[barondla]

A poll, on another site, asks people their favorite feature on the full frame K1. 'The ability to use old K mount lenses' is coming in 3rd place at 10.8%! It is getting beat by:

'shake reduction on full frame' 19.8%
'pixel shift' 16.7%.

The 'astrotracer' at 9.1% is threatening to take 3rd place. This is surprising. Understand shake reduction doing so well. It is a very important feature. As nice as pixel shift is it is no where near as important. Then we have astrotracer. No way that is as important as being able to use old K mount lenses.

This poll is worrisome. Hope our favorite camera company doesn't interpret this the wrong way. Perhaps Adam needs to set up the same poll here for true Pentaxians? Would be interesting to compare results.

Thanks
barondla

[monochrome]

Despite the fact that I own 3 dozen or so K and M lenses I voted for IBIS on FF.

Following the declining prices of several stellar manual focus K, M and A lenses over the past ten years suggests interest in using them on a Pentax dSLR is waning. It looks like prices are strongest on lenses that don't have a modern substitute - extreme telephoto and ultra-wide, 85 and 135. If the Holy Trinity zooms and the 150~450 are good enough, given the modern consumer/enthusiast preference for zooms, demand may not recover.

We're ageing and our replacements have a different preference set.

[jeffryscott]

Just curious why is this worrisome?

What is most important to you isn't necessarily most important to others. I, for example, have no interest in using manual focus, legacy glass on a digital body. If that was my priority, I would probably use something like the Sony A7 that accepts pretty much anything with an adapter. Whereas the other features mentioned, SR, Pixel shift, astrotracer are very compelling to me.

Everybody has their own priorities and while it is nice that Pentax has accommodated users of legacy glass by not changing its mount, it also needs to move forward.

[VoiceOfReason]

Just curious why is this worrisome?

What is most important to you isn't necessarily most important to others. I, for example, have no interest in using manual focus, legacy glass on a digital body. If that was my priority, I would probably use something like the Sony A7 that accepts pretty much anything with an adapter. Whereas the other features mentioned, SR, Pixel shift, astrotracer are very compelling to me.

Everybody has their own priorities and while it is nice that Pentax has accommodated users of legacy glass by not changing its mount, it also needs to move forward.

I couldn't have expressed it any better myself.

[derekkite]

It could be that the thinking goes in the opposite direction. I can buy this new format with lots of interesting features and I already have lenses that will work.

If I bought into another full frame system I would have to buy some lenses.

I've got a collection of lenses some will work well on FF. 43 limited, A50 1.4 a 70,90 and 100mm macro, an older 300 f2.8 and a 500mm f4.5. They all work well on apsc, and decrease the cost of the advantages of FF.

I won't buy the K1 so I can see what that A 50 1.4 will do. I'll buy it for better noise, better af, better SR, etc.

[nomadkng]

A poll, on another site, asks people their favorite feature on the full frame K1. 'The ability to use old K mount lenses' is coming in 3rd place at 10.8%! It is getting beat by:

'shake reduction on full frame' 19.8%
'pixel shift' 16.7%.

The 'astrotracer' at 9.1% is threatening to take 3rd place. This is surprising. Understand shake reduction doing so well. It is a very important feature. As nice as pixel shift is it is no where near as important. Then we have astrotracer. No way that is as important as being able to use old K mount lenses.

This poll is worrisome. Hope our favorite camera company doesn't interpret this the wrong way. Perhaps Adam needs to set up the same poll here for true Pentaxians? Would be interesting to compare results.

Thanks
barondla

"True" Pentaxians? I've owned and used Pentax bodies and lenses for 38 years, but I have no interest in using my 38 year old M50 f2 on a K1. I'm buying a K1 because of the feature set of a FF.

I stuck with Pentax in 2005 when I went with digital, mainly because I trusted Pentax to be a reliable brand with good features at a great price (K10). I got a lot of bang for my buck when the budget was a lot tighter. I purchased 3 Sigma lenses along with my K10 for the same reason, good features at a great price.

I understand some people love the idea of mating modern technology with old reliable lenses in some sort of strange nostalgic symmetry, but I went digital, more specifically AF, in 2005 because I wanted AF and more advanced options than my K1000 gave me. I have no desire, nor do I see any reason, to regress to 1970's technology in my camera any more than I see a reason to go out and find a 1979 pinto to drive just because it was my first car.

I'm certainly not spending $1700 on an advanced camera body so I can attach a $25 pawn shop treasure. I'm spending $1700 on a specific tool I need, and it's accoutrements need to be up to the task as well. That means, high IQ, high resolving, high performing glass. Aside from a few F/FA* lenses, most legacy glass doesn't fall into that category.

