K-1 upgrade circuit board or not?

Kunzite · 02-22-2018, 09:26 AM

Originally posted by Bob 256

I thank Ricoh for making this available, but I wish they would adopt a wider time window for the upgrade offer. I don't want to have a forced "rush" job because everyone else is upgrading and I would feel comfortable with more time to decide after I get reports back on others who have taken Ricoh up on the offer. A four month window is pretty skinny!

I guess they don't expect it would be hugely popular; it's an expensive upgrade for not that many improvements after all. I hope they'll extend the time period if necessary.
OTOH I understand the need of putting a deadline.

Dirtfisher · 02-22-2018, 09:39 AM

Has it been confirmed that all of the updates are entirely contained in the new circuit board? I don't want to pay $550 for a K-1 Mark 1.5

I think I'm probably going to sell my current K-1 and preorder the Mark 2.

**eccs19** · 02-22-2018, 09:45 AM

I might consider it, but not until I see if the claims are as good as they say. If they are, then I might consider it. If it's all hot air, and doesn't work as well as they claim, then probably not.

shahnm · 02-22-2018, 10:17 AM - **2 Likes**

I'll probably do the upgrade, but first I need to make sure that there will be a 4-6 month period during which I won't need the camera. That's probably a conservative estimate, given Precision's usual turnaround time...

zzeitg · 02-22-2018, 10:24 AM

In my case it would probably mean to send the K-1 abroad (to Germany), which wouldn't be cheap, wait, wait, wait and hope (that the camera could survive all this travelling).

I tend to say no. Better idea to buy K-1 II and keep both. Anyway my current preference would be K-3 III. To me these new announced features give much more sense for wildlife shooting (using APS-C)...

Maximum ISO increased to 819,200 (+2 stops)
Image Accelerator Unit reduces high-ISO noise and increases color accuracy in RAW and JPEG files
Pixel Shift Resolution System II, increases handheld image resolution thanks to SR integration

shahnm · 02-22-2018, 10:26 AM - **1 Like**

I wonder if the upgrade will void an extended warranty...

zzeitg · 02-22-2018, 10:27 AM

Originally posted by shahnm

I wonder if the upgrade will void an extended warranty...

Probably it will reduce the lifetime if done in a wrong way

pentaxfall · 02-22-2018, 11:17 AM

I am happy with K1 and K3. So I do not plan to buy body for another 4 years. That is good time for technology to evolve to next phase.

tax · 02-22-2018, 11:30 AM - **1 Like**

The only thing that bothers me in K-1 Mark II is that you can shoot with it (670) 90 images less than with K-1 (760) on a single battery charge.
Apparently, Mark II current consumption has increased with an additional processing accelerator and PSR circuitry.
I wonder, whether it is possible to turn off ether one or both of these features to save battery power, when you are not shooting in either low light or PSR modes.

Over all, I really appreciate an upgrade to Mark II offered by Ricoh for all current K-1 users. I have not heard that something similar was offered by CaNikon ever.
I speculate, but it may be a sound proposition for Ricoh to offer such periodic hardware upgrades for all their flagship cameras, if their bodies and circuit board dimensions will remain the same. Imagine, how nice it would be to upgrade your K-1 Mark II to Mark III a few years from now with a higher resolution sensor, USB3 and other improvements without paying for a brand new camera.

theWags · 02-22-2018, 11:38 AM

I have three questions to answer before I decide:

1- What can I get for my K1 now, considering I just bought it and it has only about 200 actuations. Would it be cheaper to sell and buy the mk2 than to upgrade?

2- What will the reviews of the new features be, after a couple months? Are the new features worth the upgrade fee?

