K-70 is in stock at B&H

<p>The silver/black model is also in stock! At last Pentax offers an optional body color matching its silver colored lenses! There are a number of potentially desirable updates. On the Ricoh/Pentax website is more in-depth info, such as the new sensor combined with a new accellerator design claimed to enhance higher ISO performance with lower noise and greater detail preservation. Again, improved AF is claimed, as well as the pixel shift now with motion control, and also more HDR settings. Video is also updated. As to the optional astro-tracer/GPS module for the K-70 and KS2, that advanced and potentially useful accessory seems not to be found anywhere! <br>

</p>

<p>Technically, I think the interesting bits are:</p>

<ul>

<li>Hybrid live view AF with on-sensor phase detection AF points</li>

<li>Support for new electronic aperture (currently only supported with new 55-300/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE (in addition to electronic aperture, also retractable and has pulse linear AF motor (PLM))</li>

<li>continuous AF for video (presumably this benefits from that new lens) </li>

</ul>

<p>Also merges some of the capabilities that may have been available in K-3 or K-S2 but not both</p>

<ul>

<li>14-bit RAW (prior entry/mid-level bodies had 12-bit RAW)</li>

<li>first entry/mid-level body with 24mp sensor</li>

<li>Wi-Fi</li>

<li>pixel-shift</li>

</ul>

<p>Hmmm.. electronic aperture? Sounds intriguing, but I wonder what that means outside of electronic aperture control vs. using an aperture ring as has been the case for some years. Perhaps the new PLM lens AF motor is behind the claim for much faster AF, replacing the DC and Pentax SDM motor systems. If that is true, too bad the other newer Pentax lenses do not have this new technology.</p>

<p>Although the faster AF would be a good thing, I do, however, wonder about the optical quality of this new, slower-aperture lens, its f/4.5-f/6.3 being about 1/2 stop slower than f/4-f5.8 of the older lens, which has been shown to be well above average optically for such a lens. </p>

I think that might be on 1/3 stop?

 

I believe the electronic aperture and PLM motor are both improvements for smoother transitions during video. Some

other more modern mounts have had electronic aperture for a long time. The PLM motor I believe is comparable to what

some makers have been calling stepping motors. I imagine we'll be seeing both of these on some future releases.

 

Interestingly, from what I read the AF during video is supported for DC and PLM motors but I haven't seen SDM

mentioned. I don't know whether Pentax actually disables the feature for SDM or screwdrive AF drive lenses but if so this

would be some indication of where the tech is heading.

 

A point of some controversy is that the electronic aperture is essentially another mount spec change that is to date only

supported via firmware update for the very latest bodies to date. I can understand putting a priority on the bodies still for

sale new. So far it's just this one lens...but you do hope that Pentax will provide firmware updates to support this for as

many of their older bodies as possible. I don't think it matters too much if it takes them a while but I would hope this can

be done at least for bodies as old as K-5 and K-01 if there are technical reasons that the older K*D series cannot be

updated (such as available memory).

<p>At least (not last) they were <strong><em>on time</em></strong>... I am definitively in line for one. However, after an inconclusive chat with <em>sales</em> at <strong>B&H</strong>, I've put things on hold. <br />My question: ...<em>"The new Pentax K-70 has <strong>"White Balance Modes"</strong> like most dslr's. Does it work at ISO 100 or whichever, please..?"... </em><br /> CS agent at B&H: ...<em>"I called Pentax direct. They could not give me a definitive answer on your question. The camera is so new they do not have that information yet."</em>...<br /> That was more than a week ago. Any update from anyone, please..?<br /> Recently I returned an EOS 80D because for all the dough they can't give us an ISO 50 <strong><em>low</em></strong>, nor the 100 for "White Balance"... In that mode it switches to 200. The ISO range on the K-70 is ISO 100-204800 which is an awful lot at the upper limit. Since then I've done some checking, only more expensive DSLRs, like the Leica SL offer the choice (of ISO 50). For someone who works in bright light a lot, ISO 200 seems awfully high. Remember analog..? ASA 25 was the standard on the lower end. But that was then...<br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>