Looks mini K-1 really. Hopefully with K-3 speed. Sensor under viewfinder suggests rear touchscreen.

Cool, some sign of life!

Joystick
Fixed Rear Screen
New top dial, no two top dials. Basically a KP setup?
Smaller top LCD screen.

Thoughts, is this finally a K-3 successor, built on a KP concept?
Max shutter speed, faster burst rate, larger buffer, twin card slots but with KP features of pixel shift etc.

No mention of video specs, well any specs really.

I'm glad to see anything new really at this stage.

I reckon they’d be up for you testing in store, bring your own lenses or try theirs etc.

Perhaps bring your own memory card and try it out, then review the shots later.

That's a very Sony specific set of issues, and there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

Yeah there will be pros and cons to any system, so it's about matching functionality to personal requirements. I'm always very interested to hear how other (ex?) Pentax users have found the transition, as one can't really comment fully unless you've actually tried the other side of the fence.

I'm quite interested in what Fuji are doing, in terms of retro styled solid metal cameras with mechanical shutter speed dials etc. They've done some intermediate hybrid viewfinder things too, half way between optical and evf. Not a lot of lens support, so it would appear the niche providers appeal to us

Also what type of subject matter do you like to take pictures of?

My 2 cents is it really depends on what you shoot.

Pentax has genuine strengths in stills images, especially static still life studio product work, and outdoor landscapes (where it's real weather sealing does shine). It's not so good when it comes to tracking objects (specifically keeping objects in focus that are coming towards or moving away from the camera) and is easily in last place for video performance. Traditionally Pentax have been able to eek more image quality out of a sensor than other companies.

The issue facing Pentax today (IMHO) is that others have improved their game a lot, and cameras today are multi function devices that can shoot stills and video quite well. From a financial perspective, if you shoot a bit of video, it's not realistic or necessary to have two separate systems (body plus lenses) for each task anymore.

If Video isn't your thing, and especially if you're a methodical landscape type shooter, who enjoys being more involved in each step of the photography process, then Pentax suits your needs perfectly. There's actually a lot of discussion at the moment around the loss of involvement and love of photography, when you're using devices that do more and more. There's a whole piece on the mechanical interaction and love of the process that's seeing a revival, with the retro styled camera with knobs and dials for shutter speeds etc.

The K-1 will take the same photos whether Pentax as a company/brand is still trading. The piece that would go is resale value, due to perception that there's no upgrade path and parts aren't available etc (which is really weird as you don't normally upgrade an existing camera, you replace it). Stills Image Quality wise, the K-1 still punches right up there with the best DSLR.
If you are replacing all your existing lens, then moving from APS-C to FF is quite a jump, so quite right to ask the question.

The K-1 was released back in 2016, and the mkii (very similar capabilities really) was released in 2018, so tech wise this is getting on a bit. Given the almost non existent camera release in the last year/s, there's no indication that anything is coming to replace it any time soon either though.

Seriously guys, keep it respectful.

One can list at whatever price they want, but that doesn't mean the interest is there and they're necessarily selling at those prices.

There are roughly 4 shops (traditional camera stores) that sell/hold Pentax stock in NZ.
After that you're into the grey market import type shop, with the warranty risks that incurs.
You can't buy Pentax at any of the national chain electronic appliance stores, where most of the public purchase cameras.

That facebook group you've linked to has had no formal posts in over 2 years, and the last user post activity was close to 3 years ago.
No one is moaning, but no one is saying anything either. What's your point really

None of the above relates to a new K-3iii camera discussion.


Apologies, not looking to offend.



My wish list is better Tracking AF and improved video capabilities. Is that a silly dream really?
Video specifically has changed very little since 2012 when they moved to new processors and dropped real sensor SR stabilisation.
The KP saw the bitrate increased, so surely some improvement in this area should be capable by now in a new K-3iii?

We're all Pentax Users, that's the name of the site. We don't all have to have the same opinions. The snarky response to any suggestion of change does not lead to a particularly nice forum environment, so I'll step out of these discussions for a while.

Right now the customer base seems split into two camps, one that's completely happy with what they have and one that wants to see development into other areas. I don't know why those who are satisfied already are lurking on threads about new models and what features other Pentax Users would like to see on them. We all have different use cases, and should be free to convey them in a forum (noun: a meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.)

Like others who are considering leaving, or who have already left, I'm sitting on older Pentax cameras and am not being presented with new products that fit my own personal wants and needs now. These expectations have changed over time, but are not necessarily unrealistic (eg in alignment with general industry trends). I'm heavily invested in Pentax gear, and the second hand market value for this is plummeting as Pentax drifts off into obscurity (in New Zealand at least - no advertising, not in any major national stores, none stocked locally in my city, name known locally for historic film references mostly etc). Honestly do believe the K-3 (and 645 for those owners) is overdue for a replacement model and it will be interesting to see if they do present a new model, and what features it offers. I'd like to stay, and I'd also like to be able to use my great Pentax camera body and lenses for a wider variety of situations.

[quote:3496ace15f] I can't see why you bought into DSLRs when you hate the concept so much.[/quote]Please try not to make this personal. Yes I know how to use the DoF preview feature, and no I don't hate DSLRs. My comments are that DSLR vs Mirrorless is just two sides of a coin, they're very similar and each with pros and cons depending on what you are shooting.

I personally prefer optical viewfinders, but do accept that EVF's have come a long way since their early days too. I also realise that most of my landscape/tripod based work is all on the rear lcd screen in live view. Just personal observations.

As for auto features, you can chose if you want to use them or not, just like we can with the variety of auto options already provided on current Pentax cameras. Point is for those who want them, they can be handy tools, even if others don't use or value those features.

As above, this is not a mirrorless discussion though, it's about a K-3ii upgrade to K-3iii, and what type of camera that might be.
Which areas would you want Pentax to develop further in?

The K-3 really is a beast of a camera. Very impressive and feels very solid and well constructed. I haven't had any lock ups or that mirror flapping that was reported early on. I too am waiting for a K-3iii type camera, as whilst the KP was a good camera too, it wasn't a suitable K-3 replacement for me.