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Pentax K7 ANNOUNCED! Leaked Specs were right!

M

magomago

Lifer
UPDATE 4

Now here is an interesting feature - one can use the SR to actually shift the CDD translationally in two directions or rotationally in one direction:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums...=1036&message=31915200
With the composition adjustment feature you can move the sensor +/- 2mm in the horizontal and vertical position, and +/- 1 degree rotationally.

I may not sound like much, but it makes a difference, especially with macro photography.
Click to expand...


UPDATE 3:

http://www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-7/

Can click and see everything in much nicer format that I could ever provide.

some extra points (some are repeated):
+ They are pimping in camera HDR. I wonder how good it could be. I could imagine FBB shooting all his bracketed shots and immediately produce an HDR image, as opposed to having to deal with it later on the computer 😉
+ LCD upgrade - 3 inch 921k dots --> this is essentially the standard...wouldn't be suprised if its all from the same vendor lol
+ adds cold resistant. This is one cam FBB could put in a shower if he felt like it.....or take out in super cold freezing weather. Positions the camera as an 'outdoors' camera.
+100% viewfinder. Mag drops to .92x from .95X. Can't decide if I'd rather have 955/.95 or 100%/.92 Its gotta be better than what my K100D gives out whic is 96%/.85x mirror
+ improved SR system (claims up to 4 stops)
+ auto lens correction for distortion and laterial CA for D FA , DA, DAL, DA*
+1/8000 shutter
+ movie mode @ 720p
+ magnesium body

I'm totally getting a hard on lol XD I still want to see hands on reviews. How much better is AF? How much better is the noise at 1600,3200 and 6400 (K20D already did a good job at iso 1600 imo, and I do hope that Pentax holds off on the NR instead of applying it. I really don't like heavy NR because its gives too plasticky of a feel, especially with human subjects. On other things its okay. OF course this is personal preference - I have friends who want that) How intuitive and easy is the Movie mode? That is what I'll be looking at

although K20Ds going at 600 can easily tempt me to get that instead lol....

UPDATE2:
Oh, and its finally released. All the leaked info appeared to be true - biggest 'letdown'? 1/180 shutter sync, although that isn't a deal break for me. I can always toss on a ND filter to cut down the amount of light overall and push up flash output if 1/180 is too bright for ambient. I can't see it on the pentax site b/c it seems to be hammered, but a full read up on dpreview is available. Looks like video mode wasn't available, and live view is better, although slow like most other implementations. http://www.dpreview.com/previews/pentaxk7/ MSRP: 1300.
Also announced is 18-55 & 50-200 WR lens. I'm sure they are the exact same lenses, but WR. And they are MUCH cheaper than what people expect - 199 and 249 respectively.
I had the 50-200. It had decent IQ (my 55-300 has better IQ despite the bigger range) but the absolute big draw of the lens was that it was light as hell. Made it perfect as a back packing type lens - one where you don't have to worry at all as you walk in the rain b/c its WR and its cheap; works great for a system where one tries to minimize the overall weight without giving up too much IQ.




UPDATE 1:

http://www.pentax-fans.com/blog/
Moar pics, with menu photos too! LOL at "banned"...I would LMAO if they left that there. However, the menus seem to have a lot of detail put to them - even the battery type will ask you about the specific type of battery that is being used!
=======================================

i wonder how true it is...

http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...igh/K-7/K-7_Back_s.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...gh/K-7/K-7_Front_s.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...High/K-7/K-7_Kit_s.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...-7/K-7_Side_Left_s.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...7/K-7_Side_Right_s.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...High/K-7/K-7_Top_s.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/alb...ceHigh/K-7/D-BG4_s.jpg

I bolded some things that I'm really interested about.

