[davidmanze]

Dave, I disagree with K-S1 being a fiasco; it just wasn't made for us, and in our eyes it had to compete against a heavily discounted K-50. The few LEDs which can be deactivated aren't such a big deal.

 

But indeed, this new camera is more like it. And it includes some K-S1 elements (the green/red light around the shutter release... quite ingenious).

While the K-S1 is an entry level aimed at beginners which might get scared away by a classic DSLR (thus, the interface) this is a true K-50 replacement. Weather resistant (at least the lens is), dual wheel interface...

  It's true that the K-S1 is OK and it is OK!, but it's perception by all "but" the Asian market was that it was a "novelty" and novelties don't bolster the perception of a good camera manufacturer, it could have done so much more when so much more was needed to be done and bring it in line with the feature set of the competition, especially at it's price point!   How much good does it do to the perception of Pentax when "The Camera Store" announce it as their worst camera of the year to all the world?  adding, while rolling around laughing, who the hell is buying these things?  embarrassing,  ( I couldn't go out for weeks )

  In short the K-S1 should not have been launched as it did more harm than good, however I think this new model may well do enough to make the memory of the K-S1 fade unmemorably into the past along with the K01.

 

  BTW, it was priced at considerably more than the K50 which was even more than the K500, at that price-point it was poorly disguised as an entry level DSLR!