[RiceHigh]

Here is a live show report in Traditional Chinese:

DCFever.com - 08 Photokina ?????????

They tried the K-m with the kit lens, they said the AF is very fast, much faster than all other brands' entry level DSLRs with kit lens, even they are ultrasonic! However, they also writes that the K-m generated very large noise for the (fast) AF.

So, Pentax's claim for the AF improvement is verified by 3rd party. What's left is if this new AF system is accurate and now that the K20D and K200D's AF system is now outdated (but replacement models are said to be come by next Summer).

[cabstar]

This part of the interview interested me:

Although basically the AF sensing hardware used in the K-m is the same as that used in the K20D and K200D, newly improved software and calculation algorithms will make it different, in various ways.


So does that mean a firmware update can speed up the AF or am I just being majorly hopeful????

[Buschmaster]

This part of the interview interested me:

Although basically the AF sensing hardware used in the K-m is the same as that used in the K20D and K200D, newly improved software and calculation algorithms will make it different, in various ways.


So does that mean a firmware update can speed up the AF or am I just being majorly hopeful????

We are all hoping "YES" and this would be fantastic, but I have to wonder if it has a stronger motor, too.

This part of the interview interested me:

Although basically the AF sensing hardware used in the K-m is the same as that used in the K20D and K200D, newly improved software and calculation algorithms will make it different, in various ways.


So does that mean a firmware update can speed up the AF or am I just being majorly hopeful????

In theory even faster on a K20D because of the bigger torque of the motor inside.

Radu

P.S. I haven't drink anything in a long time but is it me or RH posted a POSITIVE news about Pentax?? Or the noise thing counters the AF speed, I wonder?

[deejjjaaaa]

So does that mean a firmware update can speed up the AF or am I just being majorly hopeful????

being... no more firmware updates for K10D, so you can count that K20D/K200D will be in the same basket once K30D/K300D hit the stores.

[Isaac314]

Ooh, thanks for that one. Nice to hear you having a possible change of heart about pentax (even if your blog is as hilarious as ever)...

[wlachan]

In theory even faster on a K20D because of the bigger torque of the motor inside.

Sounds like what they did to the Z-1p. Fast with good torque but noisy. Not a complaint btw.

[deejjjaaaa]

Sounds like what they did to the Z-1p. Fast with good torque but noisy. Not a complaint btw.

Z-1p did not have cross AF sensors - just linear and apparently that linear one was bigger (or getting more light) than horizontal or vertical parts in current cross sensor... my guess... didn't it (Z-1p) focus faster and more reliable than current digital bodies ?

[wlachan]

Z-1p did not have cross AF sensors - just linear and apparently that linear one was bigger (or getting more light) than horizontal or vertical parts in current cross sensor... my guess... didn't it (Z-1p) focus faster and more reliable than current digital bodies ?

Faster but no more reliable. The issue with the current Pentax AF is that they all have wide area sensors which can be easily distracted by anything being covered by the chosen sensor. Z-1p has narrow AF sensor so you can pinpoint the focus, something is no always possible with Pentax DSLRs.

[deejjjaaaa]

Faster but no more reliable. The issue with the current Pentax AF is that they all have wide area sensors which can be easily distracted by anything being covered by the chosen sensor. Z-1p has narrow AF sensor so you can pinpoint the focus, something is no always possible with Pentax DSLRs.

wider because of being cross type sensor (2 dimension) or wider because in each direction new sensor is longer ? and the issues are 1) low light performance 2) tungsten light vs daylight ... if there is another object covered by the sensor that forces AF to focus on it instead of the intended target - how does it affect the speed (we are talking about AF.S here)... AF just selects the one which will be in focus first.

PS: Z-1p has IR cut filter in AF module - does current SAFOX still have IR cut filters ?

[code4code5]

Thank you, RH. I think we can all count that as very good news for the Pentax camp.

Thank you RH, good news for a change.

[JonPB]

Just a quick observation about the review; this is slightly off-topic. Okay, completely off-topic. Leica shows off its products with a rich-hipster type in a Burberry tie. Sigma struts its amazingly big glass. Panasonic shows off a red-bodied camera and a glass-encased rock garden. Pentax? Well. Pentax has its entry-level camera on a plastic pedestal. (Oh, and its new lenses.) Showing off its product for whatever that's worth. I admire Pentax for that.









Faster AF is welcome, too. :-)

[roentarre]

From the site, there is an interesting phrase

"New kit lens on KM body is surprisingly faster than the aufocus capability of the kit lens on canon and nikon latest cameras".

We all know the kit lenses on canikon are simply trash.

But the autofucs speed seems to be the main stressor point in that article.

[Lazar]

Ooh, thanks for that one. Nice to hear you having a possible change of heart about pentax (even if your blog is as hilarious as ever)...

Funny thing is that when he has something good to say about Pentax, like here, he doesn't put it on his blog...