Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-10-2008, 09:53 PM
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As Samsung is the king of LCD design/production, they should have no trouble in matching the quality of the 3" hi rez screens used on other DSLR's since 2007 - maybe even better.
The live view can be brought closer to the better versions by including live histogram, exposure simulation, contrast detect AF to stop the mirror clunking, and definitely better magnifications.
If the AF does get improved by speed and especially including competitive predictive focusing - hopefully this would mean there is a pretty fast processor that should also be able to handle programming the body with those additional up-to-date live-view features.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
09-02-2008, 03:29 PM
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AF micro-adjust & illumination correction at the level you mention are the types of features Ned had to fight for. Pentax truly believes they are not necessary, nor are we smart enough to handle them without problems.
Its the same if Pentax actually decides AGAIN to NOT include a 922,000 dot hi rez 3" last year tech screen instead of reusing the low rez 2.7" screen.
They work with Samsung - kings of LCDs! Give us a screen that is at least as good, with similar anti-glare properties!
Also, they must realize by now that the K30D has to have top quality state of the art live view with focusing technology eliminating the mirror clunk, EXPOSURE SIMULATION giving you real time indication on the hi rez LCD, and live histgram.
Its enough with the dismissing these features with excuses that they're not important. Obviously they are, and there's been enough time to see them on the competition, and design them in.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
05-05-2008, 04:23 PM
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That's just perpetuated by people who can idiotically spend such stupid amounts, and are rich enough to not even notice the money missing. There seems to be enough of a supply of those in Pentaxland... :) The ones in the US are also probably baffled why people are so concerned with this "minuscule" rise in gas/oil prices. How can it possibly affect lifestyles?
Nice to see someone not feeding into this stupid exclusivity.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-29-2008, 01:20 AM
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And how much will the 60-250mm be compared to the Canon prices?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-29-2008, 01:11 AM
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Did they tell you who took it, and how they came upon using that image, and choosing that photographer?
Did the subject ever come up of the possibility of you doing any photography for their ads? If so, how did they explain their decision?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-20-2008, 01:55 AM
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Oh, Pentax engineers should just take apart a D300 and A700 to see exactly how their autofocus works, and what parts are involved, then just combine and change it enough to avoid copyright issues. The actual chips, and wires are cheap. Even simply faster processing capacity hardware won't add HUNDREDS per camera. The technology has already been figured out. The K30D doesn't have to be the FASTEST, just close...
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
04-10-2008, 04:36 PM
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The simple solution would be an option to manually set the focal length for SR, and have the camera always reset itself to the original auto setting for SR as soon as the lens (or TC) is removed. This way you only have to remember to set the SR to manual each time you use a TC, and when that is removed to put just a lens on, the camera will be setting SR automatically again.
My comment is tongue-in-cheek, of course. I think its actually ridiculously stupid of Pentax to make such a decision. I'm in the USA as well, and have already suggested this on Ned B's blog to a completely expected lack of response, of course.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
04-09-2008, 08:23 PM
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Not just my opinion. It was stated proudly by Pentax Germany.
Any firmware update adding obviously possible improved functionality to the K10D would severely hurt K20D sales. Not providing any more firmware updates to the K10D would create many more K20D sales.
Even though most are being strangled just by trying to heat their homes and drive their cars, a majority of list members don't even notice a change in lifestyle whatsoever by current economy/oil prices, so they wonder why can't the K10D just be done with, and can't people just whip out $1200 to buy a K20D already. Its hardly any money anyway, right?
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
04-08-2008, 05:28 PM
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There will be no more firmware updates for the K10D ever. Period.
This is unwavering, and they are quite proud of this fact.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-27-2008, 09:31 PM
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I was being facetious. :)
I actually agree with you, and just based on common sense, so do many others. This doesn't matter. Pentax has declared that there will be no more firmware updates for the K10D, even after asking one NDA holder to conduct a poll on what is desired in a K10D firmware update. This wasted enough time to create an over 150 post thread continued to another thread.
Possible improvements including for same systems like Safox VIII in the K20D would be beneficial to the K10D, but they proclaimed they will make a point to offer no more updates. Buy the K20D. This is a ridiculous decision that just had me picturing that they don't really feel its that big a deal, hence my sarcasm in the previous post. Sorry for upsetting you. Its usually the googly-eyed owners that are flabbergasted that I'd say such things.
As far as full-frame goes, it seems that Mr. Torigoe wants to take on the challenge of creating a 645D for widespread use possibly around the $3000 mark, 35mm size to possibly follow afterwards. But, who knows.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-21-2008, 06:07 PM
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And, considering the amount of meetings attended by, and 100's of thousands of dollars per year paid to each marketing exec, if they are reading this forum, and your post - you can be absolutely guaranteed that they are chuckling and considering your ideas "cute". Possibly even deserving a pat on the head.
