K-7 video

[Nigel_Atherton]

The K7 has got a lot of people talking so it may interest you to know that What Digital Camera has managed to get hold of one and produce a hands-on preview video – certainly the first, if not the only video of this camera to be published.

You'll find it here.

In response to some of those posters downplayng the significance of this camera I think its a very big step forward for Pentax. It brings a lot of new technologies to the brand for the first time and trumps both the D300 and EOS 50D in many areas. On paper anyway!

See what I mean:

Key features at a glance

• 14.6 effective megapixels APS-C sized CMOS sensor
• ISO 100-3200 (extendable to ISO 6400)
• Stainless-steel alloy frame and magnesium-steel alloy body
• Smallest and lightest in its class (670g without battery)
• Dustproof, weather and cold-resistant down to -10°C.
• Optical viewfinder featuring approx. 100% field of view
• 3.0-inch hi-res LCD monitor with approx 920,000 dots
• Continuous shooting at approx. 5.2 frames per second
• New DR II dust reduction to minimise dust spots
• Newly developed PRIME II imaging engine
• 77-segment multi-pattern metering
• Next-generation SR (Shake Reduction)
• Live View with Contrast AF and Face Recognition AF
• HD Video recording at up to 1536 x 1024p,30fps with ext. Mic input
• 11-point wide-frame AF sensor
• 16 Digital Filters for visual effects
• Sensitivity-Priority and Shutter/Aperture-Priority mode
• High-capacity battery for up to 980 images per charge
• HDR (high dynamic range) function
• Dynamic-range expansion function
• Auto compensation of distortion and chromatic aberration
• Multi-exposure function, with a super-imposition of already-recorded
• Attachment of copyright credits on recorded images
• RAW button for single-action switching of image file format
• Optional Battery Grip D-BG4

[GDN]

Thank you Nigel.

Looks nice... a little small (but maybe the chap doing the report has very big hands... ).

I wait to see how much it will cost...

[Monobod]

Great stuff Nigel, thanks.

Wow, the camera I have been waiting for at long last. Now to convince my financial controller!

[Nigel_Atherton]

That would be me. And I've actually got quite small hands! Its the camera that's small. In hindsight I should have mentioned that.

[Monobod]

What were the buttons like to find and press, were they positive clicky or soft and vague?

[Nigel_Atherton]

For the most part they seemed okay but the camera was a pre-production sample which was not fully functional. The focus mode switch, for example, had no click stops, and one of the buttons didn't press properly.
I'd have to wait to get a production model to give a definitive answer to this, but impressions were that in this and some other respects it handled quite like the K20D.

[john_g]

I look forward to a full review. I don't suppose I'll be able to afford one any time soon but it looks like it's a significant upgrade from my GX-10 (K10D) in all regards and, on top of that, has some great new features. The only thing I'm finding odd at the moment is that, if I'm right, there is no longer a shake reduction switch and you have to dive into the menus to turn it on and off. It's a control I use a lot (partly because it's so easily knocked on the early cameras!) and this seems like a retrograde step.

The main thing, of course, is whether the sensor can produce class-leading images. I'm happy with my GX-10 at ISO 100 but, even at ISO 400, the dynamic range is noticeably reduced. In the old days I almost invariably used ISO 100 film, but the new digital cameras seem so good that I'm hankering after being able to confidently use much higher settings. Onward and upward!

[Monobod]

John,

I have both the K10D and the K20D. I can assure you that the K20D is by far and away a better animal than its predecessor. I get good low noise images at 800 ISO now, whereas on the K10D they were noisy at 400.

I am sure that the K7 will be better than the K20D in this respect. If you can afford it or can afford to wait, I'm confident that the K7 will be a dream machine well worth the wait.

The 100% viewfinder is something I have wanted for some years now, apart from other improvements to the liveview.

I had not noticed the lack of a switch for SR. Good point.

[ojb28]

I have both the K10D and the K20D. I can assure you that the K20D is by far and away a better animal than its predecessor. I get good low noise images at 800 ISO now, whereas on the K10D they were noisy at 400.

That really depends on your personal point of view though, and the size you print. I am quite happy to shoot with the K10 in RAW at 800 if the conditions necessitate it, and print up to A3. Reduce the chroma in ACR and the result is remarkably unobtrusive and film-like on screen and hardly noticeable at A3. How ever did we cope with film grain in the 'old' days I wonder?? Delta 3200 anyone?

[Monobod]

I am sufficiemty content with my K20D to be in no great hurry to change, so I can easily afford to wait until the price of the K7 drops to something more reasonable, as I am sure it will eventually.

[Casillero]

Well, I went in at the sharp end with the K20D and paid for it in the price at that time. The K20D performs very well now with the latest firmware. This has improved the Shake Reduction much better than earlier.
So the K-7 will have to wait until about a year passes before I purchase one with the present price being about £1200 for body only.
Terry

[GDN]

...with the present price being about £1200 for body only.
Terry

I think it's about £30 more the new the kit lens which is fully weather-sealed.

Still far to expensive for me... (does look nice tho'... )