New K3 image - interesting!

They can't really do away with the AF/MF switch because, unlike Canon, Pentax use a shaft drive focusing system so the switch is used to retract the shaft.

2nd that - those little extra controls are what makes the K7 stand out from the competition IMO, and having them there, apart from the obvious convenience and directness of control, can actually act as a mental prompt to try something different!

I dunno sometimes. I often find I have to look at the AF mode select lever to make sure it's in place anyway. If you're going to have to take your eye off the viewfinder, better to look at the back of the camera than the front.

But I don't understand how it could be better to have to activate the menu and change what the LCD is displaying just to select and confirm one of these options. The physical control is always there to glance at or use your tactile sense, and moving it doesn't interfere with your LCD screen - which might be showing an image with histogram or a digital preview while you check out WB or Custom Image settings. You get the status indicator as confirmation also on the LCD for AF mode, Metering mode and of course the AF point selections also.

And I do think having the controls there can act as a prompt to considering alternatives - eg: when using 'catch-in-focus' the AF switch selector provides the simplest means to switch rapidly between catch-in-focus and normal capture (AF-S for active & AF-C or M to de-activate). I'd hardly be encouraged to utilize this flexibility if I had to use the menus to do this.

Metering is exactly the same - the physical control under the mode dial, apart from being the easiest possible way to change this, acts as a visible reminder to think about the metering options and try them - we get instant exposure feedback in the LCD and histogram of our experiments. No Metering mode option buried in a menu is going to remind me to try something out.

It doesn't generally move though and it can be set by feel. I wouldn't want to have to go into a menu when I can have a dedicated switch. It would seem a step backwards.

We crossed there John, but I'm with you on that as you can see above!

I always have to take the camera away from my eye to change af modes on the k-5II ... Infact I don't think I have ever had the need to go from one mode to another while keeping my eye at the viewfinder. Pressing a button to cycle through the modes (using either the viewfinder or rear screen) is a lot easier than trying to do the same with a clunky switch.

Saying that, if it's not possible then it matters not. As I previously said, it can also be set via pressing a single button and viewing the modes in the viewfinder.

I like having the AF switch on the side of the camera, but sometimes i find when switching back to AF form MF im not sure what AF mode it is in. Could do with it showing in viewfinder. The arrangement shown on the K3 may work better as i assume it will return to AF mode it was in before.

Whoops, sorry

that hump on the side must have a cover on the side of it and perhaps has a port with a connector for something.... video out? headphones? dedicated flash cord? pc socket (hope not)?

if it's any consolation, there was a 3 post exchange surrounding that point, so two of my posts must also have been missed

Btw this picture is almost certainly photoshopped. the lens isn't perpendicular to the body and thus the sensor, it's tilting downwards

It ain't pretty so it must be good. Could the tilting downwards thing be due to lens distortion, looks like a close wide angle shot, maybe on a mobbie.

Hopefully because it really had the new Limited zoom on

I had to laugh at my reactions to this picture.

1) was that it looked ugly, like a brick in the central section, especially given that squared off 80s stealth bomber styling over the flash area etc.

2) I thought the mode dial was in a funny place. How soon I forget that the K100D was like this and it was in fact my K-30 that deviated away from this because of it's lack of a top LCD screen.

AF Mode sounds interesting as presently the AF-C and AF-S options only control if you can take the photo straight away or must receive focus lock confirmation prior to taking the photo. None of these allow for automatic refocus if the subject point comes towards or away from you right? Hopefully the AF Mode button inclusion means they've got some real improvement or new functionality around the AF process.