How would you improve your Pentax SLR?

Full Frame 24x36mm Sensor.
Bigger Viewfinder
Spirit Level that works in Manual mode (In the viewfinder)
Tilt-Shift Sensor

Pete L

I missed the split focussing screen and non-crippled K mount earlier.

It'd also be good if there was a way for the camera to report the aperture selected on older lenses by measuring where the ring has been turned to.

Slightly off topic, but I'd quite like to see Pentax bought by Kodak, Samsung or some other big concern, that could throw a few hundred million at it. Lots of R&D and a global marketing push. We might then see some of the things mentioned above. - It would also scare the living daylights out of N***n and C***n!

I think Sony have already tried that and Nikon/Canon didn't bat an eyelid.

I agree with Mike, it would take some more.

What I do like is that Pentax would be split up, I fully trust Hoya with the lenses, now why don't go and develop that further and leave the body up to Kodak or Samsung which in turn I don't trust with the lenses.

However Hoya did make the successful K-M and K-X and the K-7 isn't doing bad either right and we like the way these camera look and feel so in my eye they Hoya aren't doing a bad job at all.

I can't really agree with this. Why on earth would we want Pentax split up into two disconnected companies? And why Hoya to make lenses - they don't make lenses. Just as Kodak don't make camera bodies.

Surely we just want Pentax to do more of what they are already very successfully doing?

Hoya makes the glass for the lenses and in such have at least experience in lens design. Kodak make camera sensors, important part of the camera so in such a way I mean it.

Hoya has more experience in lens design then Samsung at least.

I'm actually quite satisfied with Pentax now, I don't need anything more or less and I like the way they are going with putting as much as they can in a small body, it suit me.

But well some budget primes would be nice and one longer DA* telephoto prime and zoom, then we would be well covered I believe.
Oh and a fast wider prime and 1.4 TC

It is possible that the new EVIL cameras will dent Nikon and Canon: this format of camera possibly plays more to electronics companies and smaller players rather than giant SLR makers.

look here http://kmp.bdimitrov.de/technology/K-mount/crippled_AF.html for a description of the "crippled" Kaf mount.

If Pentax built a camera with these capabilities on top of my K10D, I would be begging my fiancee to let me buy one:

fully functional Kaf mount
ISO 6400 usable in a pinch, with ISO 100 as good or better than K10D (I'd like good high ISO, but not at the expense of ISO 100 IQ).
factory fit split screen finder which doesn't mess up metering.

I believe Sony is bringing out an Evil soon, I already said that Sony would be the first one to do that
Now next would be Olympish most likely.

I'm here with Mongoose,
Good low ISO is more important for me then high ISO, of course high ISO is useful but I believe not many of us use an ISO over 400 constantly.

Ever since the MZ5n I've wanted to see the panoramic mask in the view finder & film plane? sensor. I know we can all use PP to crop any way we like but how many of you have used this feature? It concentrates the pano minded photographer in such a way that it can become addictive to the point where full frame landscapes just don't cut it! I would love to see a firmware fix for this. I used to take both full frame and pano versions of the same shots but after a very short time I realised I was just wasting film.

MZ5n D that's for me

that is exactly my thinking, my K10D stays on ISO 100-400 most of the time.

SR allows us to stay pretty low on the ISO even while hand holding unless you're shooting something fast moving in bad light.

I would really relish the ability to get good use out of my old M series primes though, not to mention the ability to go from green auto to Av by turning the aperture ring like I used to with my MZ-7

Using a K10D.

1.Better iso, without banding, 3200 like 800 now.
2.Taller so my hand fits better.
3.Focus setting for different lenses, no bf/ff issues.
4.MLU
5.5-10 fps
6.100% viewfinder

So really not much some money wouldn't sort out
Want to lend me hand?

100% agree with you there John.

Hoya is continually being painted as the "Bad Boy", where there is absolutely no evidence that there are anything like that, in fact the very reverse is true and pushed ahead with developments that the engineers have been working on rather than scrapping them and rationalised much within the company, which was in a bit of a shambles due to years of misdirection, internal squabbling and neglect.

I think that Samsung or Kodak would be a much worse scenario. Hoya is well suited to the original Pentax philosophy and provides much needed professional management direction. I for one support what Hoya have been doing, they have brought Pentax to a much better position during one of the most difficult economic periods we've ever experienced. It's all too easy to condemn, I think they deserve our thanks instead.

For my K10D:
Something equivalent to the off the film flash metering I enjoy on my LX. Pentax could do it on the istD, I think; why can't it be done on later versions? I've heard arguments that the reflective nature of the sensor mitigates against it, but films have varying reflectivity. With my LX and my handle mount Pentax 102 wattsecond AFT 400 and the aux battery pack I have a killer flash system! Why can't that same killer flash work on my K10D? Waaaaaaaaaaah!