[WPRESTO]

Amen. Those wretched bungs are aggravating to use, and they scream "CHEAP!".

1. Just get rid of any cover over the cable release socket;

2. Better: put on a metal release button with a threaded socket for a traditional mechanical cable release - how difficult or expensive can this be????

3. On the base, add a little hole for a video pin to prevent twisting with either quick release plates or tripod heads that have this little, simple, cheap, sensible, extremely effective feature. Why on earth was this not standard decades ago?? AND DO NOT SAY IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH ROOM, the excuse given during the film age (...it would interfere with the film winding mechanism... HA!).

4. An articulated or at least tilting screen, and don't tell me it would make the camera too bulky which is not the Pentax "style."

[Nerdlinger]

Dear Pentax,
Please lower the cost of your line of lenses...these things will break the bank trying to get a kit together!!!!

[grhazelton]

1. Just get rid of any cover over the cable release socket;

2. Better: put on a metal release button with a threaded socket for a traditional mechanical cable release - how difficult or expensive can this be????

3. On the base, add a little hole for a video pin to prevent twisting with either quick release plates or tripod heads that have this little, simple, cheap, sensible, extremely effective feature. Why on earth was this not standard decades ago?? AND DO NOT SAY IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH ROOM, the excuse given during the film age (...it would interfere with the film winding mechanism... HA!).

4. An articulated or at least tilting screen, and don't tell me it would make the camera too bulky which is not the Pentax "style."

Hear, hear! My 645n can use either a wired release, or a mechanical cable release, that which was given us by The Photo Gods lo, these many, many years ago! But please, not the Leica style with the little trim ring surrounding the shutter button which always gets lost!

[pb_red]

Dear Pentax...

I will not spend another dime on Pentax gear until I can get radio wireless TTL (preferably over ad-hoc wi-fi).

Like many customers I started out with a Pentax camera which was good. Then I bought some Pentax lenses which were nice. Then I bought a Pentax flash which does TTL although I later regretted the purchase. Like many others I upgraded my camera body too. So now I have a system and I bet you want me to continue building and upgrading this system. However, you are not giving me anything half-way decent to light my shots!

Since the model I shoot is a fast moving baby who won't sit still big professional flash units are no good. Manual settings are out too since she moves around and lighting changes with every turn of her head. Hot-shoe attached flash and optical wireless suck because the flash startles her.

Now if only technology existed which would let me use a small, strategically placed, flash or two with TTL without using pulses of light to send data... Hmmm, well, if Pentax doesn't have this technology then there's no way CanNikon or third parties could have something like that... Oh, wait...

But seriously, if Pentax doesn't have a lighting solution by the time I get around to buying my next camera body I will sell off my lenses and move to a different system. This would be sad so Pentax, please give me something to work with! (And spend money on!)

[Adinfinitum]

3. On the base, add a little hole for a video pin to prevent twisting with either quick release plates or tripod heads that have this little, simple, cheap, sensible, extremely effective feature. Why on earth was this not standard decades ago?? AND DO NOT SAY IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH ROOM, the excuse given during the film age (...it would interfere with the film winding mechanism... HA!).

Agree 100% - this, although small in the scale of things, is very annoying.

4. An articulated or at least tilting screen, and don't tell me it would make the camera too bulky which is not the Pentax "style."

Wouldn't this compromise the WR feature?

[bobandirus]

Dear Pentax,

If you put the internals of the Ricoh GR into a super-A sized body, I'd buy it in a heartbeat, if I could afford it. It'd just need weather resistance, in body anti shake, and a split prism. I'd happily lose in body auto focus. Call the mount KAF-3, and use it in compact bodies. I'd even be very happy for the body to grow a mm in each direction to gain weather sealing. Olympus managed weather resistance in the OM-D. You could even use micro-sd cards to save some space.

[WPRESTO]

Agree 100% - this, although small in the scale of things, is very annoying.


Wouldn't this compromise the WR feature?

For me, WR is insignificant compared to being able to tilt a screen so as to compose with the camera at or near ground level. Awkward shooting angles, where a tilting to tilt/swivel screen would be enormously helpful, turn up vastly more often than any threat from moisture.

[Clavius]

For me, WR is insignificant compared to being able to tilt a screen so as to compose with the camera at or near ground level. Awkward shooting angles, where a tilting to tilt/swivel screen would be enormously helpful, turn up vastly more often than any threat from moisture.

Then I'm curious why you chose Pentax in the first place.

[WPRESTO]

Then I'm curious why you chose Pentax in the first place.

I purchased my first Pentax before either Nikon or Canon had introduced their first SLR. Lost count of how many Pentax bodies have followed that Asahi Pentax S*. Because of investment in lenses, and brand loyalty, I've stayed with Pentax. Selection of Pentax preceded a waterproof Pentax body by decades.