To be honest with you, I don't even care about IBIS/ILIS/whatever-IS, Pixel Shifting or Astrotracer either. I want the Signal to Noise Ratio, dynamic range, pure resolution of 36MP and improved AF that the K1 can offer. If that disqualifies me as a "true" Pentaxian, where do I turn in my card?

[DeadJohn]

There's nothing "worrisome" about an internet poll. The "favorite feature" of camera forum readers is unimportant. Most people answering the poll will not purchase a K-1 and most K-1 purchasers will not have answered the poll; that's just how internet polls work.

Polls are slanted by the options presented by the creator. If "the K-1 has a shutter release button" was a poll option I might vote for that because it's an essential feature in any camera.

The ability to use K mount lenses is pretty much a given for any Pentax DSLR. Ricoh knows that they would lose many sales if existing lenses were unusable.

[JeffB]

What "other site"? If it is a non-pentax specific gathering place I would not expect to find it frequented by people with vast collections of old K mount lenses. So it's unlikely they would care about using lenses they do not own. Run the same poll here and you'll likely get different results. Using my old Pentax glass in its original format is the primary reason I will get a K-1.

[Digitalis]

DPR is top heavy with armchair experts and people with more opinions than photographs to back them up...who really cares what they think of pentax?

[aleonx3]

I too do not see anything "worrisome" at all. The ability is used old manual lenses is a bonus but not critical.... I can always use a modern day auto-focus HD coating lens.

[mholford]

wow... this appears to be a polarizing subject...

When I finally (2013) jumped into the DSLR market the #1 reason I went with Pentax was in fact because I had several legacy lenses, including a decent F zoom, and some A and M glass (and some 3rd party) - either mine or my dads. AND I knew that lots of legacy glass was available (some very reasonably priced) to purchase if desired.

Lenses can easily cost many times more than the body - or not - depending on whether 1 or 2 zooms are chosen vs. a dozen primes + zooms... (LBA) - Especially if you have invested in limited or star lenses.

I LOVE the fact that the K-1 will take some specialty older glass such as my K 50mm f1.2; my K200 f2.5, and even my DFA 100 macro. Having invested in several thousand dollars worth of glass, if the new camera body didn't take them I wouldn't consider buying it.

Of course I won't be buying a K-1 anytime soon (unless I happen upon a windfall) but in a couple of years I expect to pick one up used....

[Fenwoodian]

I've got some old Pentax glass, and some newer glass.

I expect that some older Pentax glass will be outstanding on the K1, while other older Pentax glass will be barely adequate.

I'm waiting to see what early K1 adopters have to say about how their old Pentax lenses work out on the new K1 full frame. There will be some pleasant surprises, while others will disappoint.

I prefer manual focus glass, and cherish unique and artistic bokeh. No doubt some older Pentax lenses will be found to have a classic look that overall appeals more than some of the newer, more technical/sterile lenses.

[tvdtvdtvd]

I was surprised "Game changing price for FF" wasn't an option on the poll. All the other options are great features, but had the
camera come in at $3500, those features would not have been generating quite as much excitement.

I too like old, manual lenses, primarily for their feel in the hand. No modern lens feels as satisfying as an old Tak, not a one.
But AF is convenient and there are lots of times when that convenience is needed more than the sheer pleasure of rocking
a heavily dampened barrel.

[JBox]

Older lens compatibility is an issue I care about, but I don't find the poll worrisome for many of the reasons stated here. There are also two things about this subject that don't have a lot of clarity:
1. What is an "old K mount lens"?
2. What exactly would Pentax do at this point that would be a cause for worry?

On the first point, compatibility is already a fair amount different depending on how far back you go. Are people answering the poll thinking of K lenses or FA lenses? Are FA lenses really "old"?

On the second point, the K-1 seems to indicate that the K-mount is staying as is. Old lens compatibility has not changed for the better or worse on the K-1 based on the current specs. Beyond that, would they drop the K-mount altogether? I would say no for the simple reason that this would drop the newest lenses as well as the oldest.

[luftfluss]

A poll, on another site, asks people their favorite feature on the full frame K1. 'The ability to use old K mount lenses' is coming in 3rd place at 10.8%! It is getting beat by:

'shake reduction on full frame' 19.8%
'pixel shift' 16.7%.

The 'astrotracer' at 9.1% is threatening to take 3rd place. This is surprising. Understand shake reduction doing so well. It is a very important feature. As nice as pixel shift is it is no where near as important. Then we have astrotracer. No way that is as important as being able to use old K mount lenses.

This poll is worrisome. Hope our favorite camera company doesn't interpret this the wrong way. Perhaps Adam needs to set up the same poll here for true Pentaxians? Would be interesting to compare results.

Thanks
barondla

K-mount is K-mount. I don't consider the ability use the lenses for which the camera is designed to be a "feature".