Pentax K-z/K-s/K-300 - What Should It Be?

Click to Enlarge.The K-z has a maximum of 120 millions of colour combinations whilst the K-s has 480. But then the K-s has 20 body colours while the K-z has only 12. The K-z, if it is true, is obviously re-using the K-r body, as what can be seen.On the other hand, some people from Europe told me that this camera would be called K-300 instead of K-z, which is no good for German, AFAIK.Unless this

Read More

Price Cuts of 645D, Q, K-01 and K-30 in US

See the official announcement that has just been issued by Pentax Imaging:-http://www.pentaximaging.com/about/press/283Via: Post @ Pentax ForumsThe price cuts for the 645D, K-01 and the Q are quite significant.On the other hand, I can only see similar major price cut for the 645D only at Japan, in 100,000 Japanese Yens, which is yet very close to the US1,200 rebate in the US. See:-It seems that

Read More

Improved DIY SDM Repair Method!

Read: http://forum.xitek.com/thread-1055994-1-1-1.html(in Chinese, with diagrams)Actually, the method is more or less the same as the original DIY method but now the "CRC" Contact Cleaner is applied in addition (and then doing the massage) which does help even more, as it is told and confirmed.After all, the OP has saved $250 (1500 RMB) repair fee as officially quoted and now his DA*16-50's SDM

Read More

DA35/2.8 Macro Limited Special Version

(Above: The Special Version Vs the Standard Version Side-by-Side; Click to Enlarge.)Full Story: http://history.hatenablog.com/touch/entry/20101107/1289135202(in Japanese, Google English Translation Here.)Well, sometimes small and compact lenses are not welcomed and the design had to be changed! :-o ;->

Read More

The Last Published Lens Roadmap Had Only New DA Lenses, Why Expected Full Frame?!

Re-read: http://www.pentaximaging.com/files/pdf/lens_roadmap.pdfVia: http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-pentax-da-lens-roadmap-2012-to-13.htmlSo, dear Pentaxians, please wake up and don't dream and imagine anymore! :-o I now realise one fact, finally, asking for a 135 full frame body and system from Pentax is just like asking FF from Pana and Oly, frankly! :-\ At the end of the day, Pana

Read More

Pentax Body SR Would Have More Degree of Freedom?

Read this recently Pentax patent, the Pentax SR system is adding axes!http://www.google.com/patents/US8208032Btw, there is a body diagram for illustration purpose, but don't imagine too much for an upcoming "new" body. Look:-Well, actually it is an *ist D, just! Just compare yourself!(Credit: http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/bodies/ist_D/ist_d.html)

Read More

What is This Smaller Camera?

(Click to Enlarge)This picture has just been uploaded at an old thread at the Russian Pentax forum back to May, in an updated/edited post today.So, what is that smaller camera? Is it just a blurred K-x/K-m? Or, the K-300?! :-o

Read More

Monday Dreaming: Pentax Strikes at Photokina!

Having thought too much about those upcoming new Pentax stuff these days, so have just made a dream early this morning, call it ridiculous or plain stupid if you like! :-o Yet to share anyway..1. K-300 - 16MP basic (cheap) model, old sensor, no WR, no remote switch socket, no microphone input for video. Treat it as a K-01 with the addition of the old Penta-mirror finder found in the K-x/K-r but

Read More

Fujitsu Milbeaut Image Processor MB91696AM

It is generally believed that this is the native Prime M processor which is originally designed and manufactured by Fujitsu for Pentax:-http://jp.fujitsu.com/group/fsl/en/release/20110208.htmlThe MB91696 has a dual-ARM core and has built-in H.264 codec that supports Full HD video. In fact, it has an all-round/all-in-one system architecture for what a modern digital camera needs:-(Credit: Fujitsu

Read More

Sony's New BSI CMOS Architecture, Further Improving Light Receiving Efficiency

Source press release with more information:-http://www.sony.co.jp/SonyInfo/News/Press/201201/12-009/index.html(in Japanese)

Read More

New Sony 1/1.7" BSI CMOS Sesnor (12MP, 4K Video)

The IMX144CQJ:-http://www.sony.co.jp/Products/SC-HP/cxpal/vol93/imx144/index.html(in Japanese)Note the various significant performance and IQ improvements over the IMX078 sensor that was adopted in the Pentax Q as it is compared.IIRC, the IMX144 is actually the first Sony *CMOS* sensor in 1/1.7" size. For all previous 1/1.7" imagers they created, they were all in CCD type.Actually, it is possible

Read More

First Pre-Photokina Pentax Leak - Pentax X-5

(Web Host: http://cdn.uploda.cc/)It is verified to be a real product (but not a hoax) in the following page, although it has not yet shown the price yet:-See: http://www.photoprice.ca/product/03986/Pentax-X-5-price.htmlDoes it look like a K-5 from the front btw?The description on the front page of the above website tells that it is a "New Pentax X-5: 16 Megapixel, 26x Ultra-Zoom Point and Shoot".

