John wrote:
"In my opinion it doesn't really look anything like a MZ series camera;
it's far too angular, without any of the smooth curves of the MZ bodies.
The pentaprism cover, in particular, looks more like an LX than any of
the later bodies, and the control wheels look more like K-series ones.
I'd guess it was a very early design, before any of the MZ bodies were
released, rather than a prototype for a high-end prosumer MZ body."
REPLY:
It does not predate the MZ-5 but it was contemporary scheduled for release
in the later part of the 90's. It is almost certainly the camera the Pentax
delegation was talking about at the 96(?) Photokina; a professional grade
camera closer to the LX than the Z-1p but without interchangeable
viewfinders.
The big finder indicate that it has a 100% viewfinder (or close like the
LX). The dials are double with one beneath the other. It is not technically
an MZ camera but it is compact. This camera would have appealed to LX users
and those who want a consevative interface. It is very close to the
speculation about it on this list in the later half of the 90's. It was
probably metal bodied and in silver finish it would have been a perfect
match for the Limited lenses. My guess is that this was the "Limited" camera
most were expecting. A pity it didn't reach production. It was probably
killed by the K-1/MZ-S development.
How about a DSLR along these lines?
Pål