They fervently know that an upgrade path is not that important to keep customers - or that keeping customers is also not that big of a deal if they can keep getting P&S people to buy at least one camera.
They know unwaveringly that providing firmware updates to the DL & DS, etc. models when new features were introduced into their successors was not appreciated by Pentax customers, and hurt the next model's sales horribly.
Therefore, now that there are features and improvements that can be available by firmware for the K10D from the K20D - they will not be offered, and there will never be another firmware update for the K10D. Period. They know losing good will and customer loyalty because of this, is no big deal.
Any suggestions otherwise will be humorously tolerated due to "understandable ignorance" of how hard, wrong, and less "profitable" it would be for Pentax to do it any differently.
So you're excused.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-19-2008, 09:41 PM
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Hopefully it will have less curvature of field, and a similar good bokeh. We also will get the benefit of a quick ring motor, rather than a plastic gear mechanism or micro motor.
What is the projected price?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-18-2008, 02:20 AM
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Well, the old horse is dead. No issues were fixed or tweaked on the K10D right until the very end. Pentax successfully denied everything, and blamed the user until the last screw was placed in the very last K10D produced. (though all is fixed in the K20D).
Now that there is some improved software to tweak the same Safox VIII AF, and various other firmware based features/improvements that can be beneficial to the K10D - a cut & dried final stunning proclamation gets declared stating there will be no more firmware updates for the K10D...ever.
Ridiculous.
But there will, of course, be a few that will purport that decree to be a phenomenal, in fact genius, business decision by Pentax (even though a firmware update for the K10D won't hurt K20D sales in the slightest).
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-17-2008, 11:11 PM
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If true, that's a great opportunity, and great news for the K30D.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-17-2008, 08:48 PM
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Except that the $800 Canon 450D offers it with no problem.
It'll probably be well into K30D production until I can afford another camera after investing in the K10D, but those improvements would surely make it worthwhile, along with a 3" hi rez screen.
The K20D sensor is already a nice improvement overall, and with a few tweaks such as less noisy ADC's to lower the low ISO readout noise as shown by GordonBGoode - the noise results might compare to the D300 which is about 20% less noisy at low ISO.
That would make a great package in a market where its already difficult to overcome the Nikon/Canon name hype and choose Pentax - offering more value at a lower price.
When that $1300 K30D will debut, I wonder what the D400 will be offering at $1700?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-17-2008, 08:25 PM
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I have an "obsession" with if a feature is to be offered, don't offer it half-assed. Or almost good. Or "good enough". Or even the "worst implementation". Pentax designers are smart enough to know what's out there, and to get the software design right to display what info is helpful in live-view, rather than just decide to omit it all and have live-view just to say it.
Like you say, the problem with doing it the Sony way is a compromised 75% viewfinder. So, while retaining the full sized viewfinder, the best implementations include contrast detect AF, live histogram, and Exposure Simulation.
Articulating screen is a separate increased-cost issue that needs to be made equally weatherproof and durable. As useful as this feature would be, I can see it only for the pro-level Pentax, not the $1100-$1200 K20-K30D category we're talking about.
I, personally, would use it if it worked in my favor for various applications. Macro shooting at ground level, or shooting overhead, my various studio applications that would lend itself to this along with showing up on the computer screen with Remote Assistant.
"Exposure Simulation" would be useful, of course, in giving a running idea of correct exposure, with the alternately useful method of a live-histogram.
Not big requests. Canon does all three in their $800 450D magnifiable to 10x (not 8), on their 3" screen.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-16-2008, 04:40 PM
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Most Pentax NDA beta testers will never point out what the live-view feature should have because they, personally, don't need it, and therefore don't know what to suggest is expected in this year's live-view implementations. They'll just tell Pentax its "good enough", and will blow Nikon/Canon out of their socks.
Just a look at the $800 Canon 450D live view features on their 3" screen will give an idea what the $1200 Pentax should at least have.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-16-2008, 12:01 AM
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Wow, I didn't realize that! The photos I've seen seem so much sharper than anything I've seen the Sigma APO produce including the one I had, (though the Sigma is low on PF - even on the K10D sensor). My Tamron is much sharper, but does have a bit of PF.
Even though the APO Sigma doesn't seem too sharp under the Sigma label (compared to the Tamron, etc.), its lack of PF shows that it is possible to design lenses for Pentax that don't have PF.
