Good review. Aavo

The final review of the K7 is still being worked on, hopefully I'll be able to finish it soon, almost ready. I think the final review is more enlightening than the comparison here, more indepth I'd say.

C

Thanks for the comparison Carl. It is amazing that Pentax has such a package in the A550 price range. It seems a shame that Sony is not addressing this sooner. Not only do they need the A7xx, but also a A600 to compete with this class.

Sure. It might ruffle a few feathers but that's not the intent of the article at all. If anything, I'm just sharing knowledge and find that like you, it's pretty amazing such a small company like Pentax can do so much in a DSLR. Pretty much pure shock on my part, put down in a written format.

It will be interesting to see what Sony does. I know for a fact that Sony were completely aware of the K7 and how strong of a camera it is- they've known and considered this camera for quite some time now. How that translates to future Alpha development, remains to be seen obviously.

I think for $950.00 body only, the K7 sends a massive statement not only to Sony but to the likes of Nikon and Canon as well- both of which I'm sure are concerned too.

C

I played around with one at a local camera store and was blown away by the features. In fact so much so that I had a bit of a rant (http://www.alphamountworld.com/forums/sony-alpha-a700-dslr/sony-listening-us/2009-10/4410) Even though I still do feel the same way, since moving onto the a850 my want of a 700 replacement has died a bit.

Anyway thanks for the great comparison here Carl.

Eric-

It's $899.00 btw.

Geez. Almost felt guilty buying it for 50.00 more than that, at $50.00 less.... my goodness.

C

Pentax K7 body £799.99 at Warehouse Experess in UK

Current exchange rate :-

899.00 USD = 584.643 GBP

Brilliant deal Carl :-)

Bestest Wishes
Crystin

Wouldn't it be cool if you could just shove an A mount onto the K7 and it would work? lol
I'd say if Sony had something like this for sale right now..users would be dribbling all over themselves to get it.
Oh well we can but dream...

Carl, thanks for the good write-up. As I mentioned on a post here yesterday, I bought a K7 too, but still have my A700 also. By the way, the deal I got was $855 for the K7 + 18-55mm II ($899 for the combo and a 5% Bing rebate), no tax, free shipping. Not bad. :-)

I'm glad that you have found a camera that you are obviously excited to own. I agree that the K7 is a nice camera. I think that what someone likes in a camera depends on what they are looking for and the type of photography that they do. The k7 seems to fit your needs like a glove. It has great build quality and all of the standard photography features in spades, and then some.

I have to say, though, that I have read 6 or 7 reviews of the K7, and your opinion seems to be the most enthusiastic. All the other reviews seemed to fault the K7 on things like focus speed, dynamic range and high ISO performance. While everyone seemed to agree that the K7 is a nice camera and a very good value for the money, the focus and IQ prevented them from giving it their very best marks.

just as much as when I got my A700 and my A900 :), time has passed however.

On the comments about the reviews, I've read them all. Not a review escaped my buldging eyeballs, trust me. The comparisons have always been made to the two camers I mentioned, the D300s and the Canon 7D (or varations of C/N offerings).

Since this isn't a review, you might be surprised to see what I say in the actual review. But here's a hint:

The K7 isn't the best pick for a sports shooters top hot rod, or, the best in low light/high sensitivity settings. But it currently beats the shnockers off other cameras in AF speed, and compares quite well with top level cameras in Raw image quality.

Many conclusions are based on fractions of performance. I'm not the kind of photographer that obsesses on fractions of performance, I look to handling, design, and features first. Sure its nice to run the roost with the top level numbers in all parameters, but those cameras also cost 500-600 dollars more for a body only.

So I judge all things in mind, fractions of performance for near 40% less cost, hmmmm yep, theres a lot to be enthusiastic about.

