Looking at the EP1, even with the adapter it's a more elegant solution. I think the successful Pentax mirrorless will look pretty much like an EP1, or NEX or whatever with an integrated adapter (make the 'adapter' part of the camera body, and make it functional - focus ring around the outside of it for example).

Postmodern design... rejection of modernism's 'form follows function'.

Wearing black is slimming and covers up all sorts of ugly lumps and bumps.




Someone mocked this up on the other forum, and are proposing petitioning Pentax for an all black version! I can live with this version much better, I think.

I was wondering why I had been green lighted - this must be Don's thread!

Sean is probably right though about talking down the product. I felt the same way when people talked down the Q. Fortunately the target market for these products aren't really forum frequenters.

I would buy the K-01, by the way, as it has a few nifty features and will probably settle at a really good price (!) - but I am still mad as hell about M. N.'s 'design input' and would buy it despite his involvement rather than because of it.

Basically I think that covers it Bernard, but the only problem is the end result isn't that stylish IMHO.... I hope I'm proved wrong but I think most people will find the styling off-putting, apart from a few 'design buffs' who have drunk the kool-aid of postmodernism.

When I listened to Marc Newson's interviews about the K-01, and gazed upon it (and his other creations), I kept being reminded of this classic bit of Hitch Hikers dialogue -

Rather than someone like Newson, I wish they had employed a team of top engineers to work on getting the body acceptably thin... or done something radically different. Some of the ideas flying around on the forums from people like Don were a lot better and more innovative than the end result IMHO! You hear this Pentax? Fire the guy who hired Marc Newson (into space preferably) and hire Don!

Oh my god, don't!

It means people who will buy the camera because it's designed by a famous designer. To be fair that will assure at least some sales, and they can be guinea pigs for a few new bits of tech that will be further refined before it goes into mainstream products...

I really hope so Don. I don't think the core product is that bad at all, specs wise. At the very least, this is a cheap way of getting publicity, and getting a camera to market with minimal R&D.

If Pentax have plans for FF, they're not going to let the cat out of the bag by confirming new full frame lenses on the roadmap. That will come after they make an announcement. And it still is an 'if'.

Newson was hired for his design expertise, and designed the key physical controls of the camera, and its form-factor. He has, as far as I can tell, done a far worse job than Pentax's own engineers manage.

I'm not sure what, besides the Marc Newson sense of 'cache' for a tiny number of consumers, the involvement of this designer has added to this product. The main design challenge is getting the camera thin enough that it doesn't look absurd next to other mirrorless cameras. How has Marc Newson's heavy handed styling helped with that issue?