Images taken with the Pentax K-7

Have any surfaced yet?

When some images do appear they will be absolutely fantastic!!....

....At least TWICE as good as any from k20!!

....Well, at least they better had be at TWICE THE PRICE!!!!!!!

SOme, but taken with pre-production (firmware 0.2) so I don't even bother with linking these.

I agree about the expected image quality but the camera is not actually twice the price of the K20D at launch is it.

I was expecting it to be around £1000. £1200 is too steep for me but clearly some are going for it.

These will show that K20D produces very nice images as well.

Or the K10d for that matter lol

The sensor is the same maybe that the processor makes some improvements but I won't expect much more then the K20D can do.
And here comes the question, are you so disapointed in the image quality of the K20D that you want/need better photos?

Btw have you seen the prices of the new models of the other brands, the Nikon D5000 for example. The K20D is £200 less then that one and even the D90 is cheaper so who will buy it?

Few images here but cannot make out much from them

From the blog

What I really enjoy:

1. The shutter is well dampened, nearly silent, and solid in its operation

2. 5.2 FPS (40 JPG Continuous Hi /15 Raw PEF, 14 RAW DNG)

3. Viewfinder with 100% field of view

4. Improved low light AF performance and AF algorithms

5. “Green” almost subdued focus assist lamp (it operates quick and efficiently and more subtle than a bright white light)

6. AF tracking in AF-C is vastly improved

7. The AF point selector toggles faster than on K10/K20

8. The mode dial locks in place with a centrally located release button

9. When in portrait mode, the rear LCD will orient itself in the portrait view as well. (No more tilting of head to read info.)

10. The dust removal system is now “hypersonic”, no longer a vibration, but a high frequency shake that is almost inaudible.

11. 3” TFT IPS LCD (it’s the same LCD technology used in the best color proofing monitors) improved clarity, anti-glare, and with 921,000 dot resolution

12. Longer battery life 900+ shots per charge

13. Magnesium alloy shell over stainless steel chassis (can operate at temps 14 – 104 degrees F)

14. 77 Multi Segment metering

15. EV comp is +/- 5

16. HD video recording at 720p (1280x720 resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio) at 30 FPS

The sensor is the same size (APS-C and 14+Mp) but there the similarity ends. The sensor has been completely redesigned and the PRIME image processing engine is new too.

Let's hope it improves noise immunity at high (800+) ISO.

Well, there is no info on the fact that the sensor is completely redesigned. The new one has 4 data lines for the data rates needed for video. the new prime engine was allso needed for video.

Really my under standing was that it was an upgraded sensor not really a completly redesigned one.
The K-7 gets a revised version of the 15.1 million pixel sensor (14.6 million effective pixels) used in the K20D. Four-channel readout allows faster output and video. comes for Dpreview.

Yes the high iso noise is something that would be welcome to be improved but the resolution of the sensor of the K20D is capable enough and below the ISO 800 surely very good and certainly good enough till ISO 1600.
Also an increase in dynamic range would be good.

On the samples taken with pre-production (firmware 0.2) noise control looks better when comparing to K20D, these samples show quite a lot of hot pixels, but this should be better in production one.

I can't find where I read it right now but the info was that the sensor was redesigned "from the ground up". I take that to mean that it's substantially, if not completely, different to that which is fitted in the K20D.

I remember reading that Pentax (rightly) said that full frame and/or the megapixel 'race' didn't interest them and they were concentrating on dynamic range and sensitivity.

Who knows, in a few more years we may have customizable sensors which allow the range to be adjusted (when it becomes too good)?

There is little room for IQ improvement from the K20D. The only cameras that have less noise also have either fewer pixels or more noise reduction smearing. If the K-7 manages another stop I will be surprised. Banding at high ISO could be slightly improved as well. But in general the K20D rocks.