[Duck Dodgers]

I was informed several weeks ago that our engineers sent the necessary samples to both Adobe and Apple so the K-7 can be supported. I don't know how long their processes take, but they have what they need to make their software compatible.

John, please don't forget The GIMP, DCRAW, and Google (Picasa).

You know, for the rest of us.


Thanks,

[Class A]

Sorry for reposting a revised part of an early post but I don't expect you to wade through the posts you missed while you were away.

Questions:

At DPR you wrote the lens distortion correction also works for RAW files. Can you confirm that this means that RAW files will contain correction parameters to be used by subsequent RAW->JPG conversion? It seems unlikely to me that RAW images will actually be corrected in camera.

I guess there isn't a chance that users can enter lens correction parameters themselves, or in case they are too complex to be entered manually, upload them using an SD card? If find such kind of user empowerment very attractive.

Not a feature question but I'd appreciate if you could let us know whether someone at Pentax reads our "Dear Pentax" suggestion thread? There is a bit of noise but there are also some really noteworthy suggestions. It'll be great to know whether the "Dear Pentax" thread is of more significance than just community communication.

[RBellavance]

John, please don't forget The GIMP, DCRAW, and Google (Picasa).

The Gimp does not read raw files directly. Making a pef file available to Dave Coffin (dcraw's author) should be enough, as K-7 support should then "percolate" up to UFRaw and all other raw converters based on dcraw.

[JCPentax]

Sorry for reposting a revised part of an early post but I don't expect you to wade through the posts you missed while you were away.

Questions:

At DPR you wrote the lens distortion correction also works for RAW files. Can you confirm that this means that RAW files will contain correction parameters to be used by subsequent RAW->JPG conversion? It seems unlikely to me that RAW images will actually be corrected in camera.

I guess there isn't a chance that users can enter lens correction parameters themselves, or in case they are too complex to be entered manually, upload them using an SD card? If find such kind of user empowerment very attractive.

Not a feature question but I'd appreciate if you could let us know whether someone at Pentax reads our "Dear Pentax" suggestion thread? There is a bit of noise but there are also some really noteworthy suggestions. It'll be great to know whether the "Dear Pentax" thread is of more significance than just community communication.

Correct. The correction is stored in the meta data of RAW files, not actually applied to the image. Using the Pentax software, you can go in a make adjustments. I can't speak to whether or not other software can do the same.

WIth the format of Pentax Forums, and my schedule, it is sometimes difficult to look at all the different catagories and postings.

[soccerjoe5]

John: Will the K-7 be able to shoot tethered to Apple's Aperture 2 software?

[rparmar]

Just to repeat my question since it seems to have been missed.

Has the multiple exposure process been made any easier on the K-7? Will the USER mode remember that I want multiple exposures? Has multiple exposure been added to the drive modes?

[wolfier]

1. Is there still going to be 1 User mode ala K10/K20, or can multiple user modes be selected further down the menu?

2. Has the Bulb mode behaviour updated to be a 2-touch, or do people still have to keep their finger pressed on the shutter or the Remote-Control F during the entire Bulb exposure?

3. Can SR be restricted to horizontal or vertical only for panning shots?

[random]

I am not a pentax user (yet) but do visit these forums regularly. My current gear is from Canon and Sony but I do have an iterest in Pentax and might end up picking up the K-7 which I think is finally the first pentax slr with no major compromises.

However I must say JCPentax, that if you are a pentax official then I am bemused at the rude and offensive tone of your post to your loyal cutsomer base. And equally strange is the fact that if someone tries to point out your rudeness, you say that this is a proof of the fact that they are not civilized.

Pentax is the smallest player in DSLR market and these guys are the ones who have stuck with Pentax depsite its limiations. Penatx should be going out of their way to keep these guys happy specially since they also play a great part in attracting more people to pentax brand. You on the other hand seem to be doing the exact opposite. I hope this is not the general Pentax attitude to its customers. I am frankly surprised by the willingness of this forum to tolerate your offensive tone just because you can give them some infromation

[Marc Sabatella]

John, please don't forget The GIMP, DCRAW, and Google (Picasa).

You know, for the rest of us.

As well as ACDSee and who knows how many others. Penax has of course released cameras before; I'm sure they have whatever process in place they feel appropriate. But in general, I know the "little guys" in the RAW processing business often wish they could get things ahead of time too...

If nothing else, perhaps let us know when production samples might be available somewhere, so we can forward the info the manufacturers of our favorite software?

[wolfier]

I am not a pentax user (yet) but do visit these forums regularly. My current gear is from Canon and Sony but I do have an iterest in Pentax and might end up picking up the K-7 which I think is finally the first pentax slr with no major compromises.

However I must say JCPentax, that if you are a pentax official then I am bemused at the rude and offensive tone of your post to your loyal cutsomer base. And equally strange is the fact that if someone tries to point out your rudeness, you say that this is a proof of the fact that they are not civilized.

