Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
For the Pentax fans out there, it looks like another DSLR will land this week in the form of the 16MP Pentax K-30. It looks like an entry-level shooter with full HD video capture and a sensitivity range up to ISO 25,600. Expect the full details as soon as it officially drops.
[via Photo Rumors]
Pentax has launched a new 25mm lens for its 645D medium format camera. The new 25mm f/4 lens offers a full frame focal length equivalent to 19.5mm. The new lens retails for $5,000 and should be available this month at B&H Photo and other Pentax retailers.
More details in the full press release below. [Read more…]
The Pentax K-01 is a new mirrorless camera featuring the eternal K-mount and an APS-C 16MP CMOS image sensor. The K-01 captures 1080p video at 30fps and a 720p video at 60fps.
Built-in sensor-shift image stabilization expands the benefit to over 25 million legacy K-mount lenses in the world today. The K-01 captures up to 6fps still images and covers a sensitivity range of ISO 100-25600.
The Pentax K-01 should be available in March for $749 (body only) and $899 w/ the new pancake 40mm f/2.8 lens. Check availability on B&H and Amazon.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
Ricoh’s president was recently quoted saying that “Ricoh will offer characteristic compact cameras under its own label, while trying to bring the Pentax brand on par with Nikon Corp. and Canon Inc. in interchangeable-lens cameras.” While we have no specs or details on what the camera will be like, the source article notes that it would not necessarily be an expansion of the recently-announced Pentax Q system, but rather a more prosumer offering with a larger image sensor.
Of course, the Pentax reference comes from recent news that Ricoh is acquiring the company, effective October 1.
[Rice High via 1001 Noisy Cameras]
The Pentax Optio RZ18 is a new point and shoot model with a 16MP image sensor and 18x optical zoom (25-450mm equivalent). The RZ18 also features sensor-shift image stabilization, a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD and 720p HD video.
The Pentax Optio RZ18 should be available in October for $299.95. Check availability on Amazon.com.
More details below. [Read more…]
Pentax has dropped the price on its K-5 DSLR, as well as offering new instant rebates on both the body-only and kit configurations.
With the price drop and instant rebate, the effective price of the K-5 is now $1199 for the K-5 body only and $1349 for the K-5 and 18-55mm kit lens.
The instant rebate deals are set to expire November 30, 2011.
Hoya has announced that it will be selling Pentax’s camera business to Ricoh. The deal should take effect on October 1, 2011 and is reported to be a $124 million selling price.
Interestingly, Ricoh has a history with the Pentax K-mount. My first SLR was a Ricoh KR-Super II (shown above), which is a K-mount camera that was basically a Pentax K1000 knockoff. Who knew that a couple of decades later Ricoh would acquire the K-mount system for its own? [Read more…]
Sigma’s new 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro lens is now available. While Sigma’s listed retail price of the lens is $1400, street prices are closer to the $1100 range. You can find it at B&H Photo.
Below you will find this week’s firmware updates. Hit the manufacturer website links for more details and download instructions for the firmware. [Read more…]
The Pentax Q is a new interchangeable lens camera system. What sets the Pentax Q apart from other interchangeable lens models, however, is that the Q sports a 12.4MP compact 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor – meaning that this camera is basically a glorified point and shoot camera. [Read more…]