has Pentax hinted at details of its next DSLR?

I hate rumor threads and not trying to start one: I am asking here only about what Pentax has actually said, not speculations.

Has Pentax made any statements hinting at plans for its next DSLR?

I am hoping that there will be a new model based on the Sony EXMOR sensor that is apparently used in the A700 and D300, because Pentax has the lenses to make better use of it that the Sony-Minolta lens system, but I have not read anything. Maybe the Hoya saga put announcements of product plans on the back-burner, but that is over now, hopefully.

Pentax has always been pretty tight-lipped about future camera body particulars. There probably won't be any hard news until the next release announcement, presumed to be due out in January.

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I got this from a friend who almost works at a place where they used Pentax cameras for something or other:

It will be a very different camera, aiming for a different market than the usual black, square, intimidating DSLR of today. It will be smaller, with a rounded, softer appearance - indeed, it will actually be soft, with a special rubberized cladding that makes it the first consumer-grade SLR that is not only rain and dust proof, but also drop-proof.

To avoid a hard, brittle LCD screen and controls at the back, the system now has a pure auditory interface where you engage in a dialog with the camera about what you want to do and what the camera thinks about it. It can utilize advanced image-analysis methods to determine what you're trying to shoot and give you advice, or - in the green mode - simply override your requests if it will result in a bad picture (ignoring, for example, any command to take the picture as long as aunt Griselda wearing a swimsuit is anywhere in the frame).

Finally acknowledging that lenses are round, and with the camera becoming spherical, it will feature a revolutionary circular sensor with a plane-polar arrangement of sensor sites rather than the current linear setup. People can choose whatever crop format thei like, from panorama to square, and the camera will have an integrated crop mechanism (the new 'Ac' setting) that chooses the crop that will keep the most information in the picture. The new sensor format also means fisheye lenses are now the ones that best fit the format; expect a new 10-300mmFE in the near future.

With the new soft, round appearance there is no place for an integrated flash. Instead you get two small, round wireless satellite flashes that flash in every direction from a newly developed bioluminescent surface material. You simply throw them out into the scene and they light it up in delightfully surprising ways.

And to the delight of Sanrio fans everywhere, the camera will come by default in a Hello Kitty version with all of the above in a sassy pink (including the flash light) with a Kitty-chan carrying case. Recognizing that not everybody is in love with the famous kitten, they are working on releasing a My Little Pony version as well at some later date.

But you know, I could be wrong - just a rumor after all.

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This is great news! A friend of mine is an exotic dancer. Needless to say she's a Hello Kitty addict, and does everything she can to work that theme into her pole dancing act. She's always complained that there's never been an easy way for her to take retaliatory photos of the lurkers in the crowd who sneak their Canons into the clubs and hide them under their trenchcoats with only the pointy ends sticking out, popping off shots when they're not supposed to. Her complaint was that although she's a die-hard Pentax fan, there's never been a camera in the Pentax lineup that she could confidently take on stage to fire a few shots back at the lurkers to put them in their places, without looking ... well, like a photojournalist stripper (not a common fetish, apparently).

Now things will be different. This new spherical camera will fit right into her juggling act, and won't raise an eyebrow. As for the new flash technology, I can see that coming in handy for special lighting effects during her show, as well having the reach to illuminate the dark recesses in the folds of the lurkers' trenchcoats. I think she'll be catching a few of these guys red handed and red faced. The perfect way to encourage them to take their big Canons and leave her in peace!

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Yeah but will it be FF with plastic jpegs by default so I don't have to rotate the kit-e-dial to change the default?

And I want low noise at high iso!! That's the last thing I want is the thing meowing at me when I turn it to 1600!

If it has that, I'm sold!

BJL said:

I hate rumor threads and not trying to start one: I am asking here
only about what Pentax has actually said, not speculations.

Has Pentax made any statements hinting at plans for its next DSLR?

Click to expand...

No, but Canon, Nikon and Sony all said nothing before they actually announced their products.

BJL said:

I am hoping that there will be a new model based on the Sony EXMOR
sensor that is apparently used in the A700 and D300,

Click to expand...

That is probably going to happen. DSLR cameras based on this sensor are selling for a lot more than DSLR cameras based on the older 10mp Sony sensor. Since file sizes are similar, it would be pretty easy to adapt the K10D body and electronics to the new sensor.

BJL said:

because Pentax
has the lenses to make better use of it that the Sony-Minolta lens
system, but I have not read anything.

Click to expand...

Pentax shares many APS-C only lens designs with Tokina, so Sony users can basically get the same glass that Pentax users can by buying Tokina lenses, often at prices cheaper than Pentax users have to pay.

BJL said:

Maybe the Hoya saga put
announcements of product plans on the back-burner, but that is over
now, hopefully.

Click to expand...

There is probably some internal discussion about the future product plans of Pentax inside Hoya. That may have delayed the introduction of new camera bodies.

Jan Moren said:

it will feature a revolutionary circular sensor
People can choose whatever crop format thei
like, from panorama to square

Click to expand...

I think this is a good idea.

Anastigmat said:

Anastigmat said:

I am hoping that there will be a new model based on the Sony
EXMOR
sensor that is apparently used in the A700 and D300,

Click to expand...

