Pentax Pentax Manifesto

I think I'm kind of looking for an OVF... I wear photochromic glasses that darken outdoors, and EVFs quickly become frustratingly hard to see when they're most needed, i.e. in bright light. I can manage quite well with the GR III's easily set +2 brightness mode (set up on my 5-function quick menu) but most mirrorless cameras, if they have such a feature, bury it in menus. I really quite prefer an optical finder when I use a finder.

The one and only thing I think the KP is missing for convenience of use the way I want to use it is a highlight weighted metering mode. Man, having that on the GR has spoiled me. I know Nikon has it, but, c'mon, Nikon...
 
I've shot Pentax for years, from film days to digital (K20D to K-3) so I have a soft spot for them. I've been a primarily M43 shooter since 2016, but I recently dusted off the old K3 and put it through its paces. It's still a lovely camera that feels great in the hand and it didn't take that long to reacquaint myself with the controls. And the files are still lovely. But the AF still irks.

Truth be told, the Lumix G9 actually feels better in my hand (I never imagined that exceeding the K-5/K-3 was possible) and has even better physical controls. And better AF. But I'm holding onto much of my Pentax K-mount kit, particularly the Limited Primes because I know that one day I'll pick up a used K-1 and enjoy using it.

It's funny that in five years time, once mirrorless has replaced dSLRs, that an OVF will be a novelty. Even today, I could probably hand the camera to a teen and they've be amazed that they're looking through glass.

For Ricoh, with their limited market share and resources, leaning into the pentaprism and the K-mount seems like a wise choice.
 
It's funny that in five years time, once mirrorless has replaced dSLRs, that an OVF will be a novelty.
We've been saying that for such a long time though, haven't we? I'm re-listening to the excellent On Taking Pictures podcast, and 6-7 years ago this same topic was being discussed. Also I think the teens increasingly want to shoot instant or 35mm film at least part of the time - those are still dependent on optical finders.

Even though I haven't owned a DSLR since 2013, I think they still provide a great value proposition. Look at the KP - a midrange camera that nonetheless has so many features that would be touted as top-end in the mirrorless market: 14-bit RAW, pixel-shift hi-res, 5-axis IBIS, air-gapless LCD, weather sealing...
 
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