September 26th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
No, you can’t order a Pentax K-m with live view, but you can end up with one littered in Swarovski crystals. Over at Photokina, this gem (ahem) was proudly on display, reportedly aimed at dames in the crowd with a thing for fashion and technology. A company representative wouldn’t disclose pricing, through she did say any prospective buyers could phone up Pentax to talk cheddar.
[Via Pocket-lint]
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Posted in pentax, dslr, swarovski, crystals, crystal, photokina, photokina 2008, Photokina2008, k-m, Pentax K-m, PentaxK-m | No Comments »
September 26th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
No, you can’t order a Pentax K-m with live view, but you can end up with one littered in Swarovski crystals. Over at Photokina, this gem (ahem) was proudly on display, reportedly aimed at dames in the crowd with a thing for fashion and technology. A company representative wouldn’t disclose pricing, through she did say any prospective buyers could phone up Pentax to talk cheddar.
[Via Pocket-lint]
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Posted in pentax, dslr, swarovski, crystals, crystal, photokina, photokina 2008, Photokina2008, k-m, Pentax K-m, PentaxK-m | No Comments »
September 22nd, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
As the big Photokina show prepares to launch tomorrow, out pops the new Pentax K2000 first spotted over the weekend as the leaked K-m. Positioned as an entry-level DSLR for those looking to make the jump from point-and-shoot, the K2000 features dead-simple Auto Picture modes, a 10.2 megapixel CCD and 2.7-inch LCD offering 96% field of view, ISO 3200 sensitivity, and the vibrational dust removal system and Shake Reduction tech expected from a Pentax K-series shooter. All this housed in one of the smallest and lightest camera bodies in its class. The K2000 body ships only as part of a $700 kit containing a smc PENTAX DA L 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL lens (a first from the affordable DA L series) and AF200FG flash starting in November. Optional $1,500 smc PENTAX DA 60-250mm f/4 ED[IF] SDM lens pictured after the break.
Update: Hands-on preview of the K2000 (aka, the K-m as it’s known in Europe) over at dpreview.
Continue reading Pentax’s 10.2 megapixel compact K2000 for first time reflexers
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Posted in pentax, dslr, photokina, k-m, k2000 | No Comments »
September 20th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Just in time for the big Photokina show in Koln, Germany, rumours are buzzing about a new Pentax DSLR that briefly appeared on the Pentax Germany site. Though details are sketchy, the K-m looks to be a lower-cost take on the K10D, with the same 10.2 megapixel Sony sensor and in-body stabilization but a lighter and smaller plastic case and slightly larger 2.7-inch LCD display. Sadly, there’s no live view, but if the rumored pricing — €500 ($725) for the single (18-55m) lens and €600 ($875) for the 2-lens kit (18-55mm and 50-200mm) — is accurate that might not be a dealbreaker. We’ll find out soon.
[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]
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Posted in digital camera, DigitalCamera, pentax, dslr, digital slr, DigitalSlr, k-m, Pentax K-m, PentaxK-m | No Comments »
August 15th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
When it comes to choosing a waterproof digital camera, there’s obviously one feature that matters above all others and, according to Trusted Reviews, Pentax’s Optio W60 passes that test without any difficulty. What’s more, it’s also apparently reasonably rugged, and it takes some decent pictures for good measure. While you can expect the usual noise problems at the highest ISO settings (including a nearly useless ISO 6400), the W60 looks to actually perform decent enough up to ISO 800, which is more than you can say for some cameras. On the downside, the site found that the camera suffered from some “particularly bad barrel distortion” at wide angle settings, and it proved to be a bit more sluggish than the norm, which appears to be at least partly due to the camera’s autofocus system. Still, if resistance to the elements is your top priority, it looks like this one will get the job done.
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Posted in pentax, waterproof, optio w60, OptioW60, w60 | No Comments »
July 28th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
In strict megapixel to dollar terms, the new Optio E60 from Pentax is a real steal, at a mere $140 for its absurd 10 megapixels. Of course, there’s more to the story. The 3x zoom and lack of optical image stabilization — “High Sensitivity Digital Shake Reduction” is little comfort — won’t be winning you any “best candid shot of whatever we did last night” awards, but there are some decent automatic perks like face recognition and a “Green” settings mode for absolute novices that should keep you from getting booted out of your Flickr pool. The E60, which is powered by AA batteries, will be available in October.
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Posted in optio, pentax, e60, optio e60, OptioE60 | No Comments »
July 3rd, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Pentax’s K200D has been out and about for a little while now, but if you’re still undecided about taking the plunge on the mid-range DSLR, you may want to pay a visit to Photography Blog, which has just put the camera through its paces. On the whole, they seem to have come away pretty impressed with it, saying that it offers a “substantial number of improvements” over the previous K100D, which they say was already an excellent camera to begin with. In addition to the bump to 10-megapixels, the site seems to have been particularly impressed by the camera’s new Sv shooting mode, “greatly improved battery life,” and some new dust and water-resistant weatherproof sealing. On the downside, there’s still no Live View mode, but considering the price (around $600 street), it seems like this one is a solid bet.