+Curious about how much better noise is with alleged sensor/algorithm improvements.
+good to see that it can shoot faster
+must be an improved design on the shutter mechanism if it goes up to 1/8000 (previously was 1/4000)
+Movie mode interests me...but its not key. If I used it, it would be most likely <5 min shots of a moment where I want to capture motion. I hope implementation is straightforeward. Friend had a 5DMk2 when it came out (sold it immediately for a profit lawl) and he said the movie mode was no where near as intuitive as he was hoping. No big loss imo in 720p vs 1080p; still going to be much nicer when compared to grainy 640*480 videos from P&S.
+having a WR kit lens is huge imo. It would be nice to see all lenses come sealed. Definitely a smart movie to go with a WR kit lens.
+not really interested in matrix metering...I go with spot about 70% of the time and have it as center weighted the other 30% of the time. Of course, if matrix indeed is THAT good...I may switch in center weighted for matrix, but I'm not holding my breath since we will never know exactly what the algorithm is doing in the background.
+ to all the available buttons...I don't like digging through the menus constantly on my K100D, but it was an entry level from 3 years back so I'm not complaining.

Seems like a winner...

but the big question: how much?
Once we find out the official info I need to decide if I want a K-7 and save up my pennies, or if I should get a K20D.

Here is the info I ripped off of ricehigh (generally don't visit his blog b/c I feel he is the definition of pixel peeping to the wrong extreme. He claims to love Pentax, yet rips on it all day long without keeping the competition in perspective [and spending time in engineering, I understand things aren't perfect --> they are good enough lol]. On an off note, I can't help but think that his sex life is all about s&m lol)
Camera Name:
Pentax K-7

Body Material:
Magnesium Alloy Outer Shell on Stainless Steel Chassis

Body Reliability:
77 Places Sealed, Cold-Resistant: Can be Operated under Temperature at -10°C

Sensor:
New Version of Samsung 14.6MP CMOS APS-C Imager in 23.4 x 15.6mm (Aspect Ratio 3:2), 4 Data Channels Readout
Dust Removal: New DRII System, Low-Pass/Anti-Aliasing Optical Filter Placed in Front of Sensor is Capable to be Moved in High Ultrasonic Frequency; Featuring also the Dust Alert System to the User
ISO Speeds: ISO 100-3200, 6400 Available on Expansion (to be Set via Custom Function)

Image Processing:
Newly Developed PRIME (Pentax Real IMage Engine) II Image Processor for High Performance and High Speed Still Image and Movie Data Processing; Better-Quality Images with Richer Gradation and More Accurate Color Rendition

Mount:
Pentax KAF2 (Crippled K-mount, Support Both Body Driven "Screw-Type" AF KAF and SDM KAF2/KAF3 Lenses)

Viewfinder:
Optical Type, Glass Prism, 100% Image Coverage, 0.92X Magnification

Focusing Screen: New Natural-Bright-Matte III Focusing Screen, Improved Manual Focusing Accuracy

Shutter:
1/8000th second Top Speed, X-Sync=1/180s, 100,000 Shutter Actuations Durability

Continuous Shooting Modes:
Continuous (Hi):-
JPEG: 5.2 FPS: Until 40 Frames;
RAW(PEF): Until 15 Frames;
RAW(DNG): Until 14 Frames
Continuous (Lo):-
JPEG: 3.3 FPS: No Limitation, until Card Full;
RAW(PEF/DNG): Until 17 Frames

Live View:
Yes: Real-time, On-display image Confirmation, Activated by One-touch Dedicated "LV" button at the Thumb Position; Continuous Shooting Possible Under the LV Mode (Without Breaking the LV Mode and Exposure will be Adjusted Automatically and Continuously Via Automatic Diaphragm)
Live View AF Options:
Contrast Detection AF with Face Recognition Option
Other Preview Options:
Optical Preview; Digital Preview

Movie/Video Recording:
Movie/Video with Mono-Audio Recording (with Built-in Microphone), Supported Video Modes: 1280 x 720 Pixels (16:9 Standard High Definition), 640 x 416 (3:1.95), 1536 x 1024 (3:2), All Modes at 30 Frames Per Seconds

