Hi MightyMike,
MightyMike wrote:
[snip]
- The 14.5mp sensor has supposedly been modified (lets hope for a
faster read-off, and electronic shutter capabilities and if they are
being very brave lets hope for it to be a backlit sensor design
allowing for 4 times more photos to reach the photo sensitive surface)
Faster readout would be nice. In fact, the frame rate on Pentax SLRs has been a real weak point. I'd like to see it switchable between a low rate (3fps, as now) and a medium rate (6-8fps).
However, switching to back-illumination would not give such a photon boost. Most detectors nowadays have microlenses so that their areal efficiency for light gathering is fairly high, typically above 80%. This is one of the advances that levelled the playing field between CCD and CMOS detectors. Using back-illuminated detectors would give a boost to quantum efficiency at the blue end of the spectrum, of course.
- It'll be a K20D but with a shorter registration distance and a
smaller then K-Mount mount
- it will have a tapered adapter available for use with existing lenses
I'd prefer to see the same mount and registration distance. An adapter would ease the pain, but there might be real geometric issues getting a big lens to fit on a petite new body, just pushed forwards a cm or so. There could well be problems accessing any switches or controls on the front of the body.
[snip]
- It'll likely have a 2.7" screen up from 2.5" but hopefully 3" and i
have my doubts as to whether it will have flip n twist.
- I hope for a high res. LCD and EVF but chances are that at least
the LCD might not be high res.
The LCD should be as big as the back of the camera allows. The K20D should have had at least a 3" screen. The number of pixels should also be increased to match the other makers.
- the OVF and penta-prism will be replaced with an EVF,
- the mirror removed and hopefully the shutter removed in favour of
an electronic shutter,
Actually, I'm in favour of electronic shutter. With a CMOS or interline CCD detector, it's trivial to implement. The EVF is riskier, as it could be held hostage to cost reduction. EVF is a handicap unless it has either (i) enough pixels or (ii) built-in pan & zoom for fine manual focussing. Given EVF and electronic shutter, the mirror and pentaprism are superfluous.
[snip]
- The burst rate will go up to 4fps at 14.5mp, possibly to 5fps...
and faster FPS at lower res. like 6mp @ 10fps
This is aiming too low. I'd prefer 6-8fps as a high rate and 3fps as a low rate, independent of resolution.
[snip]
Other points on internal IS and body weather sealing etc. are no-brainers. Personally, I don't really care about automatic face detection (what would it do with animal photos?) once it's easily enabled and disabled.
AF is the question, it is possible to make contrast detect AF work
fast with existing lenses even the screw drive lenses but has Pentax
figured it out yet? it will be a guarantee that SDM lenses should
focus possibly slow, and of course the new lenses will focus but if
the older and much more common screw drive lenses won't focus it'll
be a big flop, it'll be like telling 90% of your loyal customer base
that their loyal LBA is of no consequence. all new lenses will be
weather sealed.
Pentax AF speed/accuracy is a bit of an embarrassment, to tell the truth. It's OK in decent light, but performs much worse than the others in mediocre light. This and the frame rate should be addressed as a priority.
There have been numerous reports of SDM issues, and this technology seems not to be mature yet. Until then, I'd like an option to switch SDM lenses to screw drive focus on SDM bodies. I had a glitch recently with my DA*16-50/2.8 which suddenly refused to focus on my K20D. It still worked fine on the *istD (screw drive), and my other SDM lenses work fine on the K20D, but the 16-50 could only be used in manual mode. This problem persisted, so it's gone back for warranty repair. Luckily, I have a 16-45/4 as backup...
--
Horses are good subjects for photography, but terrible platforms for a photographer.
). I'll get mad if I'll have to use adapters for my lenses.