On Apr 17, 2011, at 2:07 PM, Larry Colen wrote: > > On Apr 17, 2011, at 9:50 AM, Tim Bray wrote: > >> I'm awfully happy with the K-5. (I was out last night trying to take >> flash-free pictures in the light of the full moon using my old Sigma >> 30mm f1.4; it didn't come off for one reason or another, but I haven't >> given up). Anyhow, it can shoot in as little light as I'll ever need, >> and as many frames-per-second as I'll ever need, with as many pixels >> as I'll ever need, and has a battery as big as I'll ever need, and so >> on and so on. > > I can nearly shoot in as little light as I'll need, but it would be nice to > do so at higher shutter speed, with slower glass and less light. > When you can shoot without a tripod by moonlight, with a kit lens, and the > noise looks like base ISO, then we can discuss not needing more sensitivity. > There is also always dynamic range. I was pushing the K-5s dynamic range > last night, metering for stage lights, letting the exposure on the musician > fall where it will, and was able to bring things back in post processing. It > is, however, a bit noisier than I'd like.
Generally, you're better off metering for the shadows with digital. And exposure push in conversion is going to add noise. > > >> >> I'm thinking if I were a Pentax product manager trying to figure out >> what to put in the K-3 or K-1... I just wouldn't know where to start. > > They're going to go to an APS mirrorless. Most of the people on this list > don't care about live view, but it's what the majority of the population > want, and are used to. In the mean time they can put a swing out display on > the entry level bodies. > > Going mirrorless, with the ability to use legacy glass with an adapter means > that they'll be able to get around the registration distance issues. That > means that you can get fast glass that is shorter than 30mm. >> >> Smaller would be nice but you can only take that so far before the >> K-glass gets way out of balance with the body; the K-5 looks >> deliciously butch with the short extra-fat Sigma on. > > Look at the NEX. Or for that matter the X100. You can get a lot smaller, and > people will love it. > >> >> Once again, what should Pentax be working on? -T > > External flashes that don't suck. It's possible that not all AF540s suck as > badly as mine. The last time I was flailing with using it wireless mode, John > handed me his, and I didn't get any misfires. > > First of all, cost. How about a ruggedized camera with DSLR performance. One > that'll not only handle an occasional splash, but maybe a full on dunking to > at least a few feet. How about one that'll survive a drop of four feet onto > pavement? One problem with DSLRs rather than film, is that you can't easily > use those nice protective cases that all of the cameras used to have. > > Speaking of live view, the entry level cameras could easily get swivelable > displays. > > Live view on my K-5 is nearly useable in many conditions, but shutter lag is > terrible. I actually find that in low light liveview can be tremendously > helpful for manually focusing. Autofocus in liveview is a bit painful > though. I'm not sure I want the zoom to be the whole screen, if they > zoomed for focus, but left the outside quarter of the screen unzoomed, then > I'd be able to focus and compose in live view all of the time. > > How about a touch screen on the display for working with menus, or editing > for those that do so in body? > > A chimp button that I can reach with my right hand. > > The raw button being able to not only go into bracket mode, but bring the > camera out of bracket mode. > > Why not a choice of colors in the high level bodies? > > Wifi in the body would open up a world of possibilities. Not only would it > be very handy for studio shooting, but you'd be able to access GPS data from > your smart phone when out in the field. You'd also be able to use your > smartphone, or notepad as an external monitor. That would solve the rotating > display problem when you need to shoot with your camera at the top of a > monopod held over your head. For that matter wifi would enable external > wireless control that would be amazingly handy, especially if they had wifi > communication with external strobes. > > There are features I want that'll never see the light of day: > > A histogram on the raw values rather than JPEGs. > > An open API so that anyone can add features and functionality, like you can > with an iPhone, iPad or Android. > > Design an open standard for data cards that are the size of SD cards and a > much higher data rate. > > Full manual control of the pop-up flash. No preflash, able to set the power > in 1/3 ev increments. > > A DSLR body that is targeted on eradicating Cotty's hat. > > > > -- > Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est > > > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
