[tabl10s]

a review of sorts?

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

[jbinpg]

I would suggest you use the camera a bit more, Ed, before you put down the tilt screen and the body lights. They do come in handy, especially if you do any nighttime work.

I like the extra wheel but if I could choose I would love a larger top lcd.

[Tas]

9:13 into this comes the statement: “...I would say no I’d rather save the 3 ounces and the complexity and the costs shave a hundred bucks off the cost of the camera um and ah let’s roll with a, a fixed screen”

Coming from the K5 this is the first moveable screen I've had to work with on a DSLR and for me, I know it's not perfect but it's worth more than $100 and repesents a very small weight increase to the total weight of the camera. I like wide angle lenses, I like going low and this screen is better than working with a fixed screen in this role. So my opinion differs on this point as this is more than I've had before. Are there more functional designs? Yep. Are they as robust? Probably not. Did the left of field design create a big talking point during the K-1's release and potentially raise the proifle of the Ricoh Pentax system? I think so as not even the 645Z had the amount of previews and commentary as the K-1.

Let's also consider some context. The fact that nobody creates a camera with the features the K-1 has for the price suggests to me that whilst it's not a cheap camera, when you compare like for like the K-1 is great value, only marginally heavier than it's peers and one of the things that differentiates this camera from the D810 and 5D series is the flexibility this screen provides. Is anyone taking bets that the D810 replacement will have a fixed LCD screen? And what has been one of the criticisms of the 5D Mk IV? No tilting screen.

Weird design or not, the lights behind it are handy and if they would be lost due to a different design being adopted, or the weather sealing being less robust form adopting a more video camera based design then I think I will accept the compromises the K-1 has and hope that the next version of the Pentax full frame improves on the functionality and versatility of the current design.

Right, I'm taking my cranky pants off as everyone has a right to an opinion even if I struggle to find the logic in it.

[Qwntm]

I like the extra wheel but if I could choose I would love a larger top lcd.

I think I heard someone else say something like that too....

---------- Post added 10-25-16 at 05:05 PM ----------

9:13 into this comes the statement: “...I would say no I’d rather save the 3 ounces and the complexity and the costs shave a hundred bucks off the cost of the camera um and ah let’s roll with a, a fixed screen”

Coming from the K5 this is the first moveable screen I've had to work with on a DSLR and for me, I know it's not perfect but it's worth more than $100 and repesents a very small weight increase to the total weight of the camera. I like wide angle lenses, I like going low and this screen is better than working with a fixed screen in this role. So my opinion differs on this point as this is more than I've had before. Are there more functional designs? Yep. Are they as robust? Probably not. Did the left of field design create a big talking point during the K-1's release and potentially raise the proifle of the Ricoh Pentax system? I think so as not even the 645Z had the amount of previews and commentary as the K-1.

Let's also consider some context. The fact that nobody creates a camera with the features the K-1 has for the price suggests to me that whilst it's not a cheap camera, when you compare like for like the K-1 is great value, only marginally heavier than it's peers and one of the things that differentiates this camera from the D810 and 5D series is the flexibility this screen provides. Is anyone taking bets that the D810 replacement will have a fixed LCD screen? And what has been one of the criticisms of the 5D Mk IV? No tilting screen.

Weird design or not, the lights behind it are handy and if they would be lost due to a different design being adopted, or the weather sealing being less robust form adopting a more video camera based design then I think I will accept the compromises the K-1 has and hope that the next version of the Pentax full frame improves on the functionality and versatility of the current design.

Right, I'm taking my cranky pants off as everyone has a right to an opinion even if I struggle to find the logic in it.

Definitely an opinion piece. No way any kind of review. I'm working on it... You could call it "Preliminary Impressions."


You make very good points.


I would say that I like the lights, I would just like to see that feature done better, as I said: illuminate the buttons instead like the D5. That's the right way to do it.


I don't see your points as "cranky" at all.

[Kunzite]

Sorry, but I gave up about 2 minutes of nothing on the subject. Maybe I'll try again in the morning.

Of course, both the tilt screen and the LEDs are very useful. As Tas said, neither Canon nor Nikon have an articulated screen in their high resolution FF DSLRs, a fixed screen K-1 means a missed opportunity. And those LEDs? Anyone who changed lenses in the dark would instantly realize they're a brilliant idea.

[blan01]

1. K1 has probably the toughest tilt screen on the market, it is certainly nice to have. As for the extra size, weight and cost, I don't think this is a big deal.
2. The lights are great. I really like them and enjoy using them in the dark. But I agree that the D5 LED button is better
3. As for the control dial, I think it is an improved design for quick access like wifi ,SR, grid etc. But to be honest, It is not prefect. We can change settings like ISO and EV pretty easily on the K3 already.They could have taken out some functions like ISO and EV, this will allow a smaller control dial so that we can have a bigger screen.

