Pentax K-m Designers' Notes

[creampuff]

Quite an interesting series of interviews with the people behind the design and manufacture of the new Pentax K-m.
Articles from the OK1000 Pentax blog.

Part 1
Pentax K-m/K2000 designer: Mr. Masaaki Haga

Part 2
Pentax K-m/K2000 mechanical designer: Mr. Tetsuo Hosokawa

Part 3
Pentax K-m/K2000 hardware engineer: Mr. Kiyoshi Yamamoto

Part 4
Pentax K-m/K2000 Product Planning Manager: Mr. Shigeru Wakashiro

[fengwei]

Very interesting indeed. Thanks for sharing

Can't wait to get one Km ...

[airconvent]

mmm..I thought the camera is known as K1000D in the US to leverage on the reputation of the minimalistic K1000 although for the rest of the world its called the K-M (bad idea IMHO because newbies could confuse it with Konica-Minolta!). So how come its listed as K2000 in the article?
Quite confusing...

[creampuff]

Originally Posted by airconvent mmm..I thought the camera is known as K1000D in the US to leverage on the reputation of the minimalistic K1000 although for the rest of the world its called the K-M (bad idea IMHO because newbies could confuse it with Konica-Minolta!). So how come its listed as K2000 in the article? Quite confusing...

Bro, I'm afraid you're wrong here...
The new camera is marketed as the Pentax K2000 only in the USA.
Elsewhere around the world it is known as the Pentax K-m.

To me it is a pretty stupid move on the part of the marketing people at Pentax USA. The US market is a big market and perhaps they were thinking to somehow make a brand association and lineage with the entry level K1000 film camera of the past. If they were, it shows poor thinking as the cameras are so different despite being entry level cameras.

If the naming is to somehow try to connect it with the past, it also causes confusion with the current Pentax K200D. At small point sizes, K2000 looks almost identical to K200D. Just look at the drop down menu here and you get what I mean. Where is the product differentiation? Stupid 101.

This naming of cameras specifically for the US market is not new and certainly not confined to Pentax alone (eg. Canon, Minolta, etc.). Perhaps they want to control the grey market trade, but I can't see any good reason why a unified and common name can't be used for every geographical market.

Frankly I see no confusion at all with Konica-Minolta. That marriage only lasted barely 3 years for the camera business and for the most part most ex-Minolta users (myself included) don't even bother to mention the Konica bit. The newbies probably don't even care about Konica-Minolta as they just know the cameras as... Sony.

Pentax did have the Pentax KM film camera that was introduced as the K series of cameras back in the mid-70s (K2, KX, KM, K1000) though I don't see any confusion between the vintage KM & just announced K-m.

[hamustar]

I think there is some inconsistency with the product naming. Felt that a "D" assignment would somehow fit in better coz it's a K-mount digital.
Can imagine some years later the wikipedia entry would classify the K-m as the oddball that was misnamed.

[fengwei]

I'm w/ Denis on this one, I don't like the idea of having 2 different names for the same camera. Kinda stupid if you ask me. But Pentax isn't the only one doing this, Canon did the same w/ their entry level dSLR cameras too ...

Nevertheless, I still feel K-m will be a great little camera. I'd definitely get one if the price is right

[flowerpot]

my dry box no space for another camera liao... even for this small little cute camera...
so i cannot buy... but i can buy 1 more lens... 55mm f1.4 better be good...

[art2d2]

Originally Posted by flowerpot my dry box no space for another camera liao... even for this small little cute camera... so i cannot buy... but i can buy 1 more lens... 55mm f1.4 better be good...

Get bigger dry box, problem solve . Which is what I'm planning to do also hehe. I will be getting the K-M for sure if the price is cheap. I don't really bother about the naming convention, Pentax always have funny naming convention for their camera and lens ie *ist series bodies (how to pronounce it until today I also not sure) lens with the "*" suffix, dunno wanna call it star or asterisk.

[felixcat8888]

Really wonder how much it will cost but I sure will get one.

[P3ntx]

We cannot satisfy all wants, we ended up having more than necessary to do the jobs,... I feel that Pentax main focus priority should be on improving the A-focusing ... They are still using those mechainism that were in the film.. ... the only set-back ... i find ... AF-C is quite weak ... ..s.t.p. suggested we should write to Pentax on this ... he is using a D300. but pentax colours are riches ...he only coming back when Pentax wake up on this.

I ma glad that Pentax mentioned improvement on AF on this mini model.

[istDeS]

With the current K20D and K200D, if they name the K-m as K1000D, it might just confuse the newbies, thinking it is an older model.

[Ben Loke]

Originally Posted by felixcat8888 Really wonder how much it will cost but I sure will get one.

I saw the adverised price in Japan is less than Jpy 100K with 2 types of kit lens to chose.

Tomorrow I will drop by the camera shop to see the actual price.

BTW, the Pentax News Oct issue stated the DA*55mmF1.4 SDM & DA*60-250mmF4ED (IF)SDM will be release in Japan on Jan 2009.

[P3ntx]

I am itching to see the DA*55MM F1.4 , as compare to FA*85 F1.4.

[fengwei]

Originally Posted by P3ntx I am itching to see the DA*55MM F1.4 , as compare to FA*85 F1.4.

55mm vs 85mm, that's really hard to compare But I have a feeling that the DA*55 will be another great little lens

[hamustar]

Not sure if posted before...
Some links on specs and the brochure here.

Upon reading, then realized that the K-m kit will come with
1) Body
2) DA-L 18-55mm
3) AND a AF200T Flash unit!

I always thought it's the integrated one.

Lens mount is stated as KAF3, this could mean the 3rd gen autofocus mount, which would probably explain the faster AF that pple are proclaiming.

[fengwei]

Originally Posted by hamustar Not sure if posted before... Some links on specs and the brochure here. Upon reading, then realized that the K-m kit will come with 1) Body 2) DA-L 18-55mm 3) AND a AF200T Flash unit! I always thought it's the integrated one. Lens mount is stated as KAF3, this could mean the 3rd gen autofocus mount, which would probably explain the faster AF that pple are proclaiming.

K-m does have built-in flash as all the other Pentax dSLR cameras An external flash like AF200T would be a great option for travel I think.

KAF3 simply means K-m camera supports SDM lenses (as well as non-SDM lenses), nothing new here. As to the faster AF, probably due to some software update. The AF module is still the same as previous Pentax dSLR cameras

[jlpk007]

Originally Posted by fengwei K-m does have built-in flash as all the other Pentax dSLR cameras An external flash like AF200T would be a great option for travel I think. KAF3 simply means K-m camera supports SDM lenses (as well as non-SDM lenses), nothing new here. As to the faster AF, probably due to some software update. The AF module is still the same as previous Pentax dSLR cameras

any idea when is it coming to Singapore?

[fengwei]

Originally Posted by jlpk007 any idea when is it coming to Singapore?

Sorry, no idea

[scorpioh]

Originally Posted by fengwei 55mm vs 85mm, that's really hard to compare But I have a feeling that the DA*55 will be another great little lens

Heard rumours that the FA50's are no longer in production, making way for the DA*55.

[le petit prince]

Originally Posted by scorpioh Heard rumours that the FA50's are no longer in production, making way for the DA*55.

Pentax better not do that, will be insane if true.

Compare cost of FA50 vs DA*55.