[raymeedc]

I know the K7 is smaller than the K20D, but is it as small as an *ist DS?

[pentaxman]

I know the K7 is smaller than the K20D, but is it as small as an *ist DS?

*ist DS = 125 x 93 x 66 mm (4.9 x 3.6 x 2.6 in), 605 g (21.3 oz.)

K7 = 131 x 97 x 73mm (5.1 x 3.8 x 2.9 in), 754g (26.6oz.)

The *ist DS is a little smaller and lighter, but not by much.

[GerryL]

Probably the same size as the K110/100D/super series and K200D?

[nulla]

I have the K-7 and still have my Samsung GX20... to be honest it does not seem to look that much smaller till you size them up.

What I noticed most of all was the wonderful grip on the K-7 and how much better it feels in your hands, for me it seems as though they took my hand size and sculptured the grip.. thats how good it feels for me.


Cheers

Neil

[jena]

What I noticed most of all was the wonderful grip on the K-7 and how much better it feels in your hands, for me it seems as though they took my hand size and sculptured the grip.. thats how good it feels for me.


Cheers

Neil

That's a pretty good description of how it fits in the hand and I am sure you have a different sized hand to me .

The camera simply feels right when you hold it.

Karen

[Mr. The Guy]

I know the K7 is smaller than the K20D, but is it as small as an *ist DS?

The difference between the K-7 and *istDS is that it's noticeably wider and substantially heavier. Also, the grip is far larger and deeper. Additionally, the mount is not as recessed so my DA40 sticks out more. They're the same depth on the non-grip side, and height. Because of the lugs, I bought a different hand grip that doesn't attach to the bottom, only on one lug, so I gained a big reduction in height. The viewfinder and prism are the same size as the *istDS. Bottom line, the width difference is most noticeable, and in my camera bag, I need more room because of the grip and mount. I was hoping it would, but it won't fit in my *istDS bag, but swims in my K20D bag. I would call it closer in size to the *istDS than the K20D.

I hated the size of the K20D, but the K-7 size is more than acceptable. It's not a *istDS, but has the same type of design aesthetic. Even though it's bigger, it just fits into your hand like a glove, so it's more comfortable. After the K20D it's a godsend.

Obviously, I can't take a size comparison shot because I only own two cameras. And, my *istDS is packed away for good so all this is from memory because this comparison the first thing I did.

[raymeedc]

The difference between the K-7 and *istDS is that it's noticeably wider and substantially heavier. Also, the grip is far larger and deeper. Additionally, the mount is not as recessed so my DA40 sticks out more. They're the same depth on the non-grip side, and height. Because of the lugs, I bought a different hand grip that doesn't attach to the bottom, only on one lug, so I gained a big reduction in height. The viewfinder and prism are the same size as the *istDS. Bottom line, the width difference is most noticeable, and in my camera bag, I need more room because of the grip and mount. I was hoping it would, but it won't fit in my *istDS bag, but swims in my K20D bag. I would call it closer in size to the *istDS than the K20D.

I hated the size of the K20D, but the K-7 size is more than acceptable. It's not a *istDS, but has the same type of design aesthetic. Even though it's bigger, it just fits into your hand like a glove, so it's more comfortable. After the K20D it's a godsend.

Thanks..... this explanation gives me a feel for the real world size of a K7. I currently shoot with a pair of *ist DS cameras. One is used with a permanently attached M42 adapter as a dedicated screwmount body, the other accepting my early K-mount manual lenses. As I don't shoot with any zooms, my outfit is very light & small, my lens of choice, when I am shooting with a "one body/one lens minimalist combo", usually being a 55/1.8, 50mm, or 28mm. I love the ergonomics & feel of my compact outfit, & have consequently tried to take advantage of it's benefits by obtaining cases that "just fit". I was therefore, among other ergonomic handling concerns, wondering if the K7s would fit into my existing cases..... hence the impetus for my posting. I'm very happy to see Pentax returning to a more compact body, as the K10/20 bodies feel too large & unwieldy for my tastes. They don't feel nearly as comfortable as mine. The K100/200 line lacks the Pentaprism I require for manual focusing, & somehow never seemed to have quite the feel of the *ist models. I don't blow my photos up past 8X10, so the lower Megapixel count of my older models never bothered me much. Even the additional features of the newer models (for the most part) never tempted me sufficiently , as I tend to meter manually with external hand held meters.
The K7 is the first Pentax that has tempted me since the *ist line. I'm looking forward to handling one when my local outlets (B&H & Adorama) receive their initial stock. Maybe after the price has dropped to a more manageable level in a year or so, I will look into purchasing one (or two).

[Mr. The Guy]

I'm very happy to see Pentax returning to a more compact body, as the K10/20 bodies feel too large & unwieldy for my tastes. They don't feel nearly as comfortable as mine.

I shoot with only the three pancakes (40,21,70) and use QSF alot. I just never fell in love with my K20D and sold it the second the K-7 was announced. The K-7 is way more comfortable than the *istDS because of the grip. The 100% viewfinder means I have to re-learn my lenses because the field of view looks so much bigger. The thing I never thought I would use, but ended up loving is in-camera processing. The K-7 does it from RAW to TIF and also lets you crop in-camera. If you shoot JPEG, you can change a whole series of parameters, but only on the last shot, before turning it off, so it seems as though a RAW image is buffered temporarily.

[raymeedc]

The K-7 is way more comfortable than the *istDS because of the grip. The 100% viewfinder means I have to re-learn my lenses because the field of view looks so much bigger. The thing I never thought I would use, but ended up loving is in-camera processing. The K-7 does it from RAW to TIF and also lets you crop in-camera. If you shoot JPEG, you can change a whole series of parameters, but only on the last shot, before turning it off, so it seems as though a RAW image is buffered temporarily.

"Way more comfortable" than my already comfortable *ist sounds good to me. Also, I shoot RAW 100% of the time. This camera sounds more & more like my cup of tea.