That is probably going to happen. DSLR cameras based on this sensor
are selling for a lot more than DSLR cameras based on the older 10mp
Sony sensor. Since file sizes are similar, it would be pretty easy
to adapt the K10D body and electronics to the new sensor.

Click to expand...

On the Pentax Forums site, several people with access to various levels of gossip have confirmed pretty much exactly one thing about the next Pentax body -- it won't have a Sony sensor. (Although it's unclear if that means all future models, or just one upcoming one.)

Anastigmat said:

No, but Canon, Nikon and Sony all said nothing before they actually announced their products.

Click to expand...

Sony talked about a coming "advanced amateur" model well before announcing the A700, and has talked about a yet unannounced "pro" model. And Pentax has given a succession of hints about a digital medium format camera, with no formal announcement yet. So "pre-announcements" are not out of the question.

But I agree that Pentax could simply be keeping quiet, to avoid suppressing sales of the K10D for example. That is my guess actually.

... how's the noise?

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In an interview from spring 2007 published in DC Watch Impress Magazine, where K D Torigoe and K Tatamiya from Pentax Imaging Business where interviewed, they did confirm that Pentax were working on three new DSLR's: two models where the K10D and K100D are today, and a new flagship model. The two new models, upgrades or replacement for current K100D and K10D were "almost ready".

Pentax has not given technical specifications for the cameras.

The announcement will come in January, it was originally scheduled for early October but was re-scheduled to January.

According to Hoyas plan, Pentax Imaging Business will be part of Hoya group but operate indipendently for the coming three years. This ensures a high moral for the workers, it also means that Hoya is backing Pentax Imaging Business with money but does not interfere too much in the plans Pentax Imaging Business has. K D Torigoe, chief executive of Pentax Imaging Business, was promoted member of the board which is very positive as he is an enthusiasts for photography. K D Torigoe has been given more resources to steer Pentax Imaging Business towards his direction, and Hoya believes K D Torigoe has the knowledge and visions to make Pentax Imaging Business a success, otherwise they wouldn't have promoted him.

About sensor: According to those who has spoken with representatives from Pentax, and other personell (distributors etc) who are signed under NDA - non disclosure agreement - technical specifications for the sensor can't be given out officially at this stage, but it is not a Sony. (yes, they weren't allowed to say what it was, but they could say what it wasn't).
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And Pentax has spoken about two new DSLR's (for the same market as K10D and K100D), and a new flagship. But no more in-depth information than that.
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Anastigmat said:

No, but Canon, Nikon and Sony all said nothing before they actually
announced their products.

Click to expand...

Not true, Sony showed mockups of their cameras months before. They dropped the press release on their new sensor a few weeks before their new camera, and a few days before the Nikon.

They have also been hinting pretty hard on the Flagship body. (AS, Full Frame)

Anastigmat said:

Pentax shares many APS-C only lens designs with Tokina, so Sony users
can basically get the same glass that Pentax users can by buying
Tokina lenses, often at prices cheaper than Pentax users have to pay.

Click to expand...

Tokina lenses are near non-existent in A mount. Tokina discontinued support for the mount about 2 years ago, same for Sigma, though Sigma has re-confirmed support again after Sony got going with things. A mount folks would love to see the 12-24 for A mount.

Of course new bodies will come. The K10D still has some life in it since it was the best in it's class. Only the D80 could really compete with it.

A Semi-Pro body to keep pace with Sony and Nikon is going to happen before long. And almost certainly will run the new IMX021 for it's sensor.

A fair guess would be Pentax anounces a "K1D" and a replacement for the K100D at PMA. Followed by a replacement for the K10D in more like mid summer. That might be too many bodies for them to crank out in a short time though.

Of course who know what Hoya is up to with things. I can see some plans/models getting scrapped/added/changed since the Hoya doings.

Matthew Miller said:

Anastigmat said:

Matthew Miller said:

I am hoping that there will be a new model based on the Sony
EXMOR
sensor that is apparently used in the A700 and D300,

Click to expand...

That is probably going to happen. DSLR cameras based on this sensor
are selling for a lot more than DSLR cameras based on the older 10mp
Sony sensor. Since file sizes are similar, it would be pretty easy
to adapt the K10D body and electronics to the new sensor.

Click to expand...

On the Pentax Forums site, several people with access to various
levels of gossip have confirmed pretty much exactly one thing about
the next Pentax body -- it won't have a Sony sensor. (Although it's
unclear if that means all future models, or just one upcoming one.)

Click to expand...

That's good - I'm really hoping it's not going to be CMOS and I'm really happy if they found someone else than Sony. BTW, implementing EXMOR means droping NuCore 22 bit A/D converter, so it's not so easy to fit into K10D body...
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At Photo Plus in NYC last weekend, they said "wait till jan/feb." We will be happy. Until than nothing.

(oh and of course the typical shiftyness they give when asked about new products
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it WILL be a CMOS ...

Yes, the PMA show is late Januray - early February.
Then we will know.

So, lets concentrate on having a great Christmas shall we, and when we're all tired of all festivities, Pentax crank up something special for the new year!
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Take care
R
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CMOS are more energy efficient, eats less power. But yes, CMOS are more noisy, that is why they need to be combined with on-chip noise reduction - this worked so well for Canon that CMOS-sensors got the reputation for being less noisy than CCD.
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Take care
R
http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelmabo