Pentax K Series

[Ian-T]

I'm not sure if anyone posted info on this cam but Pentax is coming out with thier own DSLR (K7D) on May 21. I thought maybe a discussion about this cam could be started here. When I look at its picture below I laugh because it reminds me of Canon's own mareting with the 5Dll (remember that?). Most of the info at this site is purley conjecture...but the fact is one will be coming out on that date.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/pentax-teases-a-new-k-series-cam-for-may-21/



http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/04/4-23-09pentaxtease.jpg

[tehellet]

SPECS!!!

http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2009/05/pentax-k-7-is-here-finally.html

God damn lousy 30fps... 14.6MP CMOS APS-C Imager in 23.4 x 15.6mm...

It could have been nice, it could have been nice.

[Charter]

I think it will beat the GH-1 by providing less video compression:

"Movie (compression): AVI (Motion JPG)"


Some other interesting specs:

" The body alone should ship in July for $1,299.95..."

"• A High Dynamic Range (HDR) image capture mode captures three images then combines them in camera to widen the exposure gamut to bring out detail in all exposure areas of images. "

"* WB fine adjustment available in all modes"???

"The K-7 will capture video at the default standard of 1280x720 resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio (equivalent to 720p), 1536x1024 resolution with a 3:2 aspect ratio, or 640x416 resolution with a 3:2 aspect ratio (equivalent to VGA quality), all shot at 30 frames per second."

" An Electronic Level function ensures that images have truly level horizons to minimize post-capture editing.
• An innovative in-camera Lens Correction function that electronically adjusts for Distortion and Lateral Chromatic Aberrations to maximize image quality with DA series lenses.
• A dedicated Mirror Lock-up function eliminates image blur due to mirror movement during long exposures.
• A composition adjustment feature in Live View allows minor shifts in the framing and composition of images using the Shake Reduction mechanism without having to physically move the camera. This feature is ideal for tripod use.
• A programmable embedded copyright function preserves artistic integrity and image ownership during capture via a keypad that may record ownership in metatag data."



http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/20/pentax-gets-official-with-14-6mp-k-7-dslr-hd-movies-hdr-mode/

[jabloomf1230]

No 1920x1080, but 1536x1024? Wow, more silly formats.

[Charter]

Slightly better than 1440 x 1080.
Much better than HDV compression!
Regarding format: we are going to drop it in the time anyway. So no big deal.
Yeah, wired format if your finished product is 1920 x 1080 movie. Otherwise even if you do 720p (1280 x 720) it is still fine. Just reduce it to fit 16:9.

[jabloomf1230]

I'm really not complaining about the Pentax. It, the Nikon D90 and the Panny GH-1 all missed the mark, IMO. I'm sure that they will all sell well, but I'm not going to be one of the buyers.

I'm still waiting for a full frame (or slightly smaller) sensor cam with manual controls that at least does 1920x1080 properly. The Nikon and the Pentax can't and the GH-1's implementation of 1080i/24p is too weak, making it also a 720p60 camcorder.

[zigi-zigi]

According to this review (they had pre-sale copy, however)

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/K7/K7A.HTM

it has manual control over both aperture and shutter in video mode.

The dvinfo forum guys approximated bitrates for different modes from maximum recording time specs (it has 4gb limit). They are as follows:

1536 x 1024p *** 7:23 -> 74.0 / 316
1536 x 1024p ** 10:22 -> 52.7
1536 x 1024p * 14:40 -> 37.2

1280 x 720p *** 9:26 -> 57.9 / 247
1280 x 720p ** 13:19 -> 41.0
1280 x 720p * 18:37 -> 28.4

640 x 416p *** 31:55 -> 17.1 / 73
640 x 416p ** 41:44 -> 13.1
640 x 416p * 60:57 -> 9.0 / 38

Seems quite promising. 58 mbps is close to 66 - extrapolated DV bitrate for 1280x720. Provided that it has MJPEG - that's basically DV quality at 1280x720 resolution.

