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All posts tagged "k-mount"


Friday, May 25, 2012

Pentax Announces K-30 DSLR and 50mm DA Lens

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 10:30 AM

http://www.dcresource.com/news/news...tem.php?id=4509

Pentax has announced their mid-range DSLR, the K30, which replaces the K-r. Like most Pentax DSLRs, they try to punch above their weight, with the K-30 offering a list of features such as a weatherproof body, a true pentaprism 100% viewfinder instead of a pentamirror, and frame rates of 6 FPS (both the Canon Rebel T3i/EOS 600D and Nikon D5100 are at 3.7 and 4 FPS respectively), and the very innovative sensor-based SR anti-shake mechanism. In addition to compensating for hand shake, the SR feature can be used to level horizons, adjust the composition without moving the tripod, and eliminating star trails in long exposure shots (though that last one requires a GPS for the camera to do the correct calculations). At the heart of the camera is a Sony 16 megapixel CMOS sensor with an ISO range of ISO100-12,800, like the one found in the K-5 and Nikon D5100/D7000, along with a 3" VGA LCD, an 11 point AF system featuring 9 cross points, and 1080p video at 24, 25 or 30 FPS. Three colours are available, and the camera will ship in July for US$850 for the camera alone, or US$900 with the 18-55 kit lens.

Also, Pentax announced the 50mm f/1.8 DA lens. I'm not sure what Pentax is up to. At US$250, it is more expensive than the Nikon or Canon offering, but like the Canon, features a plastic lens mount and no focus distance scale. I suppose if you are stuck on the Pentax system you have no choice, but the price seems a little high regardless. Ships in July. More photos and details at the link!


Monday, May 7, 2012

Pentax K-01 Reviewed by Digital Camera Resource Page

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 12:00 PM

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/p...ntax/k01-review

"Aside from its unique looks, the K-01 is also a full-featured interchangeable lens camera. It has a 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor, K-mount lens support with built-in image stabilization, lots of manual controls, a boatload of scene modes and special effects, an HDR function, and 1080p video recording."

When the Pentax K-01 was announced, I mentioned (right in the headline no less) that Pentax cannot seem to do mirrorless cameras right. Well, in addition to all the issues that come with sticking to the K-mount instead of developing a new mount for a large sensor mirrorless camera (fat body due to large flange distance for the mirror box, slow AF with some lenses not designed for contrast detection autofocus), Pentax seems to have some terrible quality control issues here. Jeff Keller has a long history of reviewing digital cameras, but I don't think I have seen him point out so many issues in one review before! Nevertheless, if you are still interested, you can read the review, where the output from the camera is actually quite good, but given all the other issues, I think there are better mirrorless cameras out there.


Thursday, February 2, 2012

Pentax Announces K-01 Mirrorless Camera and Confirms They Cannot Do Mirrorless Right

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 07:30 AM

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/0...01_announcement

Continuing with this weeks camera announcements is Pentax with their second attempt at a mirrorless camera. I am not sure if Pentax really knows what it is doing here. After the too-small-in-everything Pentax Q, Pentax has revealed the K-01. The specifications read pretty much like a Pentax DSLR, with a 16 megapixel APS-sized sensor, sensor-shift stabilisation, a 6 FPS continuous shooting mode, a 3" VGA LCD display, top ISO of 12,800, 1080p video mode at 24, 25 or 30 FPS with manual controls, even more manual controls for still photography, and being Pentax, also includes native Adobe DNG support for its RAW files. The problem with this camera is that is basically uses the venerable K-mount, which is a SLR lens mount. This means that there is a large gaping space between the sensor and the lens meant for the non-existent mirror, and just makes the camera big, which DPReview kindly shows at the read link below. Maybe that is why Pentax debuted a 40mm f/2.8 lens that is really thin. Mount a standard 50mm f/1.4 lens and this is just about as big as any modern SLR. There is also the issue that contrast-detection autofocus is just not good with lenses originally designed for phase-detection autofocus systems. Oh, and did I mention the camera this big is missing a viewfinder of any kind? The Pentax K-01 ships in March for US$750 for the body alone and US$900 with the 40mm f/2.8. The lens itself will cost US$250. More details and photos (including a comparison in size with Pentax's flagship DSLR, the K-5) at the read link.


