Pentax please keep k5 body design in k3!

I make it by age and thus time in the field with good equipment.

But to do what I suugest someone would have to feel invested in attempting to start a positive K5 replacement thread, and others would have to say yes I will follow you.
John

chiane said:

I think everyone on this forum is a senior.

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wlachan said:

Often people tend to upgrade with different designs. My #1 wish is that whatever Ricoh may do, PLEASE ADDRESS LOOSE QC!!!
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http://www.pbase.com/wlachan

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k+

I can not agree more with wlachan.

Pentax K-5 is a wonderful camera, it definitely exceeds ALL my needs I have regarding a photographic tool.

My next camera could be a nice Pentax mirrorles maybe the future k-02, if Ricoh will decide to SELL IT WITH INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL VIEWFINDER, trading part of its short term margin for additional long term profit coming from very satisfied photo enthusiasts....

My only issue nowadays is a bit inconsistent AF - it is visible especially with limiteds, like 31mm and 43mm up to f2.8 - and even a bit misaligned MF. I already learned how to compensate the slight FF during manual focusing.... The paradox is that I upgraded to K-5 due to AF inconsistency of my K10D... Both products were early production models, I learned my lesson being an early adopter

Tibor

I really dislike the overhanging lip required for the K-5's on board flash. It gets in the way as it sticks out over the lens. It seems to be there for only because a better solution wasn't found. Now there is a solution and it needs to be in the next OVF body.

Thank you
Russell

I have three wishes for the next K5 edition :
1. dedicated film button
2. articulated LCD
and for all the legacy lenses that exist on this planet
3. (original) Pentax Autofocus adapter (in my case for Leica R-lenses)

Thanks.

chiane said:

I think everyone on this forum is a senior.

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Ahahahaha! So,true.

Keep the body at the same size and shape, yes, but (for my taste) ...

1. Move the green button to where the ISO button is.
2. Move the ISO button to the centre of the 4-way control (e.g. go back to the K10D/K20D position and functionality).
3. Put the dedicated video button where the green button now is.
4. [Optional] Get rid of the mode-dial lock button also (seems superfluous: I never knocked my dial off its setting once with the K10D/K20D).

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Cheers,
sfa

A very limited photographer ...

Russell Evans said:

The first thing to be changed is to remove the mode dial and replace it with an e-dial for aperture control on the that side of the camera. Since the camera no longer has a mode dial, change the e-dials to clickable e-dials like on the wheel on a mouse. The idea will be each setting; ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, can be set to auto mode, and out of auto mode, by clicking on the representative e-dial. By setting an individual setting to auto you can have TAv, mode. By setting two settings to auto, you get Av, Tv, and Sv, modes. All three set to auto would give you Green mode. Hyper manual mode would be expanded, as you can click on and then off each auto mode to have either shutter speed, aperture, or ISO shifted accordingly to the other two settings. You will need a dedicated video button, and an option to set P mode to the raw button, or just as a menu option in the shooting menu.

You can lose the Green button as when the EV compensation button is pressed, you will still set it with the rear dial, or zero it out by clicking the e-dial. This will give you room for the needed video record button.

The rear e-dial on the right, will also be like a modern mouse wheel in that it will rotate, have center click, and have up and down selections (horizontal scroll on the mouse wheel). This will be used for all menu navigation. The pad probably can then be replaced with just dedicated buttons

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LOL, just think of how many additional trees will have to be felled to print the manual! :-D

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Cheers,
sfa

A very limited photographer ...

sfa1966 said:

LOL, just think of how many additional trees will have to be felled to print the manual! :-D

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Seems much more intuitive to me as there would not longer be named shooting modes. Simply saying, "if you want the setting to be set to auto, click the appropriate e-dial" pretty much covers the use. You no longer have to explain what Av mode means, what Tv mode means, ...

Personally, I would get rid of X mode as well by simply designing the flash units, even the on board, to have a flash duration of 1/125s at full power. To lower the light output at shutter speeds above 1/180s and below the flash duration, in situations where the flash would have to fire with more power than needed to provide the needed flash duration, simply use a shutter on the flash head to partially block the light leaving the head.

I'm thinking the camera would use a GND filter type shutter, say a half barrel, that rotated around the flash tube, where the more it rotated around, the darker the gradient became. All automatically done and all based on the pre-flash metering. the same as it is done today. Of coarse, the issue with this is that flash recharge times won't be optimal and battery life will be shorter when using flash like this. The plus being that you don't have to worry about using HSS, or using X mode, and because all the variables are known, you can use the camera's processor to only enable using the GND shutter when needed.

For the people that actually need to use an X mode and a fast duration flash, you only would need to tell them the sync speed to set when they needed to do so. Do you really switch to X mode now or are you already using your camera in Manual when using flash anyway and just set the shutter to 1/180s?