Pentax is the smallest player in DSLR market and these guys are the ones who have stuck with Pentax depsite its limiations. Penatx should be going out of their way to keep these guys happy specially since they also play a great part in attracting more people to pentax brand. You on the other hand seem to be doing the exact opposite. I hope this is not the general Pentax attitude to its customers. I am frankly surprised by the willingness of this forum to tolerate your offensive tone just because you can give them some infromation

For what is worth, John could just not state he's an employee. As I understand it's something he does voluntarily, and not his job. Therefore I read his post with the same politeness ruler as posts by any other individual. And there are a lot of WAY ruder posts on these forums.

And no, I don't think it's the Pentax attitude in general, but then again, having read 100's of John's posts on both here and on DPreview, his tones towards some obviously clueless posts is not something I get offended over, either - again, this is from reading his posts as being written by an individual, not a Pentax PR.

As to looking for the smallest DSLR player, you might want to check out Panasonic, Sigma, and Fujifilm. Others like Kodak, Contax, etc. also came and went. Olympus is not doing much better, either.

I stick with Pentax and the only "limitation" with doing so is the lack of rentals. I don't rent often enough for it to be any limitation.

[monochrome]

When not using SR there is no way to allow the camera to know what manual lenses is attached to the camera. It should be possible to always be able to dial in what lenses is attached to the camera? Seems like a simple task.

If the lens doesn't automatically relay this information, you can manually input the focal length. This is for Shake Reduction only, and every SR capable camera has had this functionality.

What I was getting at is that when SR is turned off for manual lenses there is no way to input what lens is attached. It would be nice to be able to input the exact lens attached for future exif data reference regardless if SR is on or not. Would also be nice if we could dial the aperture being used on any particular M, K or Tak screwmount lens too.

I see this really going one step further as well. If Pentax allowed the input of exact A, M and K series lenses including Taks this data could be used to expand the lens correction features implemented in the K-7 to all Pentax lenses.

Due love the backward compatibility for certain. One reason I am a Pentax shooter.

Ah...now I understand. It might be possible, but not sure how it would be recieved by the engineers.

Of course, one is only interested in selecting the lenses one owns or will use with a particular camera body.

I suggest this might be done as some kind of ROM database where a group of lenses (User Lens Database) is selected on the computer, in software or by hard connection to the camera, from an exhaustive list (perhaps limited to Pentax manual lenses) and/or by freeform entry by the user.

If direct connection to the camera is not possible, then the User Lens Database might be transferred to the camera via an SD card, such as doing a Firmware upgrade.

User could then select a manual lens from a pick-list in one of the camera menus. Data might include lens maker/name, focal length and min/max aperture, the latter two having utility for camera functions.

Aperture in use could be picked up from e-dial (of course, the user would need to set the lens aperture and the e-dial, and they would have to agree).

Of course, that's a tall order for the engineers, but it would certainly set the next Pentax body apart from the competition.

[Class A]

Of course, that's a tall order for the engineers, ...

It'll be a piece of cake, a straightforward piece of software. It cannot possibly be development cost that prevents such features.

[Ben_Edict]

Of course, one is only interested in selecting the lenses one owns or will use with a particular camera body.

I suggest this might be done as some kind of ROM database where a group of lenses (User Lens Database) is selected on the computer, in software or by hard connection to the camera, from an exhaustive list (perhaps limited to Pentax manual lenses) and/or by freeform entry by the user.

If direct connection to the camera is not possible, then the User Lens Database might be transferred to the camera via an SD card, such as doing a Firmware upgrade.

User could then select a manual lens from a pick-list in one of the camera menus. Data might include lens maker/name, focal length and min/max aperture, the latter two having utility for camera functions.

Aperture in use could be picked up from e-dial (of course, the user would need to set the lens aperture and the e-dial, and they would have to agree).

Of course, that's a tall order for the engineers, but it would certainly set the next Pentax body apart from the competition.

I think, this is a job for post processing, not for in-camera processing. As far as I understood the lens correction logic inthe K-7, all corrections will not applied to RAWs, but just stored as any other adjustment and then processed in the software. So, going right to the software is not much more effort, then. DxO and others come to my mind, but ofcourse lens correction would also be something I'ld love to see in Lightroom.

I personally would not want to overload a camera with functions and setting options. As is, Pentax has given us fairly plenty of choices already and may be some more in the K-7 - but somehow typing in a lens data base of ancient and obsolete lenses is IMHO too much.

Ben

[Class A]

I think, this is a job for post processing, not for in-camera processing.

I agree in as much it concerns the actual processing.

But there is value in storing information in the EXIF data about what lens has been used with which aperture, etc. For older lenses this information is reduced and you are back to recording some shooting parameters with pencil and paper.

As far as I understood the lens correction logic inthe K-7, all corrections will not applied to RAWs, but just stored as any other adjustment and then processed in the software.

Yes, John C. confirmed this. But why should this be possible only for modern lenses? Surely, no one is asking Pentax to provide distortion correction profiles for all K-mount lenses but if there were some (partial) way of correcting older lenses by storing lens identification and correction information in EXIF / RAW metadata then I'm sure users will find ways to create appropriate profiles.

but somehow typing in a lens data base of ancient and obsolete lenses is IMHO too much.

I hope at least what I had in mind is clearer now. And it is an individual choice as to whether and why a lens may be obsolete or not.

[Arpe]

A nice easy Q for you John-
Does the camera come with those little leather looking thingys I've seen on some pics on the strap lugs to protect the camera from scratches?