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04-13-2017, 08:24 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by Reed Quote
Then it was closed.
Yes, it turned into a section for rants and unrealistic requests. That and the support from Ricoh sort of, ummmm, dried up and disappeared.


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04-13-2017, 08:32 AM   #17
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I read that should've been another update for k-1 in the end of March, no luck so far. Wondering what they'd add (if anything). I doubt they can fix the only real issue I'm experiencing with my k-1 - annoying mirror slap / shutter shock all the way from 1/25 to 1/200 on the wide end of my DFA 28-105 making it hard to use hand held. Yesterday I couldn't achieve iso 100 at f8 (which is the sharpest aperture for the lens) shooting at sunset with cpl attached, had to step up iso or increase f stop more (to achieve 1/25). Really starts to annoy me honestly.
04-13-2017, 08:43 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by claskowski Quote
Not knocking Pentax cameras as they are - but the Ricoh folks seems to only work on their latest model(s) and ignore (but still sell) the others unless there is a major bug - then it is squashed but no features added.
Yes, that sounds about right. As with most products, if one wants the newest features, one generally has to upgrade to the newer models.* To be honest, I am pretty impressed with the firmware update history of your K-3II. In my line of work (software development) a short patch list is generally a sign of job-well-done.

QuoteOriginally posted by deus ursus Quote
KAF4 support on older models I believe would help on selling newer lenses, so that sort of firmware upgrade wouldn't be bad?
I suspect that Ricoh would sort of like to sell you both. Your point is well-made though, assuming that the memory requirements and processor generation on say, your K-5II, are adequate to support KAF4 and that there are people on staff capable of coding the feature to products that are well past EOL.**


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* Unless one buys Fuji
** Sadly EOL appears to be only a few years after a body is no longer available to be sold.

Last edited by stevebrot; 04-13-2017 at 08:51 AM.
04-13-2017, 12:09 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by awscreo Quote
I read that should've been another update for k-1 in the end of March, no luck so far. Wondering what they'd add (if anything). I doubt they can fix the only real issue I'm experiencing with my k-1 - annoying mirror slap / shutter shock all the way from 1/25 to 1/200 on the wide end of my DFA 28-105 making it hard to use hand held. Yesterday I couldn't achieve iso 100 at f8 (which is the sharpest aperture for the lens) shooting at sunset with cpl attached, had to step up iso or increase f stop more (to achieve 1/25). Really starts to annoy me honestly.
V1.4 added EFSC.

04-13-2017, 12:58 PM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
V1.4 added EFSC.
I know, live view is no prob. I always use es on the tripod and get razor sharp results. But hand held, with the use of ovf it's another story. I wish I had more time to test my other lenses, see where it affects other ones (I believe it should be different depending on the focal length used?).
04-13-2017, 01:10 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
I suspect that Ricoh would sort of like to sell you both. Your point is well-made though, assuming that the memory requirements and processor generation on say, your K-5II, are adequate to support KAF4 and that there are people on staff capable of coding the feature to products that are well past EOL.**
Good point, Steve. Another question is, is there perhaps some limitations in older generations of the SAFOX engine that makes them unable to exploit the KAF4 mount?
04-13-2017, 02:30 PM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by awscreo Quote
I know, live view is no prob. I always use es on the tripod and get razor sharp results. But hand held, with the use of ovf it's another story. I wish I had more time to test my other lenses, see where it affects other ones (I believe it should be different depending on the focal length used?).
Ovf/evf is or 2s delay is about the mirror, EFSC is about the shutter. Very different.



04-13-2017, 03:58 PM   #23
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I just upgraded my K-3 to KAF4 - able to use PLM lenses. It strikes me as that is a fairly good firmware upgrade.
04-24-2017, 07:50 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by MarkJerling Quote
Firmware updates would not be able to bring new features to an old camera if the hardware does not support the new feature
Here is the crux of the issue. There is a limit that can be added just through a firmware updates and those limits will vary substantially between models.

That makes the process of updating through firmware a complex process as it has to be tested in multiple models if it is to be general update.

Even confining the firmware update to one camera model requires extensive testing to make sure it won't have any unintended consequences.

Last edited by Theov39; 04-24-2017 at 08:13 AM.
04-24-2017, 08:02 AM   #25
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I think the biggest thing is that Firmware updates aren't top of mind for Pentax engineers. They are working on whatever the next gen cameras are (K3 sequel, K-1 sequel?, 645z sequel?). The most important thing with an update is that you don't want to make things worse. You add mechanical SR to video mode and then suddenly you get K-1s with mirror flap or some such thing.

Eventually the promised updates will come, but they will take more time than we want.

Of course, some stuff isn't possible. I don't know if any of the current sensors/PRIME Engines are capable of 4K video, for example. If they aren't then it wouldn't matter what magic Pentax would pull, that won't come in the future.
04-24-2017, 08:11 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by deus ursus Quote
KAF4 support on older models I believe would help on selling newer lenses, so that sort of firmware upgrade wouldn't be bad?
I would like this too but are there HARDWARE limitations on the older models (eg the K-7) that would prevent KAF4 working on the older models, even with a firmware update?
04-24-2017, 10:04 AM   #27
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Could be, Theov39.
04-24-2017, 04:49 PM - 1 Like   #28
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Firmware updates doesn't necessarily have to mean "upgrades". It could just be simple changes that improve the user experience. Something simple that could be a firmware update is color-customizable focus peaking. Now that's obviously not some killer feature that will keep Pentaxians from upgrading their camera body in the future, but it's little things like this that are not hardware dependent that would certainly make us happier to have.

If it were up to me, I'd hire 3 programmers and lock them in the room and tell them, `your job is to make firmware updates that improve the users' experience using the available hardware'. You'd be surprised how much you can squeeze out of a camera with updates that have little to do with the hardware. The computer industry used to think the money was in the hardware, not the software.... now Bill Gates is rich! Look at what Magic Lantern has accomplished, fears of bricking your camera are grossly exaggerated. Imagine having Auto ETTR as a firmware update, or actual RAW histogram! Would be pretty cool, huh.

Last edited by adjutant; 04-24-2017 at 05:02 PM.
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