A mini rant.

My K5ii is getting long in the tooth. The KP doesn't offer the features I want, and seems expensive for what it is, even if it is a great camera.

Whilst it has never been a cheap hobby photography is just getting too expensive for me.
Manufacturers (Pentax) seem to have decided that the top end full frame cameras are the way to go, along with matching lenses, leaving those of us with a much smaller budget to use what? Our smartphones?

Time to take up beer mat collecting maybe.

Don't give up just yet....

Plenty of k3s going ridiculously cheap recently.....

Some mirrorless cameras offer great value for money...

But I agree with the overall sentiment.

To go mirrorless means selling everything I have and starting again. What I have wouldn't pay for much.

A K3 is a fine camera, but I'd like something new, not something which is only a couple of years younger than I already have.

Not really looked in detail at the KP but what does it not offer that the K3 or successor does/will ?

I still use the K-5iis as my main DSLR, and also have the K-5 (first version) as a backup, and am perfectly happy with the output from the 6 year old camera. Sure, the K-1 (and KP) is probably a much better camera in many ways, but for the time being I see no reason to upgrade. The K-5iis is not the limiting factor in my photo hobby I guess Pentax will be releasing a new high end aps-c model sometime in the near future, to complement the HD DA* 11-18mm f2.8 zoom. So I am waiting with interest to see how this develops.

Maybe a new high end Pentax aps-c body could be a potential replacement for your K-5ii Gwyn?

Like I mentioned in the other thread, Canikon investment in EF-S/DX isn't substantial - the budget ranges only get small cosmetic changes and everyone seems to have stalled at 20-24MP. I am looking to see what Pentax introduces next week to see if my K-3 and DA/DA* lenses are worth keeping or not...the market penetration for a 7D2/D500 camera will be small and Pentax needs something to make headway in its' own segment, and something with USP.

I know it isn't only Pentax.
I'll see what next week brings, but I'm not holding my breath...

I am happy enough with the k5ii, but it is getting old and throws up odd errors every now and again now, like completely the wrong date and time on random photos within a set.

Gwyn, would a re-boot help? It looks as if Pentax are still committed to APS-C so there are hopes for new/upgrade models soon, which could lead to good discounts on current ones. Alternatively SRS Microsystems have a couple of bodies on their eBay site which may be of interest, maybe open to offers.

Looking back at some older images, there's nothing wrong with the K-5 and indeed nothing wrong with the K20D that came before the K-7. We can deduce that the K-7 is pretty good as well, especially as Nigel keeps telling us it is. I believe him.

If you want a replacement, then the K-3 or K-3II are both a bit faster in operation and have more pixels and there's not really much else on the market in that niche that can do any better. Pentax are continuing to release APS-C lenses, although to be fair there are quite a few to choose from already.

Just thoughts.....

No Infrared receiver for a start which is why I bought a K-1 that I've hardly used. It's easier to use the K-5 because I'm so used to it and know what results I'll get.

Nothing wrong with the K-1 and the tilt screen is great, but I'm not keen on learning how to use another camera.

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Seriously? I went from a K50 and found the menu, operation and options very familiar, although rather more extensive of course.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out a way of Manual focussing with the RED/GREEN/BEEP aids on the K-5. I eventually got it so I could use them in a messy way. The K-1 seems different after initial focus it beeps and then seems to set itself to a wider tolerance over what's in focus. Beeps on things that aren't in focus? I haven't the patience to do much testing. Other things such as aperture or time changing in Manual when they shouldn't. JPEG colours need tweaking etc.

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Algi, that doesn’t sound right.

Quite sure it's right. I've noticed on several reviews where MF shots are not in focus and the best lens expert on DPR mentioned something about it once. It's not a fault probably designed to have wider tolerance for continuous shots after the first. The K-5 does it as well but not by as much. I often focus somewhere else between shots so that it forces the camera to refocus.

The JPG's might be better if I use a different digital filter such as landscape.

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I am in a bit of a similar boat. I have a K-5 but am finding it a bit limiting in certain situations. It was a HUGE upgrade from the K10D, especially in terms on sensitivity and noise. The KP does not fit the bill as I'm used to the top screen, ergonomics and have the DLi90 batteries. The KP have a shorter battery life (smaller lower capacity battery), made worse by having only the LCD screen to display information. It isn't as comfortable a design to hold, but I could possibly get used to that. I found the K10D far more ergonomic and more comfortable than the K-5.

The KP just does not feel right when compared to other cameras. The K-1 is very comfortable but just a bit too big/heavy. It is on my list though as I'd rather have a K-1 than a KP. Downside being that most of my lenses are APS-C. Two of my most used lenses are FF though; the 100mm and 300mm.