The problem with the K-5 II is that it is still largely going to appeal to current Pentax users. And since it is a minor upgrade, only those with money to burn will upgrade from the perfectly good K-5. After two years it's still only a very small stopgap measure. Looking around the forums, it is obvious that people expect more.

The K-5 is not a "professional" camera since, marketing guff aside, there is no such thing. The most important thing for most professionals is a global support network. It seems unlikely Ricoh will invest what it takes to match Canikon on this front. Olympus and Panasonic have more luck converting professionals than Pentax does.

I am glad to see the IIs model which takes a leaf from Nikon. Wish it was out at the same price... that would make a bold statement!

I don't remember the details but recall it's best to disable (or simply not enable) highlight correction or any other sort of exposure automation. As in all such things, one is trusting in the computer we call a camera to be smarter than we are as photographers. And I haven't yet found that to be the case.

I would rather work with the full uncompromised dynamic range, bracketing where necessary. A good deal can then be done in RAW development to get the desired result.

Simple. In Av mode I can adjust aperture with one dial and ISO with the other. That's optimal most of the time.

Other than that the best advice I can give is RAW mode always. Because I don't want to throw away a third of my image.

The beauty of an SLR is that you change change settings to suit the circumstance. So nothing stays in one place forever. But generally I use SELected focus point, centre-weighted metering, and standard RAW (not proprietary PEF).

Most of the other settings don't matter. Because of RAW. Naturally.

On a more general note:

The best way to get better Pentax products, the route all true fans would take, is to demand better products and criticise mistakes. To continuously accept every stupid Pentax decision does the brand absolutely no favours.

It is a lot easier, however.

Nope. My decisions are made based on the previous round of price increases as well. Almost every lens costs double or more now to what it did three years back. If you find that palatable, well, you're a richer man than I am. I snuck in and bought the Limiteds, DA12-24 etc. that I wanted to. But I cannot in good conscience recommend others to do likewise at this point. People look tome for good advice, not for brand name cheerleading.

And from every manufacturer!

There are four camera models in the current Olympus MFT line-up, so a slimming of the range is exactly the right thing to be happening! The question you should be asking is "How happy would Pentax users be if they had four models to choose from, with different features and price levels?"

As for slagging Olympus corporation, I am no fan of any company, so that comes with the territory. But please remember that this type of FUD is exactly how Pentax is slandered in comparison with Canikon. I took a stand against that and will take a similar stand against smearing Olympus products now. The products are made by dedicated engineers, designers, and photography lovers. Tainting them with the immoral actions of the board room is simply unfair.

Exactly.

My Olympus kit (two bodies; equivalent 28mm, normal, and portrait tele primes; kit zoom; EVF; plus extras) cost me about 800 pounds. I give up nothing discernible on IQ and gain on many fronts, including AF speed and accuracy, exposure precision, better white balance, smaller size...

This is game over Pentax, as far as I can see. WTF are they thinking?

Get the pig's knuckles and sauerkraut with beer from the local brewery (forget the name).

When in doubt one can always compare prices to Leica and feel like a responsible citizen. Perhaps this is how Pentax themselves comes up with their pricing scheme?

It wasn't an accusation. I was using a rhetorical device.

OMG, I thought you were joking! Now I see it's true.

Pentax O-VF1 Optical Viewfinder €299.99 at Conn's Cameras.

Just when I think things can't get any worse for Pentax.