Top Monochrome Status LCD:
Yes, with Electro-Luminescence (EL) Backlight

Rear Colour LCD Monitor:
3.0", 640 x 480 Standard VGA Resolution, Approximately 920,000 Colour Dots, 170° Degrees of View both Vertically and Horizontally

e-Wheels Control:
Front and Rear Wheels

Green Button:
Yes, Directly Under the Rear Wheel

Exposure Modes:
Green Mode, Hyper Program (P), Sensitivity Priority (Sv), Shutter Priority (Tv), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter-Aperture Priority (TAv), Hyper Manual (M), Bulb (B), X-Sync (X), User and Movie

Metering System:
New 77-Segment Multi-Pattern Metering System, which Divides the Frame Equally in 7 x 11 Segments, Vertically and Horizontally Respectively; More Advanced Algorithm for Higher Exposure Accuracy
Metering Modes: Evaluative, Centre-Weighted Average, Spot; Selected via Dedicated Metering Mode Level at Camera Top

AF System:
New SAFOX VIII+ AF System, Layout Same As SAFOX VIII (11-Point, 9 Crossed); Improved in Speed and Accuracy
Focusing Modes:
AF-S, AF-C, MF; Via Dedicated Focusing Mode Selector Level
Dedicated AF Button:
Yes
Dedicated AF Point Selector:
Yes: Central, Auto and User Select
Built-in Flash (RTF):
Yes, Manual Pop-Up
Built-in AF Assist Light:
Yes

Orientation Sensor:
Yes

Shake Reduction:
Pentax Original SR System which is Capable of Compensation Shakes in Up/Down, Left/Right and Rotational (Clockwise/Counter-clockwise) Directions
SR Activation:
Preset by Camera in Different Modes or Manually Activated/Deactivated by the User via System Menu

Image Tone Modes:
Seven Modes: Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Monochrome, Muted (for Delicate, Subdued Colours); Actual Effect Previewable under LV or Digital Preview Mode
Image Parameters:
Saturation, Hue, Contrast, Sharpness, Filter Effect, Toning, Key and Contrast Highlight/Shadow; Actual Effect Previewable under LV or Digital Preview Mode

White Balance Presets:
Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent Light, Tungsten Light, Flash, CTE (Emphasizing the Colours of Sunset Scenes) and Incandescent-Tinted Fluorescent Light

Manual White Balance:
Yes: Manual Measurement, Presets and Fine-Tuning (for Green Vs Magenta and Blue Vs Amber)

Supported Colour Spaces:
sRGB (Default) and AdobeRGB

Other Features:

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Mode (One Composite Image from 3 Exposure Bracketed Images), Dynamic Range Expansion, Auto Distortion and CA Corrections, Multiple Exposures, Copyright Credits Attachment, Dedicated RAW Button, 16 Digital Filters
Controls Around Shutter Release:
Optical/Digital Preview; Two Separate Buttons for ISO Speed Selection and +/- EV Compensation / Top LCD Panel Backlight/Illumination

Direct Control System for Basic Functions:
With the Four Ways / "OK" Buttons for WB, Flash, Drive and Image Tone Mode / AF Point Selection Activation

Standard Digital Controls:
Play/Delete (at Upper Left), Info/Menu (at Lower Right)
Dedicated One-Touch RAW Button:
Yes
PC Sync Socket: Yes
IR Remote Control:
Yes, Front and Rear Receivers
I/O Ports:
Left: DC In, PC/AV, HDMI Out, Mic In; Right: Cable Switch Connector
Battery: New Type High Capacity Rechargeable Type D-LI90, 7.4V/1900mAh (Nominal), Support up to 980 Shots Without Flash
Storage Media:
SD and SDHC Cards
Dimensions:
130.5(W) x 96.5(H) x 72.5(D) mm (5.1 x 3.8 x 2.9 inches)
Weight:
670g (22.9 oz.), Body Only (Without Battery and SD Card)
750g (26.5 oz.), Loaded and Ready (With Battery and SD Card)
Software: Pentax Photo Laboratory (with SILKYPIX RAW-data processing engine developed by Ichikawa Soft Laboratory), Pentax Photo Browser and Two Other Utilities

