looking at the top to start with

* small battery - Hardy ever do I shoot a lot of pictures at one time. Right now I'm running my K-30 on AA batteries, and even they, in their limited capacity, last long enough for me

* size - I thought my Super Program was just right; I have no reason to go any larger

[Mark Ransom]

But they could have done all that stuff this year. I don't understand the decision to push the K-1ii forward instead, unless a K-3ii followup was planned only after Pentax users demanded something between the KP and K-1

The plans for the K-1 II were probably already underway as soon as they released the K-1. That's been their pattern over the last few years with the flagship cameras, starting with the K-5 - put out the camera then do a follow-up mark II version. It's been a successful strategy so far, no need for them to consider something else. And I'm sure it's cost effective.

At the risk of repeating myself, Pentax didn't realize until the KP that they needed to do a successor for the K-3 II, they thought the K-1 was it. Their plan was to have a good/better/best lineup: K-70, KP, K-1.

[reh321]

At the risk of repeating myself, Pentax didn't realize until the KP that they needed to do a successor for the K-3 II, they thought the K-1 was it. Their plan was to have a good/better/best lineup: K-70, KP, K-1.

I don't disagree with you. I believe they thought K-1 was the flagship until they got commentary from users.

[rasebe]

Just a note from a K3 user as i'm so happy with the improvements over my K5, Still use some legacy glass and the IQ is just outstanding. Wonder whether Pentax will upgrade the K3 ii or bring out a budget full frame. Not that the K1 is excessive anyway. As the legacy lenses from Sigma Et Al disappear I prbably will at some point in the future jump to FF but still blown away by the IQ of the K3

[Larrymc]

I can understand those who miss "flagship" features on the KP. I guess I am one of those who it is aimed at

* small queue - I hardly ever have a situation where burst would be useful, and because I seldom had a motor drive on film cameras, I often forget to turn burst on when it would be appropriate. When I do turn burst on, I tend to use bursts that start too late and end too early

* no top LCD - I've never had a camera with that feature, so I wouldn't miss it; I would tend to look at the back or in the viewfinder for the information that a top LCD woufd show .... I'm hardy ever looking at the top to start with

* small battery - Hardy ever do I shoot a lot of pictures at one time. Right now I'm running my K-30 on AA batteries, and even they, in their limited capacity, last long enough for me

* size - I thought my Super Program was just right; I have no reason to go any larger

My previous Pentax DSLR was a K-50, almost identical to your K-30 except less angular. I didn't have any of the flagship features of the K-3 and didn't miss them.......until I bought the K-3 now it is hard to do with out them. Going back and shooting with the K-50 is very foreign to me, too many menu selections to dive into. But thats probably just me. Its all about what you are used to using.

---------- Post added 06-29-18 at 08:03 AM ----------

Just a note from a K3 user as i'm so happy with the improvements over my K5, Still use some legacy glass and the IQ is just outstanding. Wonder whether Pentax will upgrade the K3 ii or bring out a budget full frame. Not that the K1 is excessive anyway. As the legacy lenses from Sigma Et Al disappear I prbably will at some point in the future jump to FF but still blown away by the IQ of the K3

Pentax has already said earlier this year that they are working on the replacement for the K-3II, so look for it hopefully early in 2019 (my prediction).

[jatrax]

At the risk of repeating myself, Pentax didn't realize until the KP that they needed to do a successor for the K-3 II, they thought the K-1 was it. Their plan was to have a good/better/best lineup: K-70, KP, K-1.

I am going to disagree with that. I believe they intended all along to have a higher end APS-C camera in the line up but not a direct successor to the K-3 line. Some of the comments I have read seem to indicate to me that translation difficulties led people to think otherwise. The K-3 line is indeed finished and they said so, and discontinued it. But there will be a new 'flagship' APS-C eventually. I suspect it will have a lot of new features that address the concerns expressed about the current line. New processor, new sensor and so on. Just as the DFA*50 1.4 is the first of a new series of lenses the new APS-C camera will be the first of a new beginning in camera bodies. K-1II is the last of the old architecture.

Just my theory of course.

[mikek200d]

I'm new here, so I might catch it in the teeth for this, but I think at this point in the refinement of these cameras, a lot of this measuring is like arguing "magazine" horsepower over real world performance. Yes, the experts are going to notice that "last one hundreth of a whatever", but the vast majority want to have it to talk about it at cocktail parties. I don't like cocktail parties much. I shot film with my ME Super until it just became too hard to get good film, mostly because that camera was about the only thing I've ever owned that worked just as well almost 35 years after I bought it as it did the day I bought it as a graduation present to myself. Finally, though, in 2008 I "stepped up" (stepped sideways?) to DSLR and bought a K200D, near the end of its (extremely short) production run and it served me well for 10 years. I doubt I ever would have traded it in on a K3 II if I hadn't tried my friend's new-ish Nikon D3700 (I think) and was just impressed with how much faster and smoother it did, well, everything. The Pentax guys had a K3 II and a KP at the New York Photo Expo this past October, and I just found the K3 II far easier for me to handle than the KP, it was every bit as good as my buddy's Nikon (even he liked it), my experience with the K200D made the top screen and controls familiar and I kept thinking about it after the show. I liked the K70, as well, but with my arthritic hands, the lack of a battery grip option ultimately made that one a no-go for me. Anyway, once B&H offered the K3 II with a grip for less than the KP, that was it. At almost 60, this is without a doubt more camera than I'll ever need. It's very hard to imagine any camera coming out in the next 5-10 years that I'm just going to have to have, unless I go full frame, but even then it would just be I'll get even lazier and I won't have to adjust the focal length on my old KA lenses. Sure, nobody is going to want my K3 II when my shutter fires for the last time, but I won't know anything other than I loved it and used it to the end. Of course, you mileage may vary.