C

Interesting article, if only in that you chose to compare a newer and current model Pentax to the older and non-current Sony. It does serve to demonstrate how far dSLR technology has come in the last couple of years and where Sony should have it's current, but as yet non-existent A7xx model. The dSLR division of Sony and Pentax have some similarities in terms of market share and in-body stabilization. Pentax is showing what Sony could do if they had the inclination in that there is a place for a 3/4 place market share camera to carve a niche and put really competitive and high value units in the market. Unfortunately the whole article does come off as a bit of taking another shot at Sony for having done the obvious ie let the A7xx line in particular and the entire Alpha line in general, lose much of the momentum it had generated some of their earlier models and here I'm thinking the A100, A700, A900 as well a certain other best in class developments such as their LV implementation. Lines such as "Since Sony doesn’t have a successor to the A700 out yet, and we don’t know the price point or specifications or any of that, I really have no choice but to do a side by side sort of comparison using the A700." doesn't really hold water in some respects. You have all kinds of choices. You could do an article framed to indicate the advances in this segment in the last couple of years. You could pick any current enthusiast dSLR model and compare it to the K7 i.e. the 7D, D300s, D90, 50D. Yeah, these are more expensive by an order of magnitude but if the K7 really is as good a value as you state, and I believe generally it is, the comparison would still get that point across and would at least compare current widely available cameras. This "mini review" of the K7 does come off as the most enthusiastic of any I read (and I've read a few as I search for a possible alternative to Sony should the A7xx not deliver on its promise) by quite a bit which is also interesting. I look forward to reading the full K7 review to see if some of the K7's shortcomings as identified in other reviews are noted. At this point I've decided against Pentax should I move from Sony. My experience with a small market size player has left me opting for one of the big boys. Yeah they have their compromises but the whole photographer/manufacturer relationship looks a whole lot simpler from where I sit.

your replies about this article elsewhere Darrell, seems like your having difficulty understanding the point of it. After re-reading the article, and thinking about what our site represents here, I came to the conclusion that you might just not understand the point of it, and that's ok. I don't think me trying to explain it any more, will help.

C

"For those A700 owners itchy for a new camera who don’t have time to check out current DSLR’s in person or read specifications all day long, this article might be of some interest to you as my main DSLR system has always been Sony Alpha cameras in the past.", then I get it.
It shows an alternative to waiting for the A7xx and what one might expect if you switched to Pentax. We'll all agree switching systems or adding systems is a big financial move, clearly not one that should be considered without looking at all the options ie Canikon. On that basis it would have been more useful (and a lot more work) if the Canikon options were included in a way similar to the entry level article you wrote (where Pentax also won out).

On that basis an article with the K7, D90/D300s, 50D/7D would be more appropriate and you could leave out the A700 since current owners presumably already know its strengths and weaknesses and it is no longer a "current" model. Maybe I'm just gun shy from all the Sony bashing, by so many individuals (a great deal of it justified) that's gone on in forums you and I visit. As I've said before, I have always valued your opinion on these types of issues and on that basis reviews or comparisons such as this must be unbiased or they become merely editorial. If I lose that confidence, I will have lost a valuable resource.
Respectfully, Darrell

Thats a big part of it, yah.

I don't have the funds available to fund purchasing a d90/d300s/50d/7D for direct comparison along with the K7 etc. etc. I picked one camera in the enthusiast class that I could afford to test and write on. If you want to send me a D300s and lens, 7D and lens, I'd be more than glad to do an article comparing those cameras as well! :)

There are several reasons though for posting this comparison, some are- One, I like to share what I see, with others here and they seem to appreciate for the most part me sharing my experiences. Two, it can be a helpful article to some who are confused and anxious right now. Three, keeping pressure on Sony to keep competitive in the marketplace is valuable for us all who have a deep investment.

Forums aren't taken as seriously as published articles by most manufacturers most of the time. An article is different. My motivation to post this comes from not only myself, but from many concerned Alpha shooters that speak to me daily Darrell.

If this article makes you lose confidence in me, I'm sorry, there's not much I can do about that. Yet I felt that it was indeed a worthwhile article and that my thoughts were shared here.

Carl

I appreciate you taking the time to answer my concerns. I really don't think we are very far apart here.
Regards,
D

Carl,
Thank yopu for the quick comparision. How is the wireless flash implemtation? The only company up to this point that surpassed MinoltA/SONy was Nikon. I am curious about the implemtation and is it as easy? Also is the weather proofing certified by an outside organization? It is nice to see Pentax has finally made a camera that fits the class as much as the K10/20 tried they really belonged in the D80/90 class of camera.
Thanks
LAD

I would be interested in the flash implimentation. I just don't know if this is the correct place to ask?

-Rene

has me interested in getting a flash, for the final review.

www.pentaxforums.com is a great site for Pentax information, I'm sure you could find info there on the flash.

My understanding is that the flash system is very much similar to the minolta/sony implementation, with some added features in the camera over that implementation- but don't quote me on that, yet.

Carl

Check out this online tutorial from Pentax too:

http://www.pentaximaging.com/accessories/AF540FGZ/ click on DEMO for a video, pretty cool they do this online!

DEMO video:
http://syndicate.sellpoint.net/PENTAX_U_S_A/63918/8714-DD57RU-23-player-T1_MP/MPPlayer/MPPlayer.html?Master=Self&PlayerTitle=&ShoppingCart=http%3A%2F%2Fsyndicate.sellpoint.net%2FPENTAX_U_S_A%2...