Kit Lens:
DA 18-55/3.5-5.6 AL WR (Water/eather Resistant)

Optional Accessory:
Vertical Battery Grip D-BG4, Weather-Sealed and Cold-Resistant, Support Either Another D-LI90 or Six AA Batteries, Provision of Extra Shutter-Release Button, Preview Lever, e-Dials, AE-Lock, Green Button and AF Button
Click to expand...
 
Looks like a lot of good improvements for people who are already invested into the Pentax system.

We'll have to see some test images to see if it can draw non Pentax users.
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Looks like a lot of good improvements for people who are already invested into the Pentax system.

We'll have to see some test images to see if it can draw non Pentax users.
Click to expand...

Lol suprised you could read the initial formatting...fixed it a little so make it easier to read.

We will see. I think people may be hesitant to switch anyways because of all the claims that Pentax has been on its last legs for years now.

I must agree though that for those invested in a Pentax system, this is most definitely what people want. The only thing that seems to be the letdown was getting a square sensor 😉

edit:
if it draws people, I think the big reason they will be attracted will be due to weather sealing, especially if all new lenses (be they regular old DA or DA* lenses) that come out are weather sealed - although they may just keep the DA* lineup as weathersealed simply because they want to give people a reason to spend that money...but I'm thinking along the lines of getting sealed primes lol.
Pentax's decision of including a weather sealed kit lens is sending out a pretty powerful statement about their direction and how they plan to increase their market share
 
it's looking more and more attractive for pentax. but is it too little too late for them? I had seriously contemplated switching, but how I'm invested in canon now, it just doesn't make much sense. part of my drive was simply to try and support pentax, but that really shouldn't drive a switch, not when I need to do work, haha.

I'm curious what they'll push out on the lower end too, if at all. I've pretty much given up on a compact camera i'd like. The pancake lenses make a nice argument on a small travel slr.
 
Originally posted by: randomlinh
it's looking more and more attractive for pentax. but is it too little too late for them? I had seriously contemplated switching, but how I'm invested in canon now, it just doesn't make much sense. part of my drive was simply to try and support pentax, but that really shouldn't drive a switch, not when I need to do work, haha.

I'm curious what they'll push out on the lower end too, if at all. I've pretty much given up on a compact camera i'd like. The pancake lenses make a nice argument on a small travel slr.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they will push on the lower end. No reason not to. One of people's big complaints (which has even been echoed in this forum) is that they are not 'high end' enough, and only cater to noobs.
From what I've read (which his 99% rumor) the entry level stuff is going to hit at a Dec/Jan time frame. It seems in general that is how it typically goes (release high end stuff and then move down). The K10D/100D release was reversed because the SDM spec wasn't defined at the time. Didn't matter for the 100D because it doesn't have SDM anyways; the DS ended up adding it later IIRC.

Yeah I don't think releases really move anyone who is invested in a system unless that person has been seriously contemplating of switching for a long while.
I think its meant mainly to (a) get existing users to move up and (b) attract people who aren't very invested at all or (c) someone looking at dual systems for a specific purpose. In general, it seems that people who switch have a entry level DSLR with a kit lens + 1 other piece of glass that isn't fast.
Of course, that is not to say that it doesn't go the other way --> I've seen some guys who left pentax dump off some reallllllllly nice glass and go Canon. The amusing part is that some of this group, after a while, ends up switching back and pays another penalty in dumping off their Canon gear to rebuy Pentax gear 😉 .

As for being too late...we'll see 😉 It depends for each person, no? Too late for you, but it just may be perfect timing for another.

As for compact Cam...I'm waiting for an official release of Sigma's DP2 (err...I might have the wrong name. Its the relatively small cam with an APS sensor). They've supposedly improved things since last time (too bad the DP1 had poor noise control).
 
Originally posted by: GoSharks
Originally posted by: jpeytonWe'll have to see some test images to see if it can draw non Pentax users.
Click to expand...
I imagine it can only be better than the K20D which already isn't bad.
Click to expand...
But is it better/different enough from the competition?

When I heard rumors about a 1.3x or square format sensor, I thought maybe Pentax had come up with something that would make them stand out.
 
I agree with jpeyton. Its spec. is good, something current Pentax users would enjoy.
However, it's not good enough to attract other sides of users. The current market share of Pentax is way too low for them to survive, they, IMHO, really need something big.
Look at Nikon prior to D200 and the progress they've made since then. Pentax needs that sort of revolution but I know it's very unlikely.
Well, I guess this new camera, at best, will hold their users going for other brands.
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: GoSharks
Originally posted by: jpeytonWe'll have to see some test images to see if it can draw non Pentax users.
Click to expand...
I imagine it can only be better than the K20D which already isn't bad.
Click to expand...
But is it better/different enough from the competition?

When I heard rumors about a 1.3x or square format sensor, I thought maybe Pentax had come up with something that would make them stand out.
Click to expand...

I think what pentax is pushing towards is smaller bodies with WR. This K-7, if all the leaked info is correct, is going to actually be smaller than the K-20D. Its on the lines of a K200D in terms of size ( I believe L&W is smaller, but depth its bigger). Add WR (up 5 seals from the already sealed K20D, and this time its guaranteed to work in temps down to -10C) on to that; finally see that they are aiming this guy right in the squares of D300 and D50 where it belongs. It doesn't, from what the leaked specs show, trounce any of them absolutely. But its, on paper, competitive (We'll find out soon enough, in 10 hours, how the AF is and how the noise is) enough to stay in the race. So you get something comparable....that is smaller, is weather resistant, and comes with a WR image stabilized lens. Shooting 35 consecutive JPG vs 50 doesn't matter at all when one camera can't be taken out into the rain (lol I'd argue that is a moot issue anyways....get a 1D cam and shoot at 10fps as long as you feel like lol).

If you check out olympus forums @ dpreview many seem to smile on the camera and see it as the 'spritual successor of the E-1'.

And Pentax imo is smart in this regard. Don't dance with the competition in where their absolute strengths are - exploit the weaknesses and stay competitive. And let us hope that is what happens. At this point, I think I'm just going to save X/month and buy the K-7 over christmas....

Originally posted by: Deadtrees
I agree with jpeyton. Its spec. is good, something current Pentax users would enjoy.
However, it's not good enough to attract other sides of users. The current market share of Pentax is way too low for them to survive, they, IMHO, really need something big.
Look at Nikon prior to D200 and the progress they've made since then. Pentax needs that sort of revolution but I know it's very unlikely.
Well, I guess this new camera, at best, will hold their users going for other brands.
Click to expand...


http://www.tradingmarkets.com/...011/?lid=right-news-10
Pentax is dying again? Yeah okay. Even in a crapper economy Pentax sales actually rose while the other cams dropped. Of course we need to put it in perspective: Pentax's units 'soared' 48 percent to 340k units, while canon, estimates an 18% drop in sales....to 23.9 million units. One is clearly in a much stronger position and dominates the huge market, while the other is much much smaller. But the picture of impending death that you try to paint simply isn't true. Its like the people I constantly hear lamenting olympus and saying its going to end for them.
With the FINAL release of the 60-250 (Really...I thought this might have been duke nukem forever. And luckily, people are raving about the quality of it, so it ain't no daikatana either), with the smooth release of the 15 mm Limited, with the (well up to the last minute) tight lid on the K-7, with this clear shift in focus on where they plan to go DSLR wise... Pentax clearly has changed things around - no doubt a lot of this came from Hoya (Good to also see Ned at the helm of Pentax in the US). What I'm interested is seeing is if the 645D will actually show up next year lol. Hoya made the decision to announce, and they've shown themselves to actually follow through on what is announced.


