[Paul the Sunman]

Darn physics.

The Laws of Physics are not optional.

[BigMackCam]

The Laws of Physics are not optional.

Rats, it's like the image accelerator noise reduction fiasco all over again...

[tvdtvdtvd]

The Laws of Physics are not optional.

Are you saying a Reverse Entropy button is nowhere near ready? Pfffft, scientists; useless!

[robjmitchell]

Well they have that patent for variable transparency mirror coating, so I'm going to guess we will finally see the ovf/evf switchable hybrid.

[Dartmoor Dave]

Maybe it's not a silhouette of a new camera, but a new camera that only shoots silhouettes. It would be a limited market, admittedly, as silhouettes had pretty much gone out of fashion by the end of the 18th Century, but who knows -- it might start a new craze. Before long we could all be wearing knee breeches and powdered wigs, and the term "mass consumption" would go back to its old meaning of tuberculosis epidemics.

[StephenHampshire]

The Laws of Physics are not optional.

Ye cannae change the laws of physics...but perhaps the K3iii will be powered by Di-Lithium crystals and come with a built in Tribble lens cleaner?

[MarkJerling]

Well they have that patent for variable transparency mirror coating, so I'm going to guess we will finally see the ovf/evf switchable hybrid.

Looking at the patent drawing, it would appear that the prism "bump" will need to be quite a bit different to accommodate the new hardware. That will certainly impact the "silhouette" of the camera.

[StarTroop]

Many of the most passionate APSc flagship users want the smaller format for telephoto use with a high frame rate and fast throughput - birders, action shooters and users who want great tracking AF.C. What you propose here would suit their needs quite well. In effect you propose a Pentax D500 killer. Would be very nice, but I don’t see why the silhouette would reveal anything.

That’s just Pentax being Pentax. They want to reserve the silhouette reveal for the very dim viral tease shots that will hit the web a few days before the camera is announced.

Yeah, I guess what I was describing was a "D500 killer", but with the body of the D5. I don't know how useful portait orientation is for wildlife or sports, but from what I'm hearing I'm expecting something surprisingly different from Pentax's usual offerings. This would certainly be surprising.

Please, heaven's no.



Bingo! I know a built in grip would absolutely kill any interest in the next flagship for me.



Burst rate - I'm indifferent, but I understand the want/demand. Is 8.3 fps really not enough?
Lower Resolution - I'm down for that, especially in an APS-C body. My K-3 has plenty of resolution. I want quality pixels, not more.
Several card slots - Given, (or did you want more than two?)
Improved AF - The perennial Pentax want. Does anything else come close? I honestly do believe Pentax would have delivered this a long
time ago if they could. Expect improvements but don't expect Pentax to suddenly become the AF king.
Video - No. Just no. Pentax has held firm that video is not their priority. There are plenty of great video options on the market. See my comments
on AF above, but more so.

I'm not really interested in what I was describing either, but if I'm trying to extrapolate anything from the statements already made by Pentax, and if I try to combine that with my expectation of what Pentax would need to do in order to compete in the marketplace, I think my proposed "K3iii" is quite plausible. Personally the KP is perfect for me, but if something were to exist between it and the K1, I think it would need to fill a niche not currently occupied by anything in the lineup, in order to justify its existence.

[UncleVanya]

So long as it's user configurable and not constantly enabled, I'm all for it

Lol. Yes indeed.

[Neuse River Sailor]

Following Fujifilm's path, the new camera will have retro styling and functions that make it look and work like a Spotmatic F. Including a film advance lever...tease...tease...tease. The camera will be badged a Honeywell Ricasahi.

[bladerunner6]

Looking at the patent drawing, it would appear that the prism "bump" will need to be quite a bit different to accommodate the new hardware. That will certainly impact the "silhouette" of the camera.

This is the most thoughtful response in this thread.

[MrB1]

The silhouette might indicate a body similar to the KP but with a normal built in grip, like one in the K-5 and K-3, instead of the waste-of-space interchangeable grips of the KP. This would accommodate the standard D-Li90 battery, to provide power for much longer use of the camera, GPS unit, hybrid viewfinder, and fast Wifi. It might also show a more robust form of fully articulated screen, similar to the K-70's, for the updated high quality movie capability that some users have repeatedly requested.

Philip

[Cynog Ap Brychan]

The silhouette might indicate a body similar to the KP but with a normal built in grip, like one in the K-5 and K-3, instead of the waste-of-space interchangeable grips of the KP. This would accommodate the standard D-Li90 battery, to provide power for much longer use of the camera, GPS unit, hybrid viewfinder, and fast Wifi. It might also show a more robust form of fully articulated screen, similar to the K-70's, for the updated high quality movie capability that some users have repeatedly requested.

Oh please not a fully articulated screen. They are not much use in portrait orientation with an L-bracket, and they make the camera wider than it needs to be. Something like the articulation of the Fuji screen (and Panasonic S1) would be great for me. I have no use for a flip out screen. Trouble is, all the vloggers too cheap to get an Atomos make loud noises about a "flippy" screen. Tony Northrop even went so far as to say "everybody wants a flippy screen": well, I put him right.

[ZombieArmy]

Maybe it's not a silhouette of a new camera, but a new camera that only shoots silhouettes. It would be a limited market, admittedly, as silhouettes had pretty much gone out of fashion by the end of the 18th Century, but who knows -- it might start a new craze. Before long we could all be wearing knee breeches and powdered wigs, and the term "mass consumption" would go back to its old meaning of tuberculosis epidemics.

You might be on to something, but it might be one layer deeper. The camera not only shoots silhouettes, but is in fact a silhouette itself. You see it's quite difficult to take a silhouette of a silhouette because the earth would implode and everyone would know.

[monochrome]

But they include the 3D printer to make a 3D silhouette.