3- Even if the new features are weak, will the new electronics allow future upgrades that won't be available to original K1 owners?

ozlizard · 02-22-2018, 05:03 PM

No way, not enough new or useful features to justify that, I would rather spend the money on a new lens or filter system.

amoringello · 02-22-2018, 05:45 PM

Too much risk sending it away for some unknown period of time, and to Precision Camera no less.
Who knows when it would come back, and if it will be in working order when it does.
No thanks.

tax · 02-22-2018, 07:49 PM - **2 Likes**

After reading and comparing K-1 vs K-1 Mark II specs I have these unanswered questions:
1. Does this additional image processing accelerator improve RAW image quality at lower ISO's like 100 - 800?
2. Can the claimed improvements in K-1 Mark II AF tracking algorithms be obtained on a regular plain K-1 through the future firmware updates?
3. Can the claimed improvements in K-1 Mark II settings for white and other color balances be obtained on a regular plain K-1 through the future firmware updates?

I checked my K-1 use cases. I personally do not use PSR mode and I very rarely use ISO settings above 1600.
I shoot all my images in RAW DNG format and post process them in Darktable and RawTherapee applications.
Reduced number of images from 760 to 670 (-90) in K-1 Mark II on a single battery charge, in my view is a negative factor in deciding to upgrade my K1 to Mark II specs and spending extra $550 for the new features I will less likely to use anyway. Am I missing something in this reasoning?

aleonx3 · 02-22-2018, 08:22 PM

I think I will wait for reviews from k-1 II users before I decide to upgrade. But I do like that Ricoh offers this upgrade option to existing k-1 owners. Who knows, may be the upgrade price may drop a little after a while. Does anyone know if the upgrade offer is available/valid for my camera bought in Japan?

D1N0 · 02-23-2018, 06:34 AM

The new circuit board is needed for the noise canceling chip. Just give us Sr II through a firmware update. It will work better.

View Poll Results: Will you service upgrade your K-1 to K-1 II?
Yes	74	31.36%
No	29	12.29%
I have not decided yet	96	40.68%
Not relevant to me (I have another camera etc)	28	11.86%
No. I have a K-1 but will buy a new K-1 II	9	3.81%
Voters: 236. You may not vote on this poll

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02-22-2018, 09:26 AM	#16
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	Originally posted by Bob 256 I thank Ricoh for making this available, but I wish they would adopt a wider time window for the upgrade offer. I don't want to have a forced "rush" job because everyone else is upgrading and I would feel comfortable with more time to decide after I get reports back on others who have taken Ricoh up on the offer. A four month window is pretty skinny! I guess they don't expect it would be hugely popular; it's an expensive upgrade for not that many improvements after all. I hope they'll extend the time period if necessary. OTOH I understand the need of putting a deadline.

02-22-2018, 09:39 AM	#17
Dirtfisher New Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 13	Has it been confirmed that all of the updates are entirely contained in the new circuit board? I don't want to pay $550 for a K-1 Mark 1.5 I think I'm probably going to sell my current K-1 and preorder the Mark 2.

02-22-2018, 09:45 AM	#18
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510	I might consider it, but not until I see if the claims are as good as they say. If they are, then I might consider it. If it's all hot air, and doesn't work as well as they claim, then probably not.

02-22-2018, 10:17 AM - 2 Likes	#19
shahnm Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 26	I'll probably do the upgrade, but first I need to make sure that there will be a 4-6 month period during which I won't need the camera. That's probably a conservative estimate, given Precision's usual turnaround time...

02-22-2018, 10:24 AM	#20
zzeitg Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: South Bohemia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,017	In my case it would probably mean to send the K-1 abroad (to Germany), which wouldn't be cheap, wait, wait, wait and hope (that the camera could survive all this travelling). I tend to say no. Better idea to buy K-1 II and keep both. Anyway my current preference would be K-3 III. To me these new announced features give much more sense for wildlife shooting (using APS-C)... Maximum ISO increased to 819,200 (+2 stops) Image Accelerator Unit reduces high-ISO noise and increases color accuracy in RAW and JPEG files Pixel Shift Resolution System II, increases handheld image resolution thanks to SR integration

02-22-2018, 10:26 AM - 1 Like	#21
shahnm Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 26	I wonder if the upgrade will void an extended warranty...

