[sawitar]

Hello,
Just checked K-70 User Manual. Looks like build in flash is not capable of wireless modes (neither master nor commander).
I had high hopes for Pentax to enable build in flash to work as a HSS commander. bummer

[Not a Number]

Hello,
Just checked K-70 User Manual. Looks like build in flash is not capable of wireless modes (neither master nor commander).
I had high hopes for Pentax to enable build in flash to work as a HSS commander. bummer

Not unexpected on a mid/entry level camera.

[sawitar]

My beaten up K-50 can do wireless master and control mode. While it is not deal breaker it is a disappointment :-(

I'm not using wireless flash control extensively, but it proved to be useful at times (off camera flash with minimal equipment).

[anu l]

My beaten up K-50 can do wireless master and control mode. While it is not deal breaker it is a disappointment :-(

I'm not using wireless flash control extensively, but it proved to be useful at times (off camera flash with minimal equipment).

yes, we needed this in the K-70 since the K-50 also had this.

Also composition adjustment feature isn't present in the K-70 which was there in K-50.

this is disappointing.

---

Last edited by anu l; 06-15-2016 at 03:42 AM.

[reh321]

yes, we needed this in the K-70 since the K-50 also had this.

Also composition adjustment feature isn't present in the K-70 which was there in K-50.

this is disappointing.

Yeah, and neither works with Pentax-M lenses as well as some great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent, or whatever, did.
We can say we are disappointed in what they left out, but I am much more excited by what they've included.
If I had a choice today between buying the K-30 I bought last year or waiting a few months for a K-70, I can tell you with absolute certainty that I would use my Q-7 for a few more months while I waited for the K-70
{I'm guessing that the things left out would have had a cost in resources - such as firmware memory - or actual money, that the designers thought no longer justified it}

I usually call a camera a "failure" if I use it for less than four years, but even if the motors, etc, hold up, I will not wait three years before I buy a K-70 or similar camera, and if I buy that camera because I want its features more than I want the features of the K-30, I will not call the K-30 a "failure".

[Not a Number]

yes, we needed this in the K-70 since the K-50 also had this.

Also composition adjustment feature isn't present in the K-70 which was there in K-50.

this is disappointing.

Well @kenspo has said the K-70 is not a K-30/50 replacement.

[reh321]

Well @kenspo has said the K-70 is not a K-30/50 replacement.

This whole thing is a tad confusing to me. I would expect Pentax to want some kind of splash in three months around Photokina, so I'm expecting even more news in the fairly near future. Even if my K-30 were to succumb to motor issues in the next few months, I don't think I'd feel free to buy a K-70 right away {even though it looks like a wonderful camera} before I know what other choices might be right around the corner.

[Not a Number]

I seems to me that the Ricoh designers and engineers have gained a lot of momentum. Kenspo has been hinting at a lot of under the hood additions/innovations coming up for APS-C bodies. I think Ricoh/Pentax has finally gone through any outstanding designs or projects left over from Hoya - discarding many, green-lighting a few, taken some in new directions as well as adding totally new projects with a fresh view/philosophy.

When the K-3/ii and K-50 replacements are announced hopefully they will cause as much excitement as the K-1 has.

And when Ricoh finally gives video priority I think the video fans will be more than happy with the results. If they remain faithful to Pentax until that time.

[JimC1101]

My beaten up K-50 can do wireless master and control mode. While it is not deal breaker it is a disappointment :-(

I'm not using wireless flash control extensively, but it proved to be useful at times (off camera flash with minimal equipment).

Yeah that is the only disappointing thing I see. I have used my Metz 52 and K-30 and it works great. I think I will be upgrading to the K-70 soon, though the lack of no wireless is not a dealbreaker, it is very disappointing. I don't know what the reason why they omitted it.

[anu l]

Hello,
Just checked K-70 User Manual. Looks like build in flash is not capable of wireless modes (neither master nor commander).
I had high hopes for Pentax to enable build in flash to work as a HSS commander. bummer

Yes, I was expecting this too, but the K-70 except it's name looks like a successor to the K-S2.
The Pentax K-70 one doesn't have wireless flash mode neither composition adjustment.....

but it has 2 Fn buttons, which is more of a mid range feature.

---------- Post added 06-21-16 at 10:58 AM ----------

Yeah that is the only disappointing thing I see. I have used my Metz 52 and K-30 and it works great. I think I will be upgrading to the K-70 soon, though the lack of no wireless is not a dealbreaker, it is very disappointing. I don't know what the reason why they omitted it.

The K-70, K-S2 have flash but no wireless commander.
The K-3 II, K-1 have this but dont have on board flash.....

