More Pentax K-7 details, pictures leak out ahead of launch

If the earlier reports are accurate, Pentax's latest K series DSLR should be getting official real soon now, but there's still a few days left before that rumored May 21st launch date, and that means more leaks. One of those comes in the form of a seemingly authentic ad (pictured after the break) that all but confirms that the K-7 (or K7D) will be a 14.6-megapixel DSLR, and will boast a new Prime II imaging engine, along with the increasingly standard HD video recording that we had heard about earlier. As if that wasn't enough, a whole slew of images of the camera have just surfaced on RiceHigh's Pentax Blog, along with a complete (but not exactly verifiable) spec list, which offers such details as a 3-inch VGA LCD, continuous JPEG shooting at 5.2 frames per second, a viewfinder with 100% image coverage, a new 77-Segment Multi-Pattern metering system, a built-in AF assist light, and an integrated HDR mode, among countless other features. Unfortunately, the one thing still up in the air is the price, although there's still room for one more rumor before Pentax removes all the mystery.

Read - RiceHigh's Pentax Blog
Read - PentaxForums, K7 ad

[Via Electronista]

[Scott @ May 18th 2009 1:18PM]

my loins ache for this

[BagOfArms @ May 18th 2009 1:31PM]

Looks very nice. I'm trying not to get too excited about the unofficial specs.

Is it bad that I'm actually more interested in the Weather Resistant lens? I have this nice, weather-sealed K200D, but no weather-sealed lenses to go with it!

[BagOfArms @ May 18th 2009 1:38PM]

I just wanted to add that i know there are weather-sealed lenses available, but for $700 each? No thanks!

[s.tam @ May 18th 2009 1:43PM]

$700 sounds too much. There are not even official MSRP prices which are usually inflated too. But it depends what lens it was. If it was a weather sealed 77mm LTD then I would grab that for $700 for sure. But for a kit lens (18-55) I wouldn't even bother touching that even if it was weather sealed!

[Mateo @ May 18th 2009 1:32PM]

My loins aren't aching. . . but if this is ~$1500 I will have one.

[htd @ May 18th 2009 1:33PM]

very nice, wish the LCD isnt' fixed, so it can be flipped to get some protection plus more viewing angels

also why they always pack lens like 18-55 instead of very useful 18-105?

[Mind444 @ May 18th 2009 1:39PM]

It's a dslr, the lcd is always fixed since you have to look through the view finder...

[MBN @ May 18th 2009 1:57PM]

Mind444, try to keep up. Some newer DSLRs now have rotating LCD screens, and live view through the LCD. They're great for the arms extended over the head paparazzi shots!

[Rex @ May 18th 2009 2:09PM]

@MBN Those are not professional grade DSLRs, but pro-sumer cameras. This is likely to compete in the pro or lower-pro categories.

[Eric @ May 18th 2009 3:12PM]

The Olympus E-3 is about as "pro-grade" as you can get and it has a rotating LCD. That said, live view for the most part is a waste of time. Good for tripod work, but for normal photography give me an optical view finder any day of the week. In-fact when it comes to those Sony's I'd rather have the A230 then either of the models with rotating screens just because they sacrifice the size of the view finder to accommodate live view on that two 3xx models. That is unacceptable.

[kadajawi @ May 18th 2009 3:50PM]

I don't find a 18-105mm useful at all, and it just reduces quality (or increases weight). I'd rather have the 16-45mm bundled with this camera though... but that would mean it will be even more expensive than it already is. But definitely on my wish list, this K-7.

[Herman S @ May 18th 2009 2:16PM]

Pentax weather-sealed lenses with SDM motor:
(price from Amazon)

DA* 16-50mm/2.8 $650
DA* 50-135mm/2.8 $750
DA* 60-250mm/4 $1400

DA*200mm/2.8 $850
DA*300mm/4 $1080


I think it's a CHEAP price for weather sealed lenses.
Compare it with other brand and you'll be surprised how cheap these lenses are.
I can get a complete Weather Sealed K20D & DA16-50 to shoot anywhere in the rain / snow for just less than $1350 (700+650).

So far no other camera can come close to that price and completely WEATHER SEALED.
Last time I checked Canon / Nikon will cost me close to $4000 for a weather sealed camera + lens. Yes they are FF, but how many of us can afford $4000 ? :)

[KarlW @ May 18th 2009 3:29PM]

Thanks to "quantitative easing", $4000 isn't nearly as much as it once was.

[greg @ May 18th 2009 2:26PM]

mind444, if you read the specs, you'd see that this camera has live view. so you don't *need* to look through the viewfinder.

[RigvedMad @ May 18th 2009 2:52PM]

never heard of this brand

[Hel @ May 18th 2009 3:06PM]

*Troll baits Pentax fanboys! *Full Coverage at 8, plus your traffic and weather!

[Porkchop Flavored Cupcake @ May 18th 2009 3:09PM]

Never heard of this RigvedMad

[dsh @ May 18th 2009 4:09PM]

Understandable, they've only been making optics for 30 years longer than Canon. Practically nobodies.

