Olympus got it right, Pentax got it wrong

Olympus took out the OM-D, a digital up-date of the OM - film cameras.

Pentax took out the 'Q' then the K-01, what a waste of time.

Pentax should have spent money on a version of the LX, a digital version would have been 10 out of ten !!!

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Could be mine

Do we not already have one in the K5?

Or do you really want a manual focus camera with aperture priority and manual exposure only.

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Bob

I don't know why you've posted that here, but it could cause dissent. If it does, it might have to go.

However, I'll just say that I don't agree with you and I'll leave it at that.

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Best regards, John

Well, speaking personally, they could forget the aperture priority bit. I would be very interested in a camera with manual focus (with suitable focus screen) and manual exposure. (And correct metering using my manual lenses).

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John

I'm lost here. According to this link the Olympus OM-D is AF. And I can not find any good reason to buy the Q or K-01

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Barrie
Too Old To Die Young
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Pentax K5x2 K20D Q I-10 01 02 DA*300 A50/2.0 A50/1.7 FA50/1.4 FA100/3.5 K55/1.8 M40/2.8 M200/4.0 FA135/2.8 FA35 DA70/2.4 FA28-70 DA10-17 DA18-55WR DA17-70 DA55-300 DA50-200WR DA*50-135 Sigma 24,50,105,180 8-16 17-70 24-70 150-500 400/5.6MF Tamron 70-200/2.8 17/3.5MF 28/2.5MF 90/2.5MF 300/2.8MF

The K-5 meters and exposes correctly with manual lenses. You can also focus manually with it if you wish and you can change the focussing screen if you want split prism. Pentax would be mad to make a camera like the one you describe as it would not sell.

Regards
David

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My Website http://imagesbydavidstorm.foliopic.com

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Perhaps you need to buy an LX, and a scanner if you need a digital output. Or just switch your digital SLR to manual and change the focus screen.

I must admit, I still enjoy using my film cameras but I would be able to take a lot less pictures if I was having to pay for processing all the time.

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Bob

I think we've established that with the K-mount flange distance, it's extremely hard to design a camera as thin and 'classically proportioned' as the LX.

Re the OM-D, I think it's very nice but the smaller sensor size is going to limit it's image quality compared to APSC.

It's also an EVF camera, and has all the bells and whistles of a premium DSLR/CSC. Therefore it's no 'digital LX' really.

Some people aren't satisfied with the concept of a digital LX, and ask for a digital Kx or K1000. I would love that too - those are fun cameras to use. But unfortunately omitting the bells and whistles isn't going to make the camera significantly cheaper - in fact by creating a bit of a niche product it might end up more expensive unless it acheived some sort of cult status.

In terms of usability, while the old school controls are fun, and slow you down and make you think things through, they aren't really as good as the Pentax 2-dial system, which means you can make changes to shutter-speed, aperture, ISO, and EV.comp without moving your eye from the viewfinder or fiddling with any knobs. This system becomes so second nature, it's easy to forget what a great advantage it is!

So, I say forget the OM-D, and grab a K5 or K30. And re the Q and K-01, those cameras aren't trying to be anything like the OM-D, which is sort of the pinnacle of Olympus's range - the main event for Pentax is still definitely the traditional DSLR.

Maybe I should weaken and buy one. I tried a Chinese screen in the K10D which was a partial success, but not quite right for focus and definitely not right for exposure. I still prefer to shoot in all manual mode for no other reason than I get better results. Not technically but I get more photos that I feel I can display around the house. Perhaps its the thing about slowing down and considering the process.

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John

Hi John

I also shoot manual very often and have quite a few old manual lenses. The K-5 is a joy to use with them compared to earlier Pentax DSLR's, although the focussing screen is not quite a good as an old manual film SLR.

Regards
David

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My Website http://imagesbydavidstorm.foliopic.com

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Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs

What Olympus got right was the marketing/styling, the OMD-xxxxx (the rest of the name nobody seems to be able to remember) will sell in droves, but the EVF in a fake pentaprism is a big turn-off for me. The lag when panning the camera is ridiculous if other Oly EVFs are anything to go by.

My wish in the '90s was something as capable as my Z-1 but built like an LX, the K-5 is a digital equivalent of that. I can still use my old lenses K, KA, F & FA and old flashes and pretty much everything else.

The K-01 is a quirky camera intended for the Ipod generation, there are plenty of sensible mirrorless cameras out there and being different is definitely a USP in my opinion.

Shooting the K-5 in manual (really Hyper-manual) is a joy and the mode I use most. If you want the program line just press the green button, AE lock will hold the EV value as you change aperture or shutter speed and the finder bar-graph shows you where you are. Absolutely brilliant.

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IMHO if you want retro styling then go buy an old film body and experience the thrill of using a "proper" camera, Olly made some great cameras with the OM series, better in some respects than the Pentax M bodies, forget the OM-D look for a used OM4T

If they wanted to resurect the OM name they should have at least made it a proper DSLR and fully compatible with old OM mount lenses.

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My Names Alan, and I'm a lensaholic.
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Completely agree fatspider,

The last few bodies I've used most have been S1a, K1000, SP1000, SPII, SP (see my flickr stream for the first rolls through them). Somewhere I have an OM1n with a dead meter I want to dig out...

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I think it's a bit misleading naming it in the OM series when it isn't compatible with their legacy glass in the way Pentax have.

Now if Pentax uncripple the K mount on digital bodies one would effectively have what the OP desired as far as I can see.

John

What OM equipment is it fully compatible with?

It won't even take OM lenses without a massive adapter

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Pentax K-5 and some other stuff

Algi