Potential capability of articulated screens

K-new’s design and engineering is finished. No doubt they are working to perfect the production line for a fully new camera. Parts fabrication and assembly lines have their own sets of problems.  If they tucked in a fully new articulation mechanism behind that flush rear screen, great; it would be one of the most elegant engineering feats in all modern DSLR manufacturing. But that’s all we can say about it.

In any case, thank the deities it’s not a flip-out articulation, because those are generally made of composite material because of the additional flex required on and above tilt mechanisms, which can be metal.  I believe this is the point where Pentax draws the line when they want to produce their most robust “flagship” bodies.  It would have been a mistake to slap a composite materials flip out screen on K-new, and Pentax did not make it.

As for elegant engineering and design, I don’t doubt that Pentax is capable of producing anything they decide to produce.  Appreciation of their ability to do so is absolutely abysmal.  The K-1 provided an entirely unique articulating screen that gave some side to side articulation in addition to the tilt, without resorting to composite materials to do so.  DPR dissed the design for the sake of a clever snark, when the fact is that it was highly elegant and functional, inarguably proving highly robust in the long run, with the bonus of night lights on the back.  The one remaining thing that intrigues me about an entirely new tilt mechanism on K-new is the K-1’s light switch on the four-way controller . . .