Pentax K20D

Last Thursday from Stock Photo.

RG.


http://stock-photo.blogspot.com/2007/11/pentax-k20d-on-show-at-pma-2008.html

Thursday, November 29, 2007
Pentax K20D on show at PMA 2008
Pentax K20D is coming and according to sources will be on display at the PMA 2008 show. The announcement of the 14 megapixel dslr together with the K200 is expected at january 24 2008.

The Pentax k20D has a 14 megapixel Pentax proprietary cmos sensor, 3 inch screen of the same type seen on Nikon models, live view, revamped anti shake, and it also seems a new file format in addition to the PEF, DNG and jpeg presently in the K10D. We can only assume it may be a uncompressed raw format.

The sensor itself is stirring a lot of comments at photo forums. This would be Pentax first sensor, but building a sensor demands huge resources and a foundry. Such an undertaking in secret is very doubtful and most seem to agree that the "Pentax sensor" must be a licensed 3:rd party product.

Sony does not have a 14 megapixel sensor so it may come as a surprise to some about who is working with Pentax in this regard, you will just have to wait and see

Pentax management outlined in March 2007 the direction of Pentax DSLR products and declared that consecutive models would offer true upgrades and not just reworked models (like the *ist that had numerous versions on the market)

The K20d may use the same body as the present K10d but the difference in specifications will be so big that this truly is a new model - it is not a K10d mkII. If for nothing else, just the new sensor merits a new model name.

Expect a starting price at around 1400 us$. Pentax is starting to look like a serious playter. the only backwash is the lens market that is still weaker on choice that the other brands. This has in part to do with the cooperation between Tokina and Pentax. As a direct result, some 3-party models are unfortunately not available in Pentax mount. However - it seems that the new Tamron 70 - 200 2.8 will also have pentax mount. Very good news indeed as this lens is a stellar performer - and lightweight. More on that later.

Stay tuned for more news on Pentax K20D and the K200 (that will have the 10 megapixel sensor).

The new sensor will be a Pentax/Samsung sensor - Nikon have the rights to the Sony sensor - they can't even use it in their own Alphas.
The camera has already been discussed under the same title earlier, in the same forum

I would be careful with such a post. Lifting words direct from another website without stating the source can be construed as copyright infringement.

Kim

Just a thought, if this new camera is 14 megapixel would it not make more sense to call it a K14D?

Would that make the K100 a 100Mp camera.

Actually, I would have expected a name such as K5. In the past the lower the number has meant a higher spec camera with Pentax. Think of the Z series where to best spec was the Z1 and the MZ series where the best one was the MZ-3 (I'll ignore the MZ-S, that came later)

Kim

KimC.

You might want look at the direct link above the copy.

I believe that is enough for me not to have to worry about the copyright police banging on my door.

Don't know about you, but I have never heard of anyone getting into trouble over copying and pasting articles on the net. It's done millions of times each day.

RG.

Sigma has a 14MP sensor in their DSLR, perhaps it could be that?

No the Sigma sensor is a three layered 3.4MP sensor or something of the like. It works differently and isn't really 14MP... It is hard to compare with a bayer pattern CCD or CMOS.

of course, one could fit a larger (say 18 mp) sensor into a digital body, and call it a 14 mp camera.

Why?

well if you only used 14mp central area of a larger 18 mp chip, for creating the images, but also used the remaining outer area of the sensor (possibly with lenses/masks placed over it) for exposure/color balance/noise calculations...

esp with live image preiview, that might be workable and affordable, also if you were buying 18mp sensors for medium format camera bodies that were already obsolete....

lays the design for a full frame model option too if one wanted to keep that door open...

Kim C wrote:

I think Strobist about sums up fair use:


http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/strobist-terms-of-service.html

I think that's a fair comment - I notice that the original post does not have quotation marks either, so we don't know where the quote begins or ends. It also has "smiley" in it - is that in the original or is it added and hence not part of the original.

If it's not accurate I suppose the author might claim he or she was being misrepresented....

It's a tricky world and paying proper attention to copyright issues is definitely recommended. Especially when the whole world can read it...

[idle_speculation]

14MP?

CMOS?

On-chip NR?

Expanded dynamic range?

FULL FRAME!!??

Could this be it: http://download.cypress.com.edgesuite.net/design_resources/datasheets/contents/ibis4_14000_8.pdf

If it is, then it's an update of the sensor used by Kodak in their SLRs of a few years back. Perhaps Pentax/Samsung have been tweaking it to overcome the 3fps max frame rate - it's not a Sony sensor anyway!

[/idle_speculation]

No FF lenses in the Pentax Road Map.

Very true, however, the Pentax Road Map predates Pentax's purchase by Hoya, so while I'm in the mood for idle speculation I'd add the following:

Hoya are (essentially) a glass foundry. Glass foundries need to sell glass to make money. FF lenses use more glass than DA ones. FF lenses are more profitable (to a glass seller) than DA ones.

Taken in isolation this proves nothing, however, I for one wouldn't be totally taken aback if the Pentax Road Map was replaced by a snazzy new Pentax Satellite Navigation System in the new year...

Having just looked at the "current" lens road map, it still shows a lens for the now canceled 645D!