[robtcorl]

The Dooooomsayers think it will be the K-Put.

[D1N0]

The Pentax K-4 4K I heard. Somebody who knows somebody important at Ricoh Kazachstan told me this is a 100% sure bet.

[boriscleto]

Here ya go...



Still not as high in the results as the other forum...

[Steve.Ledger]

Pentax has never used the number 4 in a model name. I understand it's an unlucky number there.

Pentax have often used '4' in their model numbers. Even as far back as the Optio S4.

Panasonic (another Japanese company) also use it, GH4 (for example)

[lithedreamer]

As a point against claims of SEO, other numbers unrelated to existing bodies don't seem to bring up the webstore or get mentioned in the name.

[stevebrot]

I think the LX designation was interconnected with a major anniversary for Asahi Optical and I doubt they'd reuse those letters.

LX was the flagship pro-level film camera for over 20 years and was game changer in many ways when it debuted in 1980. It has a somewhat legendary reputation and would be an obvious choice.


Steve

[carrrlangas]

Actually, it simply can`t be named K-4 becouse the number 4 is a bad luck number in japan.

[Steve.Ledger]

Actually, it simply can`t be named K-4 becouse the number 4 is a bad luck number in japan.

See post#19

[carrrlangas]

See post#19

Ups, should have read throughly.
True, they`ve used it but not for any K or Q mount camera. I can think of models with -1,2,3,5,7.
there`s the WG-4 though and it`s a relevant current model..

[stevebrot]

Actually, it simply can`t be named K-4 becouse the number 4 is a bad luck number in japan.

K-8 then We can call it "Kate"


Steve

[lithedreamer]

The only obvious mention of K-8 I could find: Re: Should I wait for the Pentax K-8, or get a D90 now?: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
cameraphilia nervosa

[WPRESTO]

LX was the flagship pro-level film camera for over 20 years and was game changer in many ways when it debuted in 1980. It has a somewhat legendary reputation and would be an obvious choice.


Steve

FYI: I checked, out of curiosity and a desire to confirm memory, and the "LX" was intended to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Asahi Optical, originally a manufacturer of eyeglass lenses. The LX was an eye-opening camera when introduced, although not as much as the original 1957 Pentax. I owned one - it was a gem, but IMHO a little bit fragile rather than rugged. For example, the dial around the rewind crank had a rubber insert rim, but it tended to get loose and needed to be reglued. The all-metal dial of the Nikon FA I had for a several years was not as elegant, but it was far more solid & functional. Also, the TTL flash control of the LX stopped functioning so the body had to be sent to Pentax for servicing, being the only Pentax of almost a dozen I've owned that needed service. although the meter on both my Spotmatic (original version) and ME eventually failed, and one model, forget which, had the "sticky mirror" problem when the foam strip got old.

BTW: The original 1957 Pentax introduced/innovated body design features that became so standard on the vast majority of subsequent SLRs that people forget they started with Pentax Among these design features: single-stroke rapid wind lever on upper right; instant return mirror; rewind button @ right end of base plate; film reminder dial, later ASA setting dial, around base of upper left rewind; fold-out rewind crank rather than just a dial; microprism focusing aid at center of fresnel focussing screen (although many/most manufacturers, including eventually Pentax, tended to prefer a split prism with microprism doughnut). I think that Pentax also was the first SLR with a mirror box deep enough to accommodate a very long mirror, long enough to prevent edge cut-off when using longer telephoto lenses. Alpa clung to a flat body with a short mirror so that even their very last models suffered intolerable cut-off with telephoto lenses. Both Nikon and Canon copied these features when they introduced their first SLR bodies a few years later, except that the original Canonflex had a unique base plate mounted film advance lever, soon abandoned.

[Clavius]

I hope that when they get to the K-9, the premium edition model includes a wool grip weaved from combed-off excess golden retriever fur. Or a pop-up flash diffused by those pointy human teeth. Or both. Both would be best.

Apart from being disgusting, that camera would also be the first one to which a lot of people will be allergic to.

[wtlwdwgn]

BTW: The original 1957 Pentax introduced/innovated body design features that became so standard on the vast majority of subsequent SLRs that people forget they started with Pentax Among these design features: single-stroke rapid wind lever on upper right; instant return mirror; rewind button @ right end of base plate; film reminder dial, later ASA setting dial, around base of upper left rewind; fold-out rewind crank rather than just a dial; microprism focusing aid at center of fresnel focussing screen (although many/most manufacturers, including eventually Pentax, tended to prefer a split prism with microprism doughnut). I think that Pentax also was the first SLR with a mirror box deep enough to accommodate a very long mirror, long enough to prevent edge cut-off when using longer telephoto lenses. Alpa clung to a flat body with a short mirror so that even their very last models suffered intolerable cut-off with telephoto lenses. Both Nikon and Canon copied these features when they introduced their first SLR bodies a few years later, except that the original Canonflex had a unique base plate mounted film advance lever, soon abandoned.

Wasn't Pentax also the first to have an automatic diaphragm in the lenses?

[WPRESTO]

Wasn't Pentax also the first to have an automatic diaphragm in the lenses?

Depends on what you want for "automatic." Exacta lenses had a button that sat over the front-of-camera shutter release. As you pressed, the diaphragm closed gradually to the pre-selected stop before the shutter was released, then the diaphragm opened as you raised your finger off the button*. Alpa used the same type of mechanism, but I'm not sure that Alpas were introduced before Pentax. The first model "K" Pentax** had an "automatic" diaphragm with a lever on the lens that had to be cocked back, then when the shutter release top right of camera was pressed, a pedal-like device hit a pin releasing the cocked diaphragm lever which would snap shut very quickly before the shutter went off. The lever had to be re-cocked for each shot to keep the diaphragm open.

The immense success of Pentax in the late 50's through the 60's resided in the basic, user-friendly layout of controls: right-top wind lever, shutter, release and shutter-speed dial; rewind crank; instant-return mirror; long mirror preventing edge loss with long lenses; and a finder brighter and easier to focus than any on either an SLR or a reflex housing,

*Exacta cameras had a number of odd features other than the front-mounted, press back shutter release. There was a wind crank on the left that operated from the front of the camera around toward the back (operate with left index finger), and a built-in film cutting knife so you could snip off some or all of the film without rewinding into the cassette. Exactas also had an extended low speed dial, up to 30 seconds as I recall.

**Model "K" Pentax had the cocking diaphragm, the concurrent model "S" was strictly pre-set or manual diaphragm. Early ads by Pentax had the two cameras facing squarely at you, one above the other, with the question: "Which Pentax?"