Read More

Korean SLR Club K-30 Full Review

http://www.slrclub.com/bbs/vx2.php?id=slr_review&page=1&divpage=1&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=290(in Korean, no need to Google translate, the pictures and videos speak for themselves!)Warning: VERY Large Page - As usual, they put the whole review into a Single page with all the modelling photos, illustration diagrams, measurbation results, sample photos and videos! If you are trying to

Read More

Photokina for Less Than 30 Days to Come - Pentax Predictions

http://www.photokina.com/en/photokina/home/index.phpThe Pentax/Ricoh booth is Here.So, let's have some Pentax predictions and let me start a poll. What will Ricoh announce/disclose for new Pentax products at Photokina?What Shall We See at Photokina for Pentax?K-5 Replacement at 24MP, APS-CK-01 ReplacementQ Replacement645D ReplacementA New Pentax 135 FF at 24MPSome New DA LensesSome New FF

Read More

Sony is to Roll Out FF NEX

See: http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-sony-nex-goes-full-frame/But considering the really limited lens lineup of the original E-mount lenses, not even to mention FF, what's the point?The most ridiculous thing, on the other hand in the Pentaxland, is that there are so many old original K-mount lenses out there but there is not a FF Pentax body!So, if old Pentaxians are to get the new NEX, must

Read More

Pentax Q Live View Time Lag

(URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYByS_1IJiQ)By: What Blog is This?Via: 1001 Noisy Cameras.Btw, is this common for most ILDCs or just DCs? :-o

Read More

EISA Photo Awards 2012-13

http://www.eisa.eu/awards/3/photo.htmlEveryone has an award but only Pentax nor Ricoh! Well, even Sigma and Tamron are there! :-(Btw, the K-30 is not selling well even at the Japanese home market (where Pentax used to do it best over there), just see the latest BCN chart, the K-30 + DA18-135 kit struggles to stay in the chart, at position #58 at best.If we look at the results of the whole July,

Read More

New Sony APS-C Sensor (16MP, PMAF Elements Built-in)

Via Sony Alpha Rumors (SR5)So, with this new sensor, I am almost sure that new Pentax APS-C camera models will come, say, K-02, K-40 and whatever! :-DLast Story:-Phase Matching / Contrast Detection AF Accuracy Measurbation and Comparison

Read More

Phase Matching / Contrast Detection AF Accuracy Measurbation and Comparison

By Lens Rentals: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.Via Post @DPR Pentax Forum.Quick Conclusions:-1. Live View CDAF is more accurate than conventional SLR PMAF for still objects;2. New body is improved over old one for better PMAF accuracy with *any* lenses - the 5D3 was tested against the 5D2 head-to-head, with the same set of lenses, old and new;3. New lenses are improved over old models for better PMAF

Read More

Blog Notice: Country Specific Blog Page URLs are Disabled

After working for a few days, I have successfully completed and fully tested the required scripts to disable the country specific Blog page links and now wherever and whenever you view my pages, they are reverted to blogspot.com instead of blogspot.country for where you live and get online.I hope from now on every incompatibility problem that was caused by this different domain per page evil

Read More

New Measurbating Review: K-30 Vs K-5 Vs CNS

Digital Camera Info.com has compiled a full measurbation review/test on the K-30. The test consists of 24 sections and some sections are further divided into several sub-sections for even more measurbations! :-oYou can begin with the first "samples" section here, where the shootout against K-5, Nikon D5100, Canon Rebel T3i and Sony A55 begins! At the first glance, I am impressed with the noise

Read More

If the D600 Can Only Come This Fall, When Will the Pentax FF Come?

Ken Rockwell "forecasts" that the D600 would appear only by late 2012. But if the previous rumour of that the Pentax FF could only come as fast as 6 months later than the Nikon is true, when shall we see a Pentax FF camera? Late 2013?! (Taking into account that things like that often subject to delay, especially for the Pentax!) >:-(

Read More

DA50/1.8 Proven to be a Full Frame Lens (as Expected)

Although Pentax did not admit that it is a FF lens, a new DA50 owner and Pentax user has tested it on film with a MZ-3:-http://forum.xitek.com/thread-1043959-1-1-1.html(in Chinese)See the posted samples, I think no one will disagree that it is not a Full Frame lens. The IQ, sharpness, colour rendition and bokeh etc. can also be inspected.Now, we have one more FF compatible lens in the current

Read More

My Practical Review on the DA18-135

As we all know, this lens received rather poor rating and adverse comments at the PhotoZone and then the official early samples posted by Ned Bunnell did look bad either.But then stupid fanboys of Pentax like me are actually irrational ;->, I went bought this lens regardless of the poor reputation of this lens all over the Internet! :-oThis time, I am going to write a practical review on the lens

Read More

Recent Survey and Review Articles by the Pentax Forums

First of all, the following survey results once again verified that SDM is indeed rather unreliable and vulnerable to break, although some fanboys would still argue that the sample size returned in that survey is yet "not enough to prove anything"!http://www.pentaxforums.com/news/pentax-sdm-failure-survey-results.htmlQuoted:-"What is a little bit more alarming is the fact that three of Pentax's

Read More