19 April 2015

hooked on ergonomics

Each camera system has its vital features (if you like them) or quirks (if they aren't your type).  I like the Samsung nx300 for many things (including its compact size!) but the small and talented K-r is reminding me about many Pentax features that I really like.

High on that list is shoot/play/±, the sequence that turns a jpeg shot into a raw file after the fact.  This saves me a lot of switching to raw in advance or using raw+jpeg mode when doing casual imaging.  Most of my shots have no future on a wall so jpeg is fine, but many have lighting or color issues that might make a difference - and raw can make that image show its full potential.  Massively handy!  Also cool is the in-camera processing, which I often use to crop, re-tint or convert to monochrome/IR simulation for dramatic cloud images.  It's really nice to use the buffer in such creative ways!  Similar things can be done with many other cameras including the nx300, but I find that for no clear reason it suits me better on Pentax bodies.

Yes the K-r shows its age in many ways, like 720p no AF video.  I've now experienced the joy of fullHD auto-focus videos..and find it seldom convinces me to shoot more of them.  Pentax has said in the past that video is not a priority to them, and it seems they had me in mind!  I like the NX1 concept whereby 8MB images can be extracted from their  4k video - but that's a future item for me.  As of today (around noon) I'm more than satisfied with the K-r/K-5 ergonomics, lesser video data and the OVF/Live combo set.

This week will reveal a K-3ii model, it seems - leakers have an image, forum members have dreams.  Apparently a different sensor (whether denser or just updates) is vaguely confirmed, the prism hump is different (AF? WiFi?) and who knows after that?  Time will definitely tell.