[jon arnason @ May 18th 2009 3:47PM]

Even though I'm a Canon user, I'm always excited seeing other competitors announce new products. Competition is good for all of us. Otherwise, why spend the millions innovating new products.

Jon,
http://www.macmynd.com

[john m flores @ May 18th 2009 4:10PM]

I think that the biggest little rumor about this camera is that it will about the size of the Nikon D60.

Prosumer level features in a consumer-sized body? Sign me up!

[john m flores @ May 18th 2009 4:12PM]

forgot to say...

K-7 + some awesome Pentax primes = great travel camera.

[daedbird @ May 18th 2009 4:26PM]

All I now want to know is the price.....Like Scott, my body aches to feel this sensual camera in my hands (too graphic?). I wonder how the early k20 converts will feel about this updated Samsung CMOS sensor, but this badboy sounds awesome. When your only quibbles are that it takes a different battery and battery grip, well then you know 1. Im' nitpicky and 2.This thing is great.

Reasons for joy 1. faster FPS 2. Improved AF system (this is probably more important 3. Improved sensor 4. HD video (nice, but unsure how much I will use this 5. full prism 6. Built to make the K10/K20 fell like a Canon Rebel (oh you know its cheap, Canonphiles)

Still wondering 1.Price anyone? 2.How sealed is this badboy? 3.Will the world take a look, or will this be Creative Zen of the DSLR world to Nikon/Canon's ipod? 4.What is status of the relationship of Hoya/Pentax with Samsung?

[daedbird @ May 18th 2009 4:36PM]

Oh, one more thing, for the people reading this Engadget post, what is your price ceiling for this camera - the point where you stop looking at this? If its around the Nikon D90 in price? Slightly above?

And, does the fact that this is the top of the Pentax lineup, and that the company has fully embraced APS for its lenses, do you take that as a negative for the Pentax lineup? I have been a Pentaxian since I was 10, and look at this camera once I feel the need to upgrade my K10D, eventhough many of my coworkers have Nikons like the D300 (The 5.2 fps and improved AF system certainly makes this a lot easier to deal with), but I am biased. Would someone else feel the value Pentax brings overcomes that misnomer that all professionals use either Nikon or Canon (gues same question could be asked about SOny and its updates too)

[kadajawi @ May 18th 2009 9:03PM]

Hmm... I would say the Pentax is positioned against the 5D Mk II or even 1D, but without a full frame sensor. A price around $1000-1500 should be somewhat reasonable. For me that is too much though, at least for the moment. It sure sounds interesting though, despite the lack of a full frame sensor.

[rei_vilo @ May 19th 2009 1:04PM]

Consider the K20D at bargain price!

[msalivar @ May 18th 2009 5:05PM]

> an integrated HDR mode

NO! Bad Pentax! Bad!

[daedbird @ May 18th 2009 5:12PM]

Ok, so looking at the back, I am kind of disappointed how much they changed the button layout to something more Canon-like. The one thing I loved was how intuitive the K10/K20 was, how it felt right, even after using a Nikon for years. Would rather have the Green button on top (like separate ISO button though). Would rather have a full, round dedicated toggle button instead of four-point that double for flash, time release, white balance, etc. Also like having the Menu, trash, info, and view button together on the left, easy for my thumb - just slide that screen over.....

Just hope it still allows the user to manually adjust white balance settings like on the k10 - cannot find where a Nikon D300 would allow that....

[kadajawi @ May 18th 2009 9:05PM]

True, I (mostly) love the layout of my *istDs, however so many buttons on a body so small? Tough to place everything nicely, and I think I could get used to the K-7. It surely is nice not having to go through the menu to access all the features... that's definitely an improvement over my *istDs.

[al @ May 18th 2009 7:05PM]

Hopefully this will make the k20d prices drop. My soviet SLR is too bulky to lug around.

[iKurt 5D @ May 18th 2009 9:17PM]

Why would anyone get a Pentax? We all know Canon is the leader in photo and broadcasting products, we should turn our attention to them instead. They have a wide variety of "L" class lenses that are trusted and used by the pros.

[cwalkerjr @ May 18th 2009 11:04PM]

Please go stand in the fanboy line. It's over there. Just keep going. You'll find it.

[Jake @ May 18th 2009 10:47PM]

Video looks like nice, but otherwise not much of an improvement over the K20D, so I'll be sticking with that at least until Pentax goes full frame.

[cwalkerjr @ May 18th 2009 10:54PM]

At long last, full-motion video comes to my old-a$$ K-mount lenses.

[Peter Fang @ May 18th 2009 11:50PM]

I guess there's no point holding on much longer. My own K-7 hands-on gallery is now online:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_fang/sets/72157618438434400/

[blueabstract @ Aug 1st 2009 11:56PM]

k7 or thr panasonic gh1???

HELP ME!!