They should have had this in K-70, would have made a nice USP, but I guess PENTAX was afraid the borderline pro-budget buyers longing for the K-3 II would be even more tempted towards the K-70 since it already has an inbuilt wifi & an articulating screen which K-3 II doesn't have.

[richandfleur]

It's interesting watching this unfold. Now that Pentax has quite a few models, we are seeing some of that 'save that feature for the higher end models' thing that the likes of Canon have done for years.

The K-30 included a lot of the higher end features, just in a body that didn't support a grip, or have a high burst rate and buffer or higher rated shutter and external dials. The software side of things was very similar across the range, but now we're seeing the likes of the flash commander modes not being included in the lower range models.

[normhead]

If only it had the GPS.

There are reports that the k-1 is about 2-3 stops better than a K-3 for high SIO noise. It should be one stop. My guess is that the K-1 high noise algorithms are coming to the K-70 first and will be refined again before coming to the K-3 successor. But, my guess is that the k-70 will restore the equivalence balance between Pentax APs-c and Pentax K-1. Right now the K-1 has a 1 to 2 stop equivalence advantage that has people preferring K-1 crop images to K-3 and K-5 images. That should not be true from a theoretical perspective. Whether the K-70 resolves the issue or just closes the gap, remains to be seen. The guesstimate out there is that a K-1 is about a half stop better for noise than a D810. And the D810 was better than the D800 . So while people want to claim this is all the laws of physics, clearly processing software makes a huge difference.

I think I prefer the K-70 type tilting screen to the K-1/ 645z type screen.

This camera has the most affordable implementation of pixel shift. Coupled with the new noise reduction algorithms, there is a chance this camera will kick the K-3ii's butt in terms of finale IQ in low light.

6 frames per second is disappointing, but it looks like this camera is aimed at 24 MP field duties. I will still have my K-3 for wildlife.WIth it's pixel shift and reworked noise reduction

The ability to transfer images to a laptop in the field with wifi is long over due.

With it's pixel shift and noise reduction and rotating screen, this looks like something I could use as the landscape/macro alternative to the K-1. If only it had a GPS instead of the flash.

For me whether or not I buy this camera depends on whether it will give me equivalent images with a K-1 for the same depth of field, which is what physics says should be the case. If it doesn't well, the K-3 ii successor can't be that far away can it?

[kadajawi]

If only it had the GPS.

There are reports that the k-1 is about 2-3 stops better than a K-3 for high SIO noise. It should be one stop. My guess is that the K-1 high noise algorithms are coming to the K-70 first and will be refined again before coming to the K-3 successor. But, my guess is that the k-70 will restore the equivalence balance between Pentax APs-c and Pentax K-1. Right now the K-1 has a 1 to 2 stop equivalence advantage that has people preferring K-1 crop images to K-3 and K-5 images. That should not be true from a theoretical perspective. Whether the K-70 resolves the issue or just closes the gap, remains to be seen. The guesstimate out there is that a K-1 is about a half stop better for noise than a D810. And the D810 was better than the D800 . So while people want to claim this is all the laws of physics, clearly processing software makes a huge difference.

I think I prefer the K-70 type tilting screen to the K-1/ 645z type screen.

This camera has the most affordable implementation of pixel shift. Coupled with the new noise reduction algorithms, there is a chance this camera will kick the K-3ii's butt in terms of finale IQ in low light.

6 frames per second is disappointing, but it looks like this camera is aimed at 24 MP field duties. I will still have my K-3 for wildlife.WIth it's pixel shift and reworked noise reduction

The ability to transfer images to a laptop in the field with wifi is long over due.

With it's pixel shift and noise reduction and rotating screen, this looks like something I could use as the landscape/macro alternative to the K-1. If only it had a GPS instead of the flash.

For me whether or not I buy this camera depends on whether it will give me equivalent images with a K-1 for the same depth of field, which is what physics says should be the case. If it doesn't well, the K-3 ii successor can't be that far away can it?

While I agree that the lack of GPS is a tad disappointing (though I would be just as disappointed by the lack of flash), as long as all you want to do is tagging you only will need a GPS Logger... for example by running an app on your smartphone. Syncing the files is easy enough. I wouldn't call it a deal breaker.

[anu l]

While I agree that the lack of GPS is a tad disappointing (though I would be just as disappointed by the lack of flash), as long as all you want to do is tagging you only will need a GPS Logger... for example by running an app on your smartphone. Syncing the files is easy enough. I wouldn't call it a deal breaker.

The main reason you need the GPS is because you need it for the Astro-Tracer which is a direct photographic application. geo tagging etc are secondary.

[richandfleur]

You can still add either an external gps or flash, if those are important to you.