* can remember: Asahi Pentax S; Honeywell Pentax; Spotmatic (original version, which I still own); ME super; PZ 10; PZ 20; LX, ZX 5n (still owned); *ist; K10, K20 (still owned); and now K5. The oldest lens still owned is an SMC 50mm f1.4, although I cannot remember when it was last used (have a Pentax K to S adapter from when I shifted from S to K mount). Also have a 49mm thread close-up lens purchased about 1960 that is routinely used on the 40mm & 70mm DA lenses, especially useful on the latter, and a set of Spiratone S-thread extension tubes of about the same vintage.

[Waratah]

- option of a quality model body without live view (one less button to weather seal (and bump)
- prefer not to have the rubber flap doors for video/pc power and mic jack
- a weather resistant flash - would be happy if it was fairly low tech, want robust, weather resistant, GN 30-40 would do
- Some mechanical strap connection - quick release and hook up (threaded? pinned? clipped?)
- would die to have a 35-105 DA* lens (DC focus as from 18-135, rest from 50-135)
- likewise a WR 40 mm ltd
- dual cards
- on k5dII slightly more room between flash and mode select dial
- and also on k5II one thing, just a thought but the AF.S C M button/dial feels weak (it may not be) - the k200 sliding button feels stronger (it may not be)

- and would love to see firm ware ideas updated for older models - if there are opportunities

Other than that - love the product and the brand.

[WPRESTO]

The few changes I really want (posted above) are all low-tech involving changing a few molds and outer body parts, but there is one high-tech I'd like to see. The tethered shooting of the K10-20 was or would have been very useful except for one glaring omission: NO LIVE VIEW ON A COMPUTER SCREEN.

PENTAX: Please, please please reintroduce tethered shooting WITH LIVE VIEW ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN.

I'm getting old, and after two hip replacements (man of titanium!) It its difficult or impossible for me to get down on the ground for the low level shots I once did routinely. The refconverter A makes it possible, but it is awkward to use. Short of a tilting screen, PROVIDE TETHERED SHOOTING WITH LIVE VIEW ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN. It would be such a blessing for macro work!

AND: PUT A VIDEO PIN HOLE INTO THE BASEPLATE MOLD. SIMPLE, CHEAP, EFFECTIVE SENSIBLE, PRACTICAL - NOTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT IT. SHOULD HAVE BEEN STANDARD ON ALL 35MM BODIES 40 YEARS AGO YET NOT ONE MANUFACTURER HAS HAD THE INSIGHT OR SENSITIVITY OR IMAGINATION TO ADD THIS TINY LITTLE INNOVATION. EVERY VIDEO CAMERA HAS THIS 100% RELIABLE FEATURE, BUT IT'S NOT BEEN PUT ONTO ONE SINGLE 35MM OR DIGITAL CAMERA BODY. BE ORIGINAL! START A TREND! IF FUJI CAN RESURRECT A CABLE RELEASE THREADED SHUTTER BUTTON ON ONE OF ITS X-SERIES BODIES, YOU CAN PUT A VIDEO PIN HOLE INTO THE BASE PLATE MOLD. DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! But I think that Pentax designers do not listen to customers, are so enthralled by technological features that they just cannot think about such a simple change, or just do not care. I suspect that the drawing board crews of both camera and automobile manufacturers never actually use the products they design.

[Clavius]

The few changes I really want (posted above) are all low-tech involving changing a few molds and outer body parts, but there is one high-tech I'd like to see. The tethered shooting of the K10-20 was or would have been very useful except for one glaring omission: NO LIVE VIEW ON A COMPUTER SCREEN.

PENTAX: Please, please please reintroduce tethered shooting WITH LIVE VIEW ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN.

I'm getting old, and after two hip replacements (man of titanium!) It its difficult or impossible for me to get down on the ground for the low level shots I once did routinely. The refconverter A makes it possible, but it is awkward to use. Short of a tilting screen, PROVIDE TETHERED SHOOTING WITH LIVE VIEW ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN. It would be such a blessing for macro work!

Excellent idea... But wouldn't you enjoy wireless tethered shooting with live on an android/ios/windows tablet even more so? I mean, you can take those with you more easily then your computer.

[WPRESTO]

Excellent idea... But wouldn't you enjoy wireless tethered shooting with live on an android/ios/windows tablet even more so? I mean, you can take those with you more easily then your computer.

Wireless would be great, but I'd settle for a USB connection, especially because we can't even get a tilting screen, much less swiveling.

AND A VIDEO PIN HOLE !$@#*^%$&$**^^ IT! A year after Pentax, Nikon, Canon had a base plate video pin hole, there would be 100+ different Arca-Swiss plates with video pins.

[Couscousdelight]

Hey Pentax,
Why don't you propose us a remake of the amazing FA* 85mm f1.4 ?
You've got the formula, put it a DC or SDM motorization, a HD treatment, and you'll make a hit.

[Traditional]

Hey Pentax,
Why don't you propose us a remake of the amazing FA* 85mm f1.4? You've got the formula, put it a DC or SDM motorization, a HD treatment, and you'll make a hit.

Hopefully Pentax will make it in a weather sealed version..!