Obviously this means that eliminating PF is just not an important consideration to Pentax when designing lenses.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-12-2008, 04:14 PM
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Difficult for Pentax to see the need for any of this since all the beta-testers they choose won't really push the imperative that Pentax go the extra performance mile. Almost all of their opinions to Pentax is that it is either "good enough", or will blow the DSLR market out of this world and have Nikon/Canon quaking in their boots.
After that feedback to Pentax (& us on these forums) about the K20D, compared to what the K20D actually turned out to be, there's not too much reason to strive for much, and becomes easiest to cop to saying anything more would "cost too much" for "profitability", though much of the technology Pentax need to improve on is available already in cheaper cameras. No wheel needs to be invented.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-10-2008, 07:38 PM
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And, fortunately for Oly people, Olympus considers getting rid of CA very important, and Pentax lens designers just don't think its a big deal, and leave it substantially in most lenses.
Even Oly's new 70-300mm $350 consumer zoom has eliminated CA, but the Pentax 55-300mm, and $1000 200mm have good amounts of it.
It is a big deal.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-09-2008, 01:54 PM
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Well, if we're going to define "low noise" as the thing Pentax focused on to beat the competition, already in GordonBGoode's tests using his own RAW converter the readout & shot noise of the K20D is about 20~% worse than the D300 when you up-rez the D300 image to the same size as the K20D - seemingly due to noisy ADC's. Chroma noise is considered more important to Nikon, and NR settings on the K20D favor luminance removal that smears more details. Pentax just doesn't care very much about chroma noise removal.
And, last year's D300 has contrast-detect AF in live view in their 3" hi-rez screen avoiding mirror clunk.
Don't have a Canon or Nikon. Went from film OM-4T, OM-2n cameras directly to the K10D, which I still have and enjoy. Just want Pentax to be the best they can be, not just the best that a few loud Pentax groupies think is "good enough".
Most of the suggestions I make are not involving much additional hardware cost if any.
With enough beta testers and the NDA-preferred constantly telling Pentax that things like featureless Live-View compared to this year's offerings, and non-existent predictive, and slow low-light AF is "good enough" - Pentax AF & Live-View will always lag behind. Beta testers going back to Pentax with at most a meek suggestion that AF could be faster, but, but, but, don't worry Pentax, its really good enough "for what I shoot", is why there are only slight software tweaks for years.
And, being only software tweaks producing a "noticeable" difference - Pentax still makes a point to announce that the K10D will never get the firmware update to have these improvements - or any firmware update ever again for any improvements!
Good try. That technique is not forcing anyone to buy a K20D. And, a K10D firmware update will not prevent any K20D sales, either.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-09-2008, 12:36 AM
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There are definitely a few features the K20D has that are innovative compared to Canon. The point was that if Pentax had decided they were going to include live view, the designers working on it didn't need to invent it from scratch. Some of these features already exist on current Pentax P&S cameras. Proven features to make Live-View a most useful tool already out in other DSLR's could have been carefully noticed by Pentax to be included.
I compare the Pentax to the 450D because it is a camera introduced this year, not last year, and this year's live-view on even that $700 camera's 3" screen includes Live Histogram, Contrast Detect AF, and Exposure Simulation.
Also, these are not features that would kill profitability. Its already similar cost to the 40D, and is a newer camera. At a similar cost to the 40D, Pentax already saved cost on not redesigning low-light & predictive AF, fps speed, and even weathersealing since this cost came out of the K10D.
Dismiss me as if I were RyceHye if you will, but working with beta testers that are not really interested in the features they are testing, such as live-view, will never come back to Pentax and say what the feature really needs based on experience. If Pentax doesn't give their beta testers's opinions very solid weight, and keep choosing people that lovingly explain away anything Pentax does, complacency and surprise at reactions will result.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-08-2008, 08:08 PM
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Canon thought to add live-histogram,and exposure simulation to last year's Canon 40D, and Contrast Detect AF in the cheap 450D. Nikons D300 had that last year. Pentax has none of that, and won't for at least a year if ever.
No point in ever improving this feature if all the people with NDA's don't have a single use for it, and just say its "good enough" or "do you have a problem with it? hmmm???".
Same with any other performance feature. Why should Pentax improve them, since its always good enough for all the beta testers they choose?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-01-2008, 02:33 AM
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And when they do that, and Nikon is introducing their D400, how much will the leftover D300's cost compared to the K30D?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-01-2008, 02:30 AM
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Because, in careful design decisions, they chose to not make the magnifying lens rectangular so it allows full view of the viewfinder area, but to make it circular so the corners get cut off and its just that little bit difficult to see everything. Like usual, close to good performance, but cut short by specific design at the last bit.
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