Latest Japanese Rumour on K-1 Mark III

See the translated page here.  

New features include 61MP Sony BSI sensor, SAFOX 14, 4k/60fps video, CF Express card, USB 3.2 and etc. Said to be announced in October and to ship in November, priced at 500k Japanese Yens.

The LA-KE1 Monster Adapter is now Put On Sale

The Chinese Taobao website has already had the Chinese made LA-KE1 adapter put on sale (click here for one of the product links).

B&H also accepts pre-orders for this product and I think it will be available in the US very soon.

However, it can be seen in the comment section of the above Taobao product link from the users who have already purchased the adapter about the various issues such as its power hungriness and overheating, not supporting quite some Pentax AF lenses including the film FA50/1.4 and the digital DA17-70 and DA*200, as well as some noticeable delay in AF with the FA Limited lenses (and the AF is not quite smooth, too) and etc.

I hope this adapter will be improved later for better performance and compatibility, by means of firmware update and/or hardware revision. Not until that I shall consider to buy one for playing and use of my existing Pentax glass with my Sony FF mirrorless body.

New Firmwares for K-1/II, K-3/II, KP and K-70

http://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info2/support/

To support better focusing operation for the three FA Limited lenses, include both the old and new versions. But it is unknown that if focusing speed and/or focusing accuracy is/are improved. I shall try it out anyway.

Official: More Technical Information about the K-3 III

 

Claimed new improvements or new features include: 

- New viewfinder optics with a higher magnification factor of which the displayed image is also brighter, with the addition of a new condenser lens and with an overlaid LCD information display, too 

- New metering system with 307k colour pixels which has better metering accuracy and also helps the tracking of moving objects

- New high-speed mirror and shutter driving mechanism 

- New PRIME V processor and high ISO performance which is better than that of the K-1 II in terms of noise/details as well as reproduced colours (but that the ISO performance of the K-1 II is really rather outdated by today's standard, nonetheless). New Fine Sharpness II setting option is also made available for in-camera JPEG sharpening.

- New SAFOX 13 AF module of which the layout is shown in the below diagram

Legend: Red squares = Crossed AF sensors (25 nos.), Red and Blue squares = Selectable AF points (41 nos.), Deep Blue "circled" sensors = -EV4 low light capable and F2.8 lens aperture compatible (9 nos.)

:

DC Watch's Hands-on of the K-3 III

https://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1296875.html (Google English translation here)

https://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1297078.html (Pentax' brand statement with the K-3 III, Google English translation here)

And, the below video recorded the shutter sound and demonstrates the burst modes of the K-3 III:

 

(https://youtu.be/Pmfrk038Go4)

Confirmed SAFOX 13 Layout (in K-3 III)

13 x 9 AF point matrix with 16 points omitted near centre, 41 selectable points

Source: Chinese Pentax Quick News

(with also some dissection photos of the new body in article)

Monster Adaptor (Pentax K to Sony E) Pre-production Reviews

 1. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4ekKr7wJePbjEOcf01lWaA

(in Simplified Chinese, Google English translated page here - but there will be no picture nor video as the Weixin server has disabled hot-linking from other websites)

The video clips for the AF tests with the FA31 are dead links anyway.

2. The below YouTube video tested the Monster Adaptor with the DFA*85/1.4 lens, it seems that the new SDM motor as well as the KAF4 electromagnetic aperture are both well supported by this version of the adaptor:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz_5huMytRo)

The AF speed and response of the combo looks good.

SAFOX 13 (in K-3 III)

Credit: Mistral75 @ DPR Forum

Legend:

Grey squares - Selectabe crossed AF points 

Hollow squares - Selectable linear AF points 

Small circles - Non-selectable linear AF points 

Btw, Mistral, where did you get this diagram? :-o It must belong to a product story later!  ;-)

Update (Nov 9): 

Mistral75 advised in his reply (via his latest comment below) that the above SAFOX 13 layout was a sensible guess based on the original official diagram showing cut-outs in the lines (as broken lines) of the finder marks and brackets, which was actually a collaborative work created among three members in the French CDI Forum.

To verify if this could be really true, I have made a new overlay diagram with their assumed SAFOX 13 with an official SAFOX 12 one. Note that with the new magnified APS-C viewfinder of the K-3 III, now the covered AF areas of the K-3 III and the K-1 are more or less the same, except the extreme peripherals:

My own wild guess Pentax has opted to keep the old SAFOX module and add/build new AF points based on the old AF module, since the number of crossed AF points remain unchanged, i.e. at 25 nos. 

In this connection, I don't think the above brand new layout is completely an accurate guess. Instead, a 5x5 crossed AF points surrounded by another 6x6 linear AF points in alternative / interlaced manner would be more sensible. As for the remaining linear 40 points, they can be put/added at the two sides as well as at the top and the bottom, surrounding the central part of the AF point crowd, making up a total of the 101 points, which are all visible and selectable in groups.

Besides, just for the sake of seeing what the SAFOX 12 would look like if it is yet put into the K-3 III, the following overlay diagram is also made:

Yaotomi Camera Speaks More about the K-New (aka K-3 III Now)

Japanese Yaotomi Camera has just twitted yesterday and disclosed more information of the K-New, now tentatively named as the K-3 III.

And the launch/marketing date will be delayed to the year end, but should be within 2020.

Yaotomi originally also wrote about the expected price tag of the K-3 III but it was deleted shortly after that. Their explanation is that it was their own "guess" only so it was improper to write about it.

Nonetheless, Yaotomi still keeps their guess that the K-3 III is positioned between the D500 and D7500 if Nikon DSLR bodies are compared. Hence, we can expect the price should be somehow in between but closer to that of the D500, as it was normal that the Pentax new bodies were selling at higher prices than the competitors' comparable offers.