02-22-2018, 10:27 AM	#22
zzeitg Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: South Bohemia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,017	Originally posted by shahnm I wonder if the upgrade will void an extended warranty... Probably it will reduce the lifetime if done in a wrong way

02-22-2018, 11:17 AM	#23
pentaxfall Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bangalore, India Posts: 581	I am happy with K1 and K3. So I do not plan to buy body for another 4 years. That is good time for technology to evolve to next phase.

02-22-2018, 11:30 AM - 1 Like	#24
tax Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Photos: Albums Posts: 113	The only thing that bothers me in K-1 Mark II is that you can shoot with it (670) 90 images less than with K-1 (760) on a single battery charge. Apparently, Mark II current consumption has increased with an additional processing accelerator and PSR circuitry. I wonder, whether it is possible to turn off ether one or both of these features to save battery power, when you are not shooting in either low light or PSR modes. Over all, I really appreciate an upgrade to Mark II offered by Ricoh for all current K-1 users. I have not heard that something similar was offered by CaNikon ever. I speculate, but it may be a sound proposition for Ricoh to offer such periodic hardware upgrades for all their flagship cameras, if their bodies and circuit board dimensions will remain the same. Imagine, how nice it would be to upgrade your K-1 Mark II to Mark III a few years from now with a higher resolution sensor, USB3 and other improvements without paying for a brand new camera.

02-22-2018, 11:38 AM	#25
theWags Closed Account Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Arizona Posts: 46	I have three questions to answer before I decide: 1- What can I get for my K1 now, considering I just bought it and it has only about 200 actuations. Would it be cheaper to sell and buy the mk2 than to upgrade? 2- What will the reviews of the new features be, after a couple months? Are the new features worth the upgrade fee? 3- Even if the new features are weak, will the new electronics allow future upgrades that won't be available to original K1 owners?

02-22-2018, 05:03 PM	#26
ozlizard Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bridgetown West Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 903	No way, not enough new or useful features to justify that, I would rather spend the money on a new lens or filter system.

02-22-2018, 05:45 PM	#27
amoringello Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,562	Too much risk sending it away for some unknown period of time, and to Precision Camera no less. Who knows when it would come back, and if it will be in working order when it does. No thanks.

02-22-2018, 07:49 PM - 2 Likes	#28
tax Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Photos: Albums Posts: 113	After reading and comparing K-1 vs K-1 Mark II specs I have these unanswered questions: 1. Does this additional image processing accelerator improve RAW image quality at lower ISO's like 100 - 800? 2. Can the claimed improvements in K-1 Mark II AF tracking algorithms be obtained on a regular plain K-1 through the future firmware updates? 3. Can the claimed improvements in K-1 Mark II settings for white and other color balances be obtained on a regular plain K-1 through the future firmware updates? I checked my K-1 use cases. I personally do not use PSR mode and I very rarely use ISO settings above 1600. I shoot all my images in RAW DNG format and post process them in Darktable and RawTherapee applications. Reduced number of images from 760 to 670 (-90) in K-1 Mark II on a single battery charge, in my view is a negative factor in deciding to upgrade my K1 to Mark II specs and spending extra $550 for the new features I will less likely to use anyway. Am I missing something in this reasoning?

02-22-2018, 08:22 PM	#29
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	I think I will wait for reviews from k-1 II users before I decide to upgrade. But I do like that Ricoh offers this upgrade option to existing k-1 owners. Who knows, may be the upgrade price may drop a little after a while. Does anyone know if the upgrade offer is available/valid for my camera bought in Japan?

02-23-2018, 06:34 AM	#30
D1N0 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Location: --- Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,802	The new circuit board is needed for the noise canceling chip. Just give us Sr II through a firmware update. It will work better.