Loads of Pentax rumours going around, something for everyone I guess.

Anyway, the Pentax wireless system for the flashs is more complicated for sure, but, yes it has more choices too. If you take the time to figure it out...

-Rene

P.S. thx loads for the links Carl!

If I were to get a Pentax it would be their 645 mf digital. Not only more than twice the native resolution but also no aa filter. I could never afford it though.

I was on their site last night before I read this. It looks like a great camera and I really like their lens line up. The only reason I have never looked at them is because they are a smaller company and I am afraid something will happen down the road after investing in the line. Do you know anything about the stability of the company? I like the way they post images from users and the weatherproofing their line offers. The quality of the photos on their galleries is outstanding! Overall they seem to support their cameras. I noticed the firmware updates. I am seriously considering a switch. The reason being, I haven't invested a lot in Sony yet. I can't afford to keep both at the moment. Can you give me your opinion on two things? Do you think they will be in it for the long haul? and Comparing the two cameras...how much smaller is the K-7? Does it feel closer to the 700 or the 550? If you don't want to answer the first question on here I can give you my email address. Looking forward to the review. Thanks Paul

The interview with Ted Bunnell on Imaging Resource is an honest and informative article about the state of Pentax currently. With Hoya providing the ownership, and some accountability being administered to the entire Pentax staff- it seems that Pentax was at PMA about to break even financially for the 09' fiscal year- despite the fact the economy was down and they did some heavy developing on the Kx/k7/645D, lenses, and all sorts of other things. You should read that interview and tell me what you think.

The K7 is smaller than the A500/550, even smaller than the A200, and much smaller than the A700 (in DSLR terms). It is dense however and is a rock solid camera, like holding a sculpted metal camera block with rubber on the back and front. Hard to describe, but my first impression holding it was "whoa!".

I even tried squeezing the K7 really hard to see if I could get it to creak at all. Nothing, rock solid.

I have no clue what will happen long term with them, but right now it certainly seems they are on the up and up... building and building, even making some good sales. Looks like they are revamping the entire camera line, adding new cameras, without abandoning the core Pentax values and strengths. That's just my impression though.

C

I will check out the Imaging Resource article. I wish there was a store that carried them around here. I don't think I have ever seen a Pentax in a store. I may be wrong but I can't remember seeing one. I know when I graduated from Ohio Institute of Photography in 1987, I wanted a 6x7 Pentax. I wanted the Mamiya RZ but it was too expensive so I looked at the Pentax models. I have always thought highly of their cameras but have never owned one. It's funny, you can get any of those medium format cameras now for almost nothing. Digital versions are another story. I thought the new 645 Pentax was under ten thousand but what I read on the forum this morning, they are selling closer to twenty thousand. Either way they are still out of my reach.
Do you have any idea when you will be posting the K-7 review? I'm looking forward to reading it. I really like the lens line up even though there are not a lot of zooms. The primes are plentiful and have decent f stops. The only thing I am not sure about is the size of the camera. That is one of the things that helped make my decision on the a700/a550 debate. I like the bigger size of the 700 and 850. I guess I could get used to it.

Carl, a photo of the A700 and K7 side-by-side would be really useful so people can see the size difference.

Here you can see a photo of the Canon 7D, Pentax K7, and Nikon D300s next to each other:

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/special/20091225_339741.html

in the final review of the K7, I agree though, would have been good for this one too.

I toyed with various cameras at Fry's earlier today and put them side-by-side for comparison. The entry-level Kx is about the same size as the a230/a330/a380. The K7 is approximately the size of our a200/a300/a350 oldie (even though the a350 wasn't there at the store, I happen to still have one). The a500/a550 is larger than the K7 (and the a200/a300/a350 too). The a700 is larger than the a500/a550. The Kx and K7 are both adorable and transportable (will go anywhere/everywhere since they're light/small). The white K7 body/lens is sweet looking, and its build quality is indeed good/solid.

a230/a330/a380 = Kx = subcompact
a200/a300/a350 = K7 = compact
a500/a550 = mid-size
a700 = full size
a850/a900 = oversized :) :)

Bye.

P

Hmm, where would the Nikon D3x and Canon 1Ds4 fit into that set of size categories? :-)

oh... that'll have to be the escalade-size huh?! :) :) (just like the a850/a900 with a VG, i happened to have one set too and people make way when I wave it around.) :) :) Bye.
P