Oh...and 10 hours till game time xD
 
"Sales growth for compact digital cameras, which account for 90 per cent of the overall digital camera market, is expected to slow in fiscal 2009. But with demand for digital single-lens reflex cameras forecast to remain solid, Hoya Corp. (TSE:7741) sees shipments of its Pentax brand digital SLR cameras soaring 48 per cent to 340,000 units. And Olympus Corp. (TSE:7733) projects a 25 per cent jump in shipments of digital SLRs to 500,000 units. "

Did I read it wrong? I read it as Hoya is predicting or hoping its sales to go up by 48% but magomago says "Pentax's units 'soared' 48 percent to 340k units." like it's already happened.

Anyway, things are different for Pentax than it's for Olympus. Olympus makes tons of revenue through other divisions and the company has strong support for its camera division. It's even joked that 'the president of Olympus is a dslr otaku.' The bottom line is: Olympus will stick around and play the game even if they take some serious beating.
However, Hoya is different. In fact, when it tried to acquire Pentax, the problem was its intension to break down the dslr division. Thanksfully, they eventually made a deal and Pentax remained but Hoya is still not in favor of Pentax camera division. It's predicted that Hoya will give a few more chances but if things don't work out, who knows. What's clear is that 5 +- 2 % of market share is painfully low for Hoya to take it.
Even worse, Samsung, the partner of Pentax, is shifting away putting much of their efforts into the new hybrid market and the series of interviews from Samsung shows how they're disappointed with the dslr market and Pentax's little abilites.

Don't get me wrong. I do not want Pentax to become history. I want it to remain but given the circumstances of the market and how competition is getting stronger, Pentax doesn't seem to have that ability to stay; exact same thing I said about Minolta back in the day. I mean, Minolta was such a innovative camera maker but they just couldn't compete although their products were darn good. Minolta fans hated it when Sony took them over but, IMHO, it was the best thing for Minolta. Compared to Hoya and their intension or merger, Minolta is very lucky to have been acquired by Sony. I just hope same thing happens to Pentax.

Well, my point was that Pentax really needs to come up with something. I know, K7 is a great step forward but that just ain't enough, like a beat up boxer needing more than a minor counter punch in 7th round. They need something that makes people go "WOW." K7 just doesn't do that. Again, Look at Nikon and how they worked it out since D200.

 
damn, 100% viewfinder, but sacrificed magnification to .92x. The camera definitely looks nice, and the size looks to be very nice. $1300, though. Hopefully they can stay afloat, I'd like to see the "60D" shrink some.
 
I want to see Pentax succeed (& Oly/Panasonic) because the more choice & competitors the better for the customers.
However, iirc Hoyas recent financials said that Pentax volume had dropped by 60% last year which is a fair way to come back from ...
The K-7 looks to have addressed the 2 main issues that ruled them out when I was last in the market for a new body but of course we have to wait for actual reviews on production cameras to see if it's true or any lily-gilding has been going on.
 
Originally posted by: Deadtrees
"Sales growth for compact digital cameras, which account for 90 per cent of the overall digital camera market, is expected to slow in fiscal 2009. But with demand for digital single-lens reflex cameras forecast to remain solid, Hoya Corp. (TSE:7741) sees shipments of its Pentax brand digital SLR cameras soaring 48 per cent to 340,000 units. And Olympus Corp. (TSE:7733) projects a 25 per cent jump in shipments of digital SLRs to 500,000 units. "

Did I read it wrong? I read it as Hoya is predicting or hoping its sales to go up by 48% but magomago says "Pentax's units 'soared' 48 percent to 340k units." like it's already happened.