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Posted in pentax, dslr, k200d, pentax k200d, PentaxK200d | No Comments »
May 22nd, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Pentax has been cranking out waterproof Optio point-and-shoots for a while now, and the company’s latest, the W60, doesn’t really break from the company’s successful basic formula. The 10 megapixel shooter packs a 2.5-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom that doesn’t ever extend out from the main camera body, 720p movie mode, ISO 6400 sensitivity and face, smile, and blink detection. Oh, and it works in depths up to 13 feet in temperatures of just 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and is JIS Class 5 certified against dust and sand. You know, just in case. Should be out in July for $329 in both blue and silver.
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Posted in optio, pentax, waterproof, optio w60, OptioW60, w60 | No Comments »
April 11th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Go on and grab your salt shaker, as this rumor just isn’t fit to digest without a few dashes. According to information gathered by Amateur Photographer during an “informal discussion with [Kyong-Kook Shin] at an industry event in Seoul, Korea,” Samsung could be developing a full-frame CMOS imaging sensor. As the story goes, said sensor would eventually be housed in an undisclosed “professional DSLR,” but as of now, the device has only reached the design stage. When Sammy’s UK branch was contacted about the whispers, it refused to confirm, but commercial director Robert King did note that the company was “committed to the DSLR market” and would “continue to invest in R&D in this important market sector.” Yeah, it’s all shaky at best, but we can’t pretend we aren’t a wee bit giddy just thinking about it.
[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]
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Posted in samsung, rumor, pentax, dslr, camera, full-frame | No Comments »
March 17th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Not quite able to squeeze into a size 2 chassis before PMA, Pentax’s Optio V20 now has the runway all to itself. This 8-megapixel point-and-shoot isn’t anything spectacular, but the 5x optical zoom is a nice complement to the 3-inch LCD monitor, face recognition, blink detection, USB 2.0 connectivity, video out and VGA movie mode. You’ll also find a SD / SDHC expansion slot in case 52MB of built-in memory just isn’t enough, and the rechargeable Li-ion is said to be good for around 200 clicks on a full charge. On board? Start pinching those pennies now, as this one will set you back $279.95 when it runs aground in May.
[Via CNET]
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Posted in optio, pentax, point-and-shoot, Digicam, Optio V20, OptioV20, v20 | No Comments »
March 8th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Pentax’s 31.6 megapixel medium-format 645 Digital has been announced for over a year now — we’ve even seen one in the flesh — but it’s never actually shipped, and now it looks like it never will. According to Impress, Pentax is killing off its digital medium format cameras to focus on K-series DSLRs, but the 645’s film versions will live on. Considering the ever-more-competitive field of excellent prosumer cams out there, we can’t say we fault the decision, but if there are any engineering samples lying around, we’ll be happy to take ‘em off Pentax’s hands.
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Posted in pentax, medium format, MediumFormat, 645, 645 digital, 645Digital | No Comments »
January 31st, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of excitement when Pentax releases new cameras in its Optio range — do you people only love them for their DSLRs? — but nonetheless, we gave them the same hands-on treatment that everyone else gets. Below you’ll find the new S12, E50, and M50 in all their seemingly-unpopular glory, despite the fact that they seemed like fairly stylish, solidly-built products to us. Still with us? Great, we’ve got a lot of multi-colored point-and-shoot action in store for you.
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Posted in hands-on, optio, pentax, point-and-shoot, M50, E50, S12, pma, pma 2008, Pma2008 | No Comments »
January 30th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Lookee here, the K20D, Pentax’s flagship entry in the DSLR race and replacement for the K10D. Good looking stuff here, and right off the bat you can see it’s a step above the K200D: a proper command dial in place of buttons on the back of that dust-proof (not just resistant) and weather-resistant body. But the beauty’s more than skin deep — check out the 14.6-megapixel CMOS sensor, Live View 2.7-inch LCD and ISO sensitivity that peaks out at 3,200 (thanks, CMOS!). And in case you were wondering, no “scene” modes at this level, either.
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Posted in hands-on, pentax, dslr, k20d, pma, pma 2008, Pma2008 | No Comments »
January 30th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Pretty much all the major camera manufacturers had their wares on display tonight at Digital Focus, the pregame event to PMA. We got our hands on Pentax’s prosumer DSLR, the K200D. Pentax definitely makes a competitive case for itself here — lots of buyers just getting into a DSLR don’t have “investments” into glass from other vendors, and the features on the K200D look great: 10.2-megapixel CCD, 2.7-inch LCD, Shake Reduction in the body, and dust/weather resistant seals. We’re curious to see if the “soft” JPEG processing from Pentax’s other DSLRs still remains.
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Posted in hands-on, pentax, dslr, k200d, pma, pma 2008, Pma2008 | No Comments »
January 25th, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Samsung’s GX-20 DSLR has taken a rather roundabout route on the way to release — first getting leaked on a Norwegian website and then getting official in Korea — but it looks like things are really pickup up now, with Samsung announcing the camera for the UK and, thankfully, providing all the details this time around. As we knew before, the DSLR is a 14.6-megapixel number, with a 2.7-inch live view LCD, RAW and JPEG modes, sensor-based image stabilization, and ISO settings up to 3200, among other equally impressive specs. What’s new this time around is the all-important price (£699, or just under $1,400), and some of the finer details, including word of two new lenses for the camera. What’s more, as Digital Photography Review points out, this announcement also confirms that the GX-20 is, in fact, essentially the same camera as Pentax’s just-announced K20D, with the Samsung boasting only a few minor cosmetic changes and, according the company, its own JPEG processing.
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Posted in samsung, pentax, dslr, k20d, gx-20 | No Comments »
January 23rd, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Two more for ya from Pentax — the pocketable S12 and E50, which we’re going to dig right into if that’s okay with the crowd. The former features a 12-megapixel sensor, VGA movie mode, 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD monitor, face recognition, 5-point autofocus, 21MB of internal storage space, support for SD / SDHC cards, USB 2.0 connectivity, video out (NTSC and PAL), PictBridge functionality and ISO up to 3,200. As for the E50, it trims down to an 8.1-megapixel CCD sensor, 2.4-inch LCD, 3-point autofocus system, 9.5MB of built-in memory and an ISO limit of 1,600, but most everything else mimics its aforementioned sibling. Catch ‘em both this March for $279.95 and $149.95, respectively, and just in case you were curious to the whereabouts of the oh-so-similar A40, we’re told that it’s finally set to hit the streets next month for $299.95.
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Posted in optio, pentax, point-and-shoot, a40, E50, S12 | No Comments »
January 23rd, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
If those high-end Pentax DSLRs aren’t your thing, then perhaps the company’s just-announced Optio M50 will be more to your (and your bank account’s) liking. Available in your choice of silver, blue or pink, this one boasts 8 megapixels and a slightly better than usual 5x optical zoom, along with a 2.5-inch LCD, ISO shooting modes all the way up to ISO 6400, and increasingly common features like face recognition and smile capture. Look for it to hit in March with a list price of $230 and be sure to hit up the gallery below for a closer look at the camera in each of the available colors.
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Posted in optio, pentax, compact camera, CompactCamera, optio m50, OptioM50 | No Comments »
January 23rd, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Pentax’s newly launched K20D a bit too rich for your blood? Fret not, as it’s also launching (officially, that is) the K200D for consumers “who may be unfamiliar with DSLR cameras.” Packed in this beauty is a 10.2-megapixel sensor, a 2.7-inch LCD monitor, the firm’s own Shake Reduction system, ISO up to 1,600 and an array of auto picture / scene modes to boot. Sure, a little less exciting than the bigger bro, but hey, it’s five Benjamins less ($799.95), too. Expect it to ship in March, and feel free to peruse the full specifications list after the jump.
Continue reading Pentax launches 10.2-megapixel K200D DSLR
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Posted in official, pentax, dslr, k200d | No Comments »
January 23rd, 2008 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
We reckoned those fliers spotted earlier today weren’t just clever mockups, but now Pentax is affirming said assumption by getting all official with its new 14.6-megapixel K20D. This beast features a 2.7-inch Live View LCD monitor, improved dust reduction system (including a new Dust Alert function to pinpoint the exact location of a particle), a weather / dust resistant shell, ISO up to 3,200, support for SD / SDHC cards, USB 2.0 connectivity, video-out (NTSC and PAL) and PictBidge functionality. For the rest of the nitty-gritty, be sure and click on through — after chewing on those details, maybe you can then decide whether or not you’ll be throwing down $1,299.95 for the body-only model in March. Oh, and don’t you worry about lenses — Pentax is busting out five new ones at PMA next week.
Continue reading Pentax gets official with 14.6-megapixel K20D DSLR
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Posted in official, pentax, dslr, k20d | No Comments »
December 29th, 2007 by
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Just over a month ago, we got word that Pentax could be readying a pair of new DSLRs, and now it seems that we’ve been blessed with a plethora of shots of the K200D. ‘Course, we suppose they could be doctored, but we just don’t believe someone would spend that much time working up Pentax fakes, ya know? Regardless, feel free to hit the read link and check out what’s probably the outfit’s next shooter — or some mighty fine ’shops, worst case scenario.
[Via Photography Bay]
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Posted in pictures, pentax, dslr, pics, k200d, sneak peek, SneakPeek | No Comments »
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