Thank you
Russell

Hoya was genius with these new compact bodies that the K-7 and K-5 utilize. To me, they came up with a camera that squeezed as much performance into as little of a camera body as they could engineer. It's great for guys like me use these cameras for backpacking adventures that often take me deep into the unforgiving and harsh territories, where size and weight are of huge concern. Have you ever had to sleep with a K-10D or K-20D in-between your legs in a mummy down-feather sleeping bag for 14 hrs when the temperature gets well below freezing? I’ll do it any day with my K-7 or K-5 over the my old K-10D. It’s not like the grip is preventing me from getting the perfect shot because the camera is a little smaller than I’d like it for comfort. Not to mention, the other forms of comfort that I much rather prefer over a smaller camera body like sleep, or available space in my backpack. Don't get me wrong, if I want a Professional camera with a full-size grip, I'll buy a Nikon D-4. If you’re a big guy or gal than perhaps you may be better suited with a larger semi-pro body like a 7-D or D-7000. You should also try using the D-BG4 grip if you don’t have enough grip on the camera for what you’re trying to accomplish. The bottom line is that Pentax has an edge over those big manufactures high quality semi-professional bodies given what they’re typically aimed for. When I think semi-pro DSLR, I think high quality features and performance in a small and affordable package. When I think pro DSLR, I think, the whole package w/o sacrificing anything including size. I have the D-BG4 grip and use it when I shoot weddings or events where I need that extra grip for set-ups like this:

+1 !

The K-7/K-5 body is almost perfect. It is a great, modern design: functional, ergonomic, and good-looking at the same time. No need to do yet another retro-for-retro's sake camera, IMHO.

raizans said:

wouldn't hurt if they got rid of the puzzling bump next to the lens mount.

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Isn't that where the aperture-control motor is located ? I rather hope they keep it it that's the case ;-)

I love my K5 just the way it is. I just hope that in 10 years when I need to replace it they are still making it. Only change: a faster better onboard computer.

jthommo101 said:

and IMO the K20D was the perfect size.

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... and that's the dilemma for designers. I never quite hated my K10/20 but never loved them. As soon as I used the K-7 I knew it was for me. Going back to the K20 when carrying two bodies always depressed me. Now I use K-5 and K-7 together I'm in photography heaven.

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Gerry


First camera 1953, first Pentax 1985, first DSLR 2006
http://www.pbase.com/gerrywinterbourne

I guess the correct wish is: Keep Marc away from designing the next Pentax. Just let the Pentax team that do the camera design do their job. They have done great job from K20 - K5, and we will get great camera whatever it is.

Lee

sfa1966 said:

Keep the body at the same size and shape, yes, but (for my taste) ...

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sfa1966 said:

1 Move the green button to where the ISO button is.

2 Move the ISO button to the centre of the 4-way control (e.g. go back to the K10D/K20D position and functionality).

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I found having thumb on OK to much of a stretch for finger on front e-dial. Finger on ISO button and thumb on rear e-dial is easy.

sfa1966 said:

3 Put the dedicated video button where the green button now is.

4 [Optional] Get rid of the mode-dial lock button also (seems superfluous: I never knocked my dial off its setting once with the K10D/K20D).

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You must be more careul than me. I was doing it all the time.

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Gerry


First camera 1953, first Pentax 1985, first DSLR 2006
http://www.pbase.com/gerrywinterbourne

People seems to love the design of k-01, don't forget to pay Mark Newson handsome sum to design new k-3.

LaFonte said:

People seems to love the design of k-01, don't forget to pay Mark Newson handsome sum to design new k-3.

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How does the k-5 look much different from any other dslr? If you asked a non camera person to tell you if a Canon, Nikon, Pentax or Sony dslr looked better than another, they be hard press to tell the difference, other than the name, much less said one was way better looking. And I highly doubt they would call any of them good looking. They are all black rectangles, with a bunch of buttons and protrusions in different places.

I know they are suppose to look like this until the end of time, but maybe something else could be allowed?

A huge reason that I had no hesitations adding the K-5 to my equipment bag asides from significant improvements to the performance, IQ, and video mode over my K-7, was simply the body. I love the body of the K-7 and even more the K-5, because the extra row of kernels on the mode dial. It's going to be really hard to improve on that body and lean K-7 or earlier folks towards forking out $1,000+, unless they can really can improve on the performance, IQ, and video capabilities of the K-5. I'm sure I'll have no problem passing on even the thought of upgrading from my K-5 after seeing the K-01.

You're totally right about that statement. People whom are not passionate about photography are already usually lacking an eye for details. Ask a Blind person to give you their opinion as to the K-5 body versus the K-20D. It's like the difference between a oversized body that's not that fast & doesn't perform too good in the dark versus a beautiful and well toned body that has incredible feel in your hands and makes you proud of nice features that go well beyond the surface of the body.

schufosi777 said:

Ricoh have gadget slap stick approach to camera design. You will be lucky if you get anything as svelte and pretty as the k5. K-01 is more the essence of Ricoh design philosophy. Get used to it. AND no, Japanese companies do not listEN to their market. Believe it or not.

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On what do you base this judgement? Is it on the unique concept and design of the GXR, which users adore for its functionality and output? Or is it the GDRs, which are regarded by many as the finest fixed focal length subcompacts produced by any manufacturer? The fact that Ricoh cameras do not have mass market appeal has nothing to do with a gadget oriented approach to camera design. It has to do with deliberate "out of the box" thinking that aims to satisfy a small segment of the camera market rather than a large one. With regard to the K-01, it would be interesting to know whether this was a Hoya originated project that was already on the drawing board when Ricoh purchased Pentax.

Rob