Anyway, things are different for Pentax than it's for Olympus. Olympus makes tons of revenue through other divisions and the company has strong support for its camera division. It's even joked that 'the president of Olympus is a dslr otaku.' The bottom line is: Olympus will stick around and play the game even if they take some serious beating.
However, Hoya is different. In fact, when it tried to acquire Pentax, the problem was its intension to break down the dslr division. Thanksfully, they eventually made a deal and Pentax remained but Hoya is still not in favor of Pentax camera division. It's predicted that Hoya will give a few more chances but if things don't work out, who knows. What's clear is that 5 +- 2 % of market share is painfully low for Hoya to take it.
Even worse, Samsung, the partner of Pentax, is shifting away putting much of their efforts into the new hybrid market and the series of interviews from Samsung shows how they're disappointed with the dslr market and Pentax's little abilites.

Don't get me wrong. I do not want Pentax to become history. I want it to remain but given the circumstances of the market and how competition is getting stronger, Pentax doesn't seem to have that ability to stay; exact same thing I said about Minolta back in the day. I mean, Minolta was such a innovative camera maker but they just couldn't compete although their products were darn good. Minolta fans hated it when Sony took them over but, IMHO, it was the best thing for Minolta. Compared to Hoya and their intension or merger, Minolta is very lucky to have been acquired by Sony. I just hope same thing happens to Pentax.

Well, my point was that Pentax really needs to come up with something. I know, K7 is a great step forward but that just ain't enough, like a beat up boxer needing more than a minor counter punch in 7th round. They need something that makes people go "WOW." K7 just doesn't do that. Again, Look at Nikon and how they worked it out since D200.
Click to expand...

You are right. I'm sorry. My mistake about confusing what happened vs what hasn't happened. It was late at night. I apologize.
However, for Pentax to be predicting an increase in sales during this time period where the world economy is said to be sucking is a sign that its looking at growth and not contraction like in the past. Oh and I doubt Pentax has 5% - probably less IMO.

See this is where you come out with your speculation about the inner working behind the companies without knowing what is going on. I can look at a new camera release and say "This seems to be what is going on". But unless you have informants within Pentax, or Hoya, you will not know what is going on.
Furthermore, do you have this secret access to information saying Samsung was totally dissapointed with Pentax? It doesn't take an idiot to know that EVF, once all the kinks are out of the way (and things olympus have been doing is interesting), is the way that things are eventually headed. That doesn't mean OVF's days are limited anytime soon, but its about recognizing a new market potential and capitalizing on it where none of the major players (especially Canon and Nikon) are firmly entrenched.

I clearly have my own spin on things, and you do as well. Yours is completely negative and predicts continuous doom and gloom; that is about it. No wiggle room because everything they try to do is clearly not enough for you. I don't think that a Nikon style revolution is common. That is definitely the exception in the industry (to come out of decline with a HUGE K.O. punch on Canon), and even then, Canon's sales still trounce Nikon's. People who are entrenched generally don't switch - that is just the way it goes. For every FBB that switches (and granted, he had an XT and some glass that didn't even work right anymore! Switching wasn't even a big deal for him) there are 10 more that sit on what they have. Getting people to switch is probably an ineffective tactic in general because, like you said, you need a Nikon-style K.O. To build up, its better to go after newcomers to the market; You don't need a 1DsMK3 or a D3X to do that. You need solid entry and mid level cameras because that is where the sales are.

I'm not saying everything is peachy - Pentax has clearly come a long ways down from the past. I never even got my DSLR till '06/'07 and I joined in the midst of the 'oooh noes we'll see where they are in 6 months, if they are still around' period. 2-3 years later....still around and churning out cameras and beautiful lenses, and the X-7 is definitely a that nice big step needed ~ we'll see how good/bad it is with the actual reviews (dpreview doesn't have sample photos). Even the current president, Ned Bunnel, talked on the dpreview forums about how after the Hoya merger there was a lot of internal shakeup because Pentax had an old 'conservative' type culture --> but he said that things were changing with new management and the actually steady release of these products shows that. We'll need more in the future to see if things have really changed. But this is the direction Pentax needs to go in.



