Dear Pentax

Robert Barnett · 12-30-2008, 09:48 AM

I would like to see them add back lit buttons as well as a back lite button on/off button for those of us that do low-light/no-light photography. Right now finding the right button in the dark is very much hit and miss.

Robert

dopeytree · 12-30-2008, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by Robert Barnett

I would like to see them add back lit buttons as well as a back lite button on/off button for those of us that do low-light/no-light photography. Right now finding the right button in the dark is very much hit and miss.

Robert

Yes! That'd be awesome but only aslong as your could turn the function off it wanted, what about glow in the dark?

kenyee · 12-30-2008, 10:32 AM

For the K20D's lens adjustments, please allow us to store adjustments at different focal lengths for zooms and then interpolate between the adjustments for other focal lengths. E.g., the Tamron 28-75 has the weird BF I've seen...it'll BF at 28mm but by the time it gets to 75m, it's FF'ing. You can't compensate for this behavior with a single lens adjustment...
Should be an easy firmware change...

kenyee · 12-30-2008, 10:47 AM

Another quick one: let us define when the AF assist popup kicks in. Nikon/Canon seem to kick theirs in earlier and if that would help low-light focusing speed, let us adjust when we want it to kick in...default +1ev, +2ev, etc.
Should be another easy firmware change ;-)

MRRiley · 12-30-2008, 11:00 AM

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet (I know cause I actually looked thru the entire 11 previous pages)...

LX style strap lugs or something analogous on all 4 corners of the body... 2 more for the battery grip. The current strap mount system SUCKS!

kenyee · 12-30-2008, 12:25 PM

Improve MLU so we can fire the shutter a bunch of times in a MLU window of 30-60sec (and show liveview on the rear LCD). This is a feature found in Canon/Nikon models. A few people in this thread mentioned "true mirror lockup" but I'm not sure if this is what that means.

DVI or HDMI video output would be another good thing to add since competitor models have it. The days of S-video/composite video are numbered...

Robert Barnett · 12-30-2008, 12:35 PM

Doesn't glow in the dark require a light to shine on it first? If not then that would be fine.

As for the on/off switch yes that would have to be a must. I wouldn't mind the lights be run off a second smaller battery like a rechargable AAA.

Robert

Tommy · 12-30-2008, 01:24 PM

Originally posted by Robert Barnett

Doesn't glow in the dark require a light to shine on it first? If not then that would be fine.

As for the on/off switch yes that would have to be a must. I wouldn't mind the lights be run off a second smaller battery like a rechargable AAA.

Robert

In case backlit buttons doesn't compromise the weather sealing and can be turned off, I wouldn't mind. But what about an external USB-lamp.......could maybe be powered by the USB connection on the camera and the problem is solved without a new camera ;-)

Ok, not so practical solution and not very weather sealed either.....but still...

kenyee · 12-30-2008, 02:57 PM

One more quick request that probably goes along w/ fast focus...add a focus point for f/2.8 focusing like Canon did. I have no idea what that even means but Canons w/ this focus even faster than ones w/o this in dim light...

Yonnie · 12-30-2008, 06:04 PM

Originally posted by MRRiley

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet (I know cause I actually looked thru the entire 11 previous pages)...

LX style strap lugs or something analogous on all 4 corners of the body... 2 more for the battery grip. The current strap mount system SUCKS!

I didn't search through the previous pages for this but I think this is an excellent idea.

kenyee · 12-31-2008, 07:01 AM

Another easy firmware change:
- be able to set the popup flash to be an AF lamp only (no contributing flash)
I thought a workaround would have been to set it to commander mode, but in commander mode, Shake Reduction is totally disabled and you need SR in low light situations.

kenyee · 12-31-2008, 08:11 AM

Yet another easy firmware change:
- add an option to disable dark frame subtraction on the K20D

Ratmagiclady · 01-02-2009, 08:35 AM

I actually have a firmware idea: allow the USER setting to be set for a specific combination of ISO and in-camera processing, (I actually use a lot of this due to limited computer power/patience: it's be nice to be able to get *out* of this quickly, and back, short of switching to RAW. (When I'd have my Lumix compact set to monochrome, I'd often just jump to idiot mode if I needed a color snap: it was fairly convenient.

Perhaps if Green mode could be configurable, that'd make it more useful to those who don't generally use green mode.

soccerjoe5 · 01-02-2009, 11:03 PM

I really like the idea of backlit buttons. That would make it a lot more outdoor-friendly. It's something I really love about the Macbook Pro.

Please Pentax give us the AF-Assist lamp too.

The strap lugs would be great too.

These are all minor things but would make a lot of us a whole lot happier.

soccerjoe5 · 01-03-2009, 12:12 AM

I'd like to ask Pentax for a better flash sync speed please. At least 1/250.

While the high sync speed setting on the external flashes is nice, it really eats up power.

12-30-2008, 09:48 AM	#166
Robert Barnett Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Santa Rosa, CA Posts: 65	Back lit Buttons... I would like to see them add back lit buttons as well as a back lite button on/off button for those of us that do low-light/no-light photography. Right now finding the right button in the dark is very much hit and miss. Robert

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12-30-2008, 10:17 AM	#167
dopeytree Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 619	Originally posted by Robert Barnett I would like to see them add back lit buttons as well as a back lite button on/off button for those of us that do low-light/no-light photography. Right now finding the right button in the dark is very much hit and miss. Robert Yes! That'd be awesome but only aslong as your could turn the function off it wanted, what about glow in the dark?

12-30-2008, 10:32 AM	#168
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	For the K20D's lens adjustments, please allow us to store adjustments at different focal lengths for zooms and then interpolate between the adjustments for other focal lengths. E.g., the Tamron 28-75 has the weird BF I've seen...it'll BF at 28mm but by the time it gets to 75m, it's FF'ing. You can't compensate for this behavior with a single lens adjustment... Should be an easy firmware change...

12-30-2008, 10:47 AM	#169
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Another quick one: let us define when the AF assist popup kicks in. Nikon/Canon seem to kick theirs in earlier and if that would help low-light focusing speed, let us adjust when we want it to kick in...default +1ev, +2ev, etc. Should be another easy firmware change ;-)

12-30-2008, 11:00 AM	#170
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275	Since it hasn't been mentioned yet (I know cause I actually looked thru the entire 11 previous pages)... LX style strap lugs or something analogous on all 4 corners of the body... 2 more for the battery grip. The current strap mount system SUCKS!

12-30-2008, 12:25 PM	#171
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Improve MLU so we can fire the shutter a bunch of times in a MLU window of 30-60sec (and show liveview on the rear LCD). This is a feature found in Canon/Nikon models. A few people in this thread mentioned "true mirror lockup" but I'm not sure if this is what that means. DVI or HDMI video output would be another good thing to add since competitor models have it. The days of S-video/composite video are numbered...

12-30-2008, 12:35 PM	#172
Robert Barnett Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Santa Rosa, CA Posts: 65	Doesn't glow in the dark require a light to shine on it first? If not then that would be fine. As for the on/off switch yes that would have to be a must. I wouldn't mind the lights be run off a second smaller battery like a rechargable AAA. Robert

12-30-2008, 01:24 PM	#173
Tommy Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 195	Originally posted by Robert Barnett Doesn't glow in the dark require a light to shine on it first? If not then that would be fine. As for the on/off switch yes that would have to be a must. I wouldn't mind the lights be run off a second smaller battery like a rechargable AAA. Robert In case backlit buttons doesn't compromise the weather sealing and can be turned off, I wouldn't mind. But what about an external USB-lamp.......could maybe be powered by the USB connection on the camera and the problem is solved without a new camera ;-) Ok, not so practical solution and not very weather sealed either.....but still...

12-30-2008, 02:57 PM	#174
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	One more quick request that probably goes along w/ fast focus...add a focus point for f/2.8 focusing like Canon did. I have no idea what that even means but Canons w/ this focus even faster than ones w/o this in dim light...

12-30-2008, 06:04 PM	#175
Yonnie Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tennessee, USA Posts: 110	Originally posted by MRRiley Since it hasn't been mentioned yet (I know cause I actually looked thru the entire 11 previous pages)... LX style strap lugs or something analogous on all 4 corners of the body... 2 more for the battery grip. The current strap mount system SUCKS! I didn't search through the previous pages for this but I think this is an excellent idea.

12-31-2008, 07:01 AM	#176
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Another easy firmware change: - be able to set the popup flash to be an AF lamp only (no contributing flash) I thought a workaround would have been to set it to commander mode, but in commander mode, Shake Reduction is totally disabled and you need SR in low light situations.

12-31-2008, 08:11 AM	#177
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Yet another easy firmware change: - add an option to disable dark frame subtraction on the K20D

01-02-2009, 08:35 AM	#178
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	I actually have a firmware idea: allow the USER setting to be set for a specific combination of ISO and in-camera processing, (I actually use a lot of this due to limited computer power/patience: it's be nice to be able to get out of this quickly, and back, short of switching to RAW. (When I'd have my Lumix compact set to monochrome, I'd often just jump to idiot mode if I needed a color snap: it was fairly convenient. Perhaps if Green mode could be configurable, that'd make it more useful to those who don't generally use green mode.

01-02-2009, 11:03 PM	#179
soccerjoe5 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,343	I really like the idea of backlit buttons. That would make it a lot more outdoor-friendly. It's something I really love about the Macbook Pro. Please Pentax give us the AF-Assist lamp too. The strap lugs would be great too. These are all minor things but would make a lot of us a whole lot happier.

01-03-2009, 12:12 AM	#180
soccerjoe5 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,343	I'd like to ask Pentax for a better flash sync speed please. At least 1/250. While the high sync speed setting on the external flashes is nice, it really eats up power.