No brained for the average Joe...

No built in flash...no move able screen...why would you not buy a KS2?

I am beyond bemused by Pentax marketing and market research....If they actually have any.
No

I could see not having the fill flash for a more pro level full frame camera, but... Not to have the flash on a cropped sensor is just limiting the name further out of the market.

I sincerely hope that the "more marketed to" professional level full-framer due out later this year is a better attempt. Yet chances are, that the new full-framer will also be a non fill flash - just as a good number of other ones from other competitors. But at least the full-frame will be marketed directly to that segment, being that... Most people with a camera of that caliper know better adjust settings for that type of lighting, not needing to rely on fill flash, and can also typically afford to attach a tethered flash

I would have thought if you're buying a K3 you'ld already have some idea about how cameras/photography works. The screen, yeah fair point but that would require serious reworking of the body and they are working on that FF as well as releasing other bodies and lots of serious lenses. I understand they are not an enormous company and so resources can only go so far. It seems a perfectly fine mid life update really and for the price................. Compromises. It's to do with physical space apparently. The on board flashes are always a bit pathetic really anyway and with my m4/3 I found I don't use the flippy screen anywhere near as much as I thought I would when I got it and that was one of the main reasons for purchase.

I would be fine with keeping the compact body and compromising over flash versus GPS as many times in my previous career it would have been an absolute killer feature instead of messing around with multiple pieces of equipment. Also the new mini flash is hardly expensive and if you are carrying a big DSLR it's not much extra to have a little flash gun with you too. Spending £7-800 on a camera an extra £100 or so wouldn't make a massive difference to me at any rate and I'm poor. There will no doubt be a replacement in the non too distant future which will address all/some the concerns people have. How much was the add on GPS? And they are still selling the original K3 alongside at the moment anyway. I have a K5 and this would still be a massive jump for me. I'm just mildly bemused at the reaction over an on board flash............

I certainly find the fill in flash use full and have used it many times on my K3.
I also have a K's and like the screen.
I see no benefit for me in losing the flash for GPS.
Pensax caught up with the K'S but to the mass market I don't think that the new K3 ii will be a winner.
Surely if the work is done on the K'S body it wouldn't be that hard to integrate to the K3.

Certainly a camera I won't ever consider buying.
If the other feature improvements turn out to be superb I will wait until the K3 or whatever with a flash and tilting screen.
I do have a flash unit but it is hardly ever in my bag because of weight and space.

It isn't clear to me that the new small flash can be used to trigger an off camera flash in the same way the built in flash can.
I assume the new built in GPS uses the camera battery, and you have to remember to press the button on the side to turn it on I assume. Could be getting through a lot of camera batteries in a day.

I would have preferred a built in flash and spending the hundred pounds on the smaller, lighter GPS unit now available than having to buy yet another flash, and remember to carry the thing with me just in case I need it.

The current GPS unit sits on the hot-shoe I know, but it is easy to remove, and it works really well. Takes up minimal space in a camera bag, and the batteries last a long time too. I speak from experience, having use mine for continuous tagging and occasional astro tracing for five weeks in California and not needing to replace the batteries once.

A shame because I was considering a new camera, and passing the K5II onto His Nibs. We shall see, but it is unlikely to be this new camera.

I would certainly miss the built in flash - there is no way I am lugging around a full size unit on holiday, for example. I think this little Metz might be the answer http://www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk/flash-studio-lighting/pentax-fit-flashes/metz-m... So small that it would hardly be noticed - and it can tilt.

I think the consensus then is that it's not for everyone!

After a health scare I've decided to save up for a new camera as I have been knocking up against the limitations of the K5 AF recently and outside of the lack of OB flash their are serious improvements in the areas that matter to me. Compared to my K5 that is. I always have a shoulder bag when out and about so the little AF201g for example wouldn't make any real difference to me (especially with a 2 year old that amount of stuff you carry anyway.........). If it did have a tilt screen etc it would be a lot more expensive probably and I would have not bothered considering it (there is no way I would afford the FF and the replacement for the K3/K3II would be much pricier as well no doubt). The kits look decent as well with the 16-85 and the 18-135 being offered at I think good prices.

I don't think after the K5 I could go to the KS-2 series as I am so used to the better build and little things like the top lcd to be comfortable really in the flagship models......... But that's just me! As I said for me I hardly use the flip screen on the Olympus and the K5 plus decent lens still smokes it for IQ so not sure what I'm going to do with that......

I don't think this is aimed at current K3 owners anyway. Things I like

Every so often I hit the little button on the side of my K-3 and flash pops up and every time my reaction is "blimey, I'd forgotten there is a built-in flash..." I've never, ever, used it. Now a GPS, that would be handy...

The whole reason that there is a range of models is that we all have different needs / wants. If I was upgrading from my K20D now, rather than last October, my quandry regarding the K5II or the K-3 would have been a no brainer for me, K3II would win (on paper at least, I wait to hear how it is for real).

K.

A flip out screen may also compromise weather sealing ability at the ball joint and the screen itself, without some interesting gasket work. Weather sealing is a Pentax strong point.

I'm not sure there is a range of models Kris.
The K3II is a replacement for the K-3 which was a replacement for the K-5 and it's updates.
The alternative for me is to go down a model level, and lose all the advantages of a top level model. The FF is not an alternative, since that doesn't offer the pop-up flash either.
Until I know that there is a small flash that can be used as a trigger for my existing Pentax flash, without it contributing to the total flash load, as the pop-up does now I won't be considering this camera at all Even if it can it is another thing to lug for the odd occasion I need it when travelling, where as the pop up works just fine for fill flash.
I can live without a geotagged photo to use the pop-up flash, (ie I can take the tagger off the camera for that photo and tag it manually later) but I am not sure I can live without a flash to geotag a photo.

K-3 is as heavy an APS-C DSLR as I ever want and the good news is that K-3 II is the same weight. Add built-in flash and a swivel screen and you add weight. No thanks, but there are other models in the range if i want them.

K-3 II seems to have 4 key points of interest:

A stop of extra SR - good news if that applies to 300mm lenses and up. Also lessens the need for flash indoors.
Pixel shift - for previously unheard of sharpness in static landscapes, architecture, macro etc.
GPS - astrotracer! No need for the GPS module, saving on cost (even after buying an external flash). Geo tagging doesn't interest me though.
Weight/size - No weight or bulk increase, excellent!

All of the above distinguish K3 II from the big boys and that's what Ricoh-Pentax need if they are to recover the lost ground from years of neglect. The flash issue is easily solved; small external flash in the pocket, or different model in the range. Well done Ricoh-Pentax, I like it!

Exactly Bruce - if you want a flippy screen and onboard flash, you would buy a KS2.

If you were an aspiring landscape photographer, you probably couldn't care less about those things and the KS3ii would be a viable choice!

I have Budapest on my doorstep when I have time I would be taking lots of urban landscapes and architectural shots and high resolution I am sure would be amazing. If I look back at previous activity most of my pictures are landscape really. And the SR mentioned above. Big plus for me as I try to avoid flash anyway if possible as I don't like using it on my daughter.

Looking at it it looks a little like the ff mock up that they had at the photo show
And they are saying next month so dose that really mean June or July
As they made a boo boo with the lenses being late

I never use the in board flash as my lenses tend to be to big and cast a shadow in the image from the inboard flash. Now to replace that with GPs is an awesome idea.

Pentax have been marketing to the outdoor photographer and this makes more sense for their product design and marketing plans.

Most top end camera have. I flash so why shouldn't Pentax top end slr be any different?