[Tan68]

I like the extra wheel but if I could choose I would love a larger top lcd.

Yeah... the wheel is great for immediate access to whatever stuff.

I have decided, though, that I would like the wheel to be replaced with a button + command dial method of selection. The smaller display is ..OK but a larger would be better and I just don't like the extra knob :^)

This would be similar to selecting ISO with button + dial. This should be fast enough... the current selection could be displayed when either the INFO button is pressed or whichever button used in tandem with the dial.

Seeing what the selection is as it is made could be easily displayed on the [3 inch back] LCD but some way to incorporate it into the top LCD would be nice.. this makes my plan not so good. LCD is best for the top display for obvious reasons. Perhaps some of the larger LCD could be dedicated to a row of icons or text characters.

If the third wheel is controlled by soft functions, the order in which function are cycled through could be changed. Functions could be removed to shorten the list. Two favored functions could be selected and then a button press could toggle between them.

[77me]

I don't miss the larger top LCD -- I don't look at it much.

I have never used a D5 or anything else with LED lit buttons, but I can easily find all the buttons in the dark. I like the LED lights.

I like the additional control wheel. I especially like it for switching between crop modes. It is very nice for sports shooting where I can quickly switch to cropped mode to get a better frame rate, then quickly switch back when I don't need it anymore.

[snpsht]

At first I wasn't particularly impressed with either the tilt screen or the extra dial. Now I love them both, especially with the new firmware.

Haven't shot at night yet, but I am betting the lights will be handy this weekend when I will be shooting at a festival at night.

[Imp]

If we're keeping a third dial, I'd say remove the mode dial that controls the third dial and have that menu driven. As you said, so many things on that dial feel like they're just filling space - how about the ability to change what the third dial controls with a simple setting on the info screen - not as quick, but a lot more space on top, while retaining the third wheel. I'd love a third wheel for ISO and Exposure Comp.

[tabl10s]

I think I heard someone else say something like that too....

---------- Post added 10-25-16 at 05:05 PM ----------







Definitely an opinion piece. No way any kind of review. I'm working on it... You could call it "Preliminary Impressions."


You make very good points.


I would say that I like the lights, I would just like to see that feature done better, as I said: illuminate the buttons instead like the D5. That's the right way to do it.


I don't see your points as "cranky" at all.

I posted before seeing the video as I was shocked because you were adamant(my impression)that an FF wasn't needed.

[rawr]

I'm learning to like the top function dial/ setting dial.

The setting dial is very handy and 'one-click' direct when using telephoto to quickly switch between crop and FF mode. That's what I've been using the function/setting dials for most often.

The big and coarse-edged setting dial is also very easy to find by feel along the top of the camera. In comparison, the normal rear e-dial sits in a more cluttered space, and is not well placed for left-eyed shooters too. So I am happy Ricoh assigned some functions to the third dial combo, rather than rely on the existing e-dials.

I agree that the K-1 flippy screen could have been more simply implemented - like the 645Z flippy screen or the Nikon D750's. 645Z and D750 screens are simple but still do the job. I can see the design logic of the K-1 screen, but most flippy screen enthusiasts [myself included] would probably have been happy to just see the 645Z flippy screen grafted onto the K-1.

[jbinpg]

The 3rd dial is a godsend for those wearing gloves needing to change settings.

[Qwntm]

I posted before seeing the video as I was shocked because you were adamant(my impression)that an FF wasn't needed.

Wait for my real "review!"


In a nutshell, Pentax has succeeded in creating a camera (most) nobody needs and (most) everybody wants. (That's a good place to be!)


The review is going to be short: "The K1 is a 36mp FF K3 for under $2,000 USD. Just buy one already." However the discussion will be longer: "Nobody really needs it, (with a very few exceptions) everybody wants it, and lots of people are having nervous breakdowns trying to justify buying it. (When it really needs no more justification than they just want it.)"


So to sum up, FF is still just not as needed, but the K1 is cool and I wanted it so I bought one.

---------- Post added 10-25-16 at 10:27 PM ----------

The 3rd dial is a godsend for those wearing gloves needing to change settings.

That's a really good point I had not considered! Thanks!

---------- Post added 10-25-16 at 10:32 PM ----------

If we're keeping a third dial, I'd say remove the mode dial that controls the third dial and have that menu driven. As you said, so many things on that dial feel like they're just filling space - how about the ability to change what the third dial controls with a simple setting on the info screen - not as quick, but a lot more space on top, while retaining the third wheel. I'd love a third wheel for ISO and Exposure Comp.

That's a really good idea.