It is still unknown how bad is rolling shutter and how it performs in lowlight... I'm waiting for footage.

[Noel]

Shot with the gh1
YouTube - 20090523 Pentax K7 and Akihabara Walk

[Chicken Warrior]

I'm a pentax loyalist so I'm very excited about this. It has one major advantage over the rebel - A Mic Input!

One video has come out so far, and it seems to suffer much of the same jello as the d90, but with better colour and lighting, and smoother motion (apparently the IS works very well in video). If consequent samples demonstrate some lower DOF and nice low-light performance, I don't think I'll be able to wait for another video DSLR (as the first generation from all manufacturers will apparently not provide the ideal 24p, unless Sony bites the bullet which is highly unlikely considering the value of their camcorder sector).

BTW, here's the video - I have a feeling it won't be up long as from what I've heard no one's supposed to be releasing footage yet..

YouTube - Pentax K7 video

[scottio]

i think if you're not getting a 5d then you should probably just stick with an hv30 and decent 35mm adapter, because all this jello is really annoying :hv20-smilie71:

[stav1606]

Can you explain to me where exactly you see jello in this sample?

[Chicken Warrior]

I see it about 2seconds after he turns to the motorbike. It's not nearly as bad as a D90s, though, or at least it looks far more natural with the smoother motion of the IS.

[Luxaltor]

Out of everything, this honestly looks like the best of the bunch for the price. Sure, with the firmware update the 5D Mark II will be the undisputed king of video DSLRs but it is still a massive amount of money. The DSLR I am currently using right now is a Pentax and I love it, plus the Pentax lens selection has some of the best zooms on the market (They are just lacking in primes). Again, jello is not too big of a concern of mine, you just need to work around it and I have seen tutorials on how to remove it in post production. As far as no 24p and no full HD? Yeah, it would be nice, but 720p will be good enough. I can't think of very many instances where one must have 1080p over 720p. Also, I will eventually invest in the Magic Bullet suite, which has 30p to 24p conversion tools.

Now I just need a summer job...

[zigi-zigi]

Another sample footage.

YouTube - Pentax K-7 - Video test by the British Journal of Photography

The jello from handheld camera is not as bad as D90, but not as good as GH1 or HVx0. To my eye it pretty much resembles that of 5D Mark II. Slight but annoying in many situations.

Another one, weird format, but not shabby overall IMO. Few low light clips demostrate quite a bit of noise, but it's not that bad for such extreme lighting conditions.

YouTube - First heavy duty trip for PENTAX K7

[Ian-T]

The dynamic range looks to be pretty good.

[Ian-T]

A 5 second video of leaves. Download to see its sharpness.
leaves on Vimeo

[zigi-zigi]

More. Nice sample cuts collection.

First Takes: K-7 Video on Vimeo

Jello and noise are qiute harsh, but I like the colors, smooth and natural gamma.

[Chicken Warrior]

Don't these journalists know how to test video dangit!

Still, so far so good.

[zigi-zigi]

The odd size format discussed earlier. That's crisp, however.

YouTube - Pentax K 7

And some other video of the same guy. Magic Bullet was involded here as far as I can see.

Pentax K7 on Vimeo

[Chicken Warrior]

Anyone seen any real low light footage from this cameras? The tests just seem to be getting better with each new sample, despite the lack of low-light evidence. It definitely kicks the D90 in terms of manual controls, stability, jello (or lack thereof) and dynamic range. If I don't hit the jackpot soon this is definitely going to be my alternative to the 5D.

YouTube - Pentax K 7 official Sample video HD

[spideralex90]

The K7's video is not half bad. But it's not anything to get all fired up about. It's got it's compression problems, but if i had the camera i wouldn't be upset, and would probably use the heck out of the video functions.

[Chicken Warrior]

This camera is comparable to all the prosumer range Sonys of the past five years or so (HVR-V1u comes to mind). Where it may differ is in low-light performance, which should be superior. Unfortunately this is still unproven. As for compression issues, the end files may not be the most usable, but I don't see any negative effects on the actual video.