Last but not least, Yaotomi also disclosed that another two announcements would be made before and after the K-3 III announcement, for the K-1 II Silver body and also the three silver DFA lenses, respectively, in their original twitter post.

Yaotomi's YouTube Tests of the D FA* 85

A Closer Look at the Focus Screen Etchings of the K-New

A careful-minded Pentaxian at the DPR Pentax DSLR forum spotted that there were interesting etchings and marks on the focusing screen of the exhibit of the K-new prototype displayed back to September last year, here we go:

First we look at the center of the screen, there is an inner set of brackets of four, in addition to the central spot circle. Note that I have increased the contrast of the above and below pictures for the sake of easier viewing of the marks.

And then at the outer, there is yet another pair brackets of two which covers almost the whole picture frame horizontally. Hence, the AF area of this K-new as a DSLR, i.e. the TTL phase-matching AF, is really very wide. Good! :-D

Furthermore, at the upper right corner there is a mark of a letter "O" which is supposed to mean "Optical". This coincides my guess in the new year for the likehood of a new hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder in the K-new.  Really nice! :-))

I am happy this time, and so do many Pentaxians and fans, I suppose. Good news from Pentax (Ricoh) should come soon!

D FA 70-210 Had a Different Focusing Mechanism than the Original Tamron?

A Chinese full review on the lens reveals that the Pentax had a different focusing mechanism/method than the original Tamron SP lens, although the optical formula of the both lenses are the same. See the following official diagrams for the difference:

The Red Japanese words on the highlighted part just mean "focusing elements". The reviewer also writes that he tested the AF speed of the two lenses on the same objects and found that the AF of the Pentax lens was actually a tad faster. He hence suspected that it is owing to the less lens elements being moved for the AF with the Pentax lens. Note that the bodies used for the comparison test were a K-1 II and a Canon 5D III.

However, maybe owing to this change, it is also found that the Pentax lens however is less sharp when wide opened at both the wide and tele ends, which is not a good sign anyway, as image quality is affected. But it is also mentioned that the Pentax could be sharper when stopped down, on the other hand.

Nonetheless, the Pentax lens has much better coating than the Tamron, see this side-by-side comparison:

For the rest of his findings, just go read yourself. Note that Google translation is not working well as all the linked test pictures will become broken, anyway.

Measurbated: Psychological Hypothesis with Firmware Upgrade Proven :-D

Since some Pentax users suggested that new K-1 and K-1 II firmwares have improved AF, I have carried out a formal test and measurbation to find out the truth, as a renowned measurbator of camera gear, in particular, Pentax gear. :-P

My test procedures and methodology as follows:

1. A K-1 and DA50 F1.8 combo was selected and used for the test, i.e. same gear setup as claimed by one of the OPs for improved performance. ;-)

2. AF was carried out in a fairly lit room in about 300 lux, two objects were placed at about 1m and 3.5m respectively and AF was made on the two objects to and fro alternatively. This was repeated for more than ten times and the AF sound was recorded:

    (Click to Enlarge)

3. Measurbated the AF starting and completion times, right before the AF motor started to move and before the AF confirmation beep was sounded:

4. Input the times into an Excel table and calculate the AF time required (in second) for ten times of AF operations and take the average time and get the results. Here we go:



Left table contains the results with FW version 1.52 and the right one are those with FW version 1.51. Indeed, I cannot see any real and significant difference between the two. So, it's what psychological effect of people strikes again, case closed! :-D

New Firmwares of K-1/K-1 II Improve AF Performance Significantly?

Two experienced Pentax users at a Chinese Pentax forum reported (here, here and here) that the new firmwares have improved the AF performance and accuracy of their K-1 and K-1 II cameras a lot for their many different Pentax lenses and the difference has been obvious and significant.

Should this again be a hypothesis made owing to psychological effect? I would later on test myself to see if there is really any improvement as claimed. I believe that "measurbation" does help and will tell. Stay tuned. ;-)

New K-mount APS-C DSLR Flagship is to be Announced

http://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info/2019/20190920_027962.html

(English Google Translation Here)



Exhibit is to be put on show starting Sept 21, i.e. tomorrow. Nice. :-) But the real product is to be marketed in 2020 - not ideal but still better than none!

Highlight on (possible) new features:

- new proximity sensor under finder, hinting at least automatic switching of the rear LCD or even an optical/electronic hybrid finder?

- new joystick for AF navigation, hinting a new and improved AF system with more AF points?

- an updated and better APS-C sensor?

- re-designed new GUI

Well, I have thought that Pentax has been dead these months but today it's good to see there is yet something new and meaningful, although it is actually rather late already.

PB Reviewed the K-1 Mark II

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/pentax_k_1_mark_ii_review

The conclusion is well said. The upgrade is so subtle than it worths.

Major Differences between K-1 and the Mark II

	K-1	K-1 II	What's New
Max. ISO	102400 (204800)	819200	PRIME IV with Accelerator Unit
Bluetooth Support	No	Yes	Image Sync 2.0
Pixel Shift Resolution	Tripod	Handheld Possible
Max. Burst (APS-C, JPEG)	6.5 fps	6.4 fps
Battery Life (CIPA)	760	670
AF Performance	-	Improved	New AF Algorithm

1st Hands-on of the D-FA* 50/1.4

https://www.yaotomi.co.jp/blog/used/2017/10/hd-pentax-d-fa50mmf14-sdm-aw.html
(in Japanese)

72mm filter thread; Nice bokeh, high resolution, mimimal CA, fast focusing.. as commented.

Official Ricoh Announcement of the Two New Star Lenses

http://photoplus.vporoom.com/2017-10-26-Ricoh-Announces-Next-Generation-High-Performance-PENTAX-Star-Series-Lens-Line

Selected KP Videos