Oh, and its finally released. All the leaked info appeared to be true - biggest 'letdown'? 1/180 shutter sync, although that isn't a deal break for me. I can always toss on a ND filter to cut down the amount of light overall and push up flash output if 1/180 is too bright for ambient. I can't see it on the pentax site b/c it seems to be hammered, but a full read up on dpreview is available. Looks like video mode wasn't available, and live view is better, although slow like most other implementations. http://www.dpreview.com/previews/pentaxk7/ MSRP: 1300.
Also announced is 18-55 & 50-200 WR lens. I'm sure they are the exact same lenses, but WR. And they are MUCH cheaper than what people expect - 199 and 249 respectively.
I had the 50-200. It had decent IQ (my 55-300 has better IQ despite the bigger range) but the absolute big draw of the lens was that it was light as hell. Made it perfect as a back packing type lens - one where you don't have to worry at all as you walk in the rain b/c its WR and its cheap; works great for a system where one tries to minimize the overall weight without giving up too much IQ.
 
Originally posted by: magomago
Originally posted by: ElFenix
i'd have liked to see dpreview show a d90 next to it to get an idea of the size
Click to expand...

Here we go:

http://pentaxk-7.blogspot.com/2009/05/dslr-comparisons-click-photo-for-larger.html
Click to expand...

not quite as small as a k200d but still pretty small. i'll bet it's right near the D90 for size. i wonder if it'd be awkward for me like the D90 is?
 
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: magomago
Originally posted by: ElFenix
i'd have liked to see dpreview show a d90 next to it to get an idea of the size
Click to expand...

Here we go:

http://pentaxk-7.blogspot.com/2009/05/dslr-comparisons-click-photo-for-larger.html
Click to expand...

not quite as small as a k200d but still pretty small. i'll bet it's right near the D90 for size. i wonder if it'd be awkward for me like the D90 is?
Click to expand...

K-7----- 130.5(W) x 96.5(H) x 72.5(D) mm
K200D-- 133.5(W) x 95(H) x 74(D)mm

Its about 1.5mm taller in the height dimension, and smaller in the other dimensions. When looking at overall volume, the K-7 is still smaller. For those who like big cameras, the grip will no doubt be needed to increase the overall size. People liked the K10/K20 size. Going to a smaller size no doubt turns off people who like big cams.
 
the new 17-70 f/4 isn't WR? wtf? there would have been a great two lens kit, 17-70 f/4, 60-250 f/4 and a k7. nope, had to botch that one.
 
Originally posted by: ElFenix
the new 17-70 f/4 isn't WR? wtf? there would have been a great two lens kit, 17-70 f/4, 60-250 f/4 and a k7. nope, had to botch that one.
Click to expand...

new 17-70? Is there another one, or are you talking about the one from about a year ago that launch last June? Yeah no WR on it. Up till now, the only lenses that have WR were the DA* lenses - 50-135, 16-50, 55, 60-250 .

I'm really curious how the lens lineup will change - WR ~225 dollar lenses shows that they are interested in being WR on the cheap. I'm really curious what will be done with that.

What they botched, from my opnion, is the 16-50DA*. If you can get a good copy, its absolutely beautiful.....IF you can get a good copy. The rest don't deserve the DA* name. Several have called for a Mk2 of the lens. I even hesitated and picked up a 16-45 DA instead of 16-50 specifically because I was also worried about QA on the DA*.


I wish I could watch the youtube vid...blocked @ work
 
I'm shooting with the K20D and this camera had me so excited but I'll probably wait until the price come down and settled before I buy one. There's alot of cool features in the K7. I wondered why they would call it K7 instead of K30D.
 
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