Thursday, June 2, 2011

Pentax Announces Nifty O-GPS1 GPS Unit

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 03:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/...o-astronomy-nu/

"The new hotshoe-mounted O-GPS1 module fixes that oversight by recording latitude, longitude, altitude, Coordinated Universal Time and shooting angle. Everyday snappers might find an extra hotshoe attachment cumbersome, but astro-photography enthusiasts could well be enticed by the device's interesting "ASTROTRACER" function."

Pentax might not be up there with Canon or Nikon, but it is certainly not for the lack of trying. This is yet another impressive use of the anti-shake sensor platform: using the sensor to compensate for short movements of celestial objects. This is the second unique use for sensor-based stabilisation; the first was Pentax's automatic levelling feature. Nice to see Pentax exploring other ways to utilise the technology. Available in July for about US$250.


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Pentax Introduces Rugged Option WG-1 and Special Edition K-5

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 01:18 PM

http://www.dcresource.com/news/news...tem.php?id=4273

Pentax has announced a new camera rugged Optio line, the Optio WG-1. The WG-1 has two models, one with GPS and one without, but are otherwise the same camera. The WG-1 has by now a pretty basic set of features, including a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens with no stated aperture range, 2.7" QVGA LCD, 720p video at 30 FPS, and of course, a body that is waterproof to 33 feet/100m, shockproof from 5 feet/1.5m, crushproof to 220 lbs/100kg, freezeproof to 14F/-10C, and dustproof to boot. Oh, and see those white spots around the lens? Those are LEDs to light up the subject when in macro mode. The WG-1 will be available in April, with the GPS version priced at US$400, and the non-GPS version priced at US$349.

Also announced is a special K-5 edition, clad in a silver colour, and ships with a special edition of the 40mm f/2.8 DA Limited lens. Is it me or is Pentax starting to go down the Leica route with all these funny special editions? Picture of the K-5 after the break.

Read more...


Thursday, January 20, 2011

More Glass for Less: A Simple Guide to Inexpensive Lenses

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 08:00 AM

As more people get into photography as a hobby, a common refrain heard is that it is an expensive hobby. It is not without some truth, as hobbies by their nature can involve spending large outlays of money since it is human nature to delve deeper into our interests, and hobbies that involve any kind of gear will have many opportunities for the hobbyist to spend their hard-earned money on. Not helping is today's world of marketing departments' promises of being better at what you do if you buy their companies' products or services.

Even if you ignore the messages from marketing, you still need some basic gear to take a photo, like a lens, and lenses can be very very expensive. Lenses can range from the popular f/2.8 zooms (as much as US$2,000+) to the super telephoto lenses (too much). Thankfully, there are cheap options out there, some good, some downright awful. So what does a budget (and budding) photographer buy? Well, here's a short roundup of some lenses that can be considered to be not too expensive.

Read more...


Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Things I Want to See in 2011

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Articles & Resources" @ 08:00 AM

Welcome to 2011! The last decade was a breath-taking one for digital photography, and the last few years have brought about a torrent of changes and improvements, along with the digital revolution settling down somewhat. Still, a new year brings new possibilities, and here is what I would like to see for 2011:

1. Open Platform Camera

One reason for the popularity of cameras in smartphones is the software you can add to it. Want different effects? Download an app to process them on the phone. Want to see said effects in real-time? Download an app to replace the default camera app. Want an intervalometer? Download an app for that too!

Having an open platform for developers to add functionality to the camera would be an amazing selling point. This would go beyond consumer-level gee-whiz; there is plenty for for enthusiasts too. Change button assignments, tone curves (this has existed but not always the easiest to do), even autofocus and auto exposure behaviour for the adventerous. There is also something to be said for spending less time in image editors...

Of course this would kill some manufacturers' unique selling points. Olympus and their Art Filters will probably be the first casualty. Coupled with most camera companies being conservative in nature, this is unlikely to happen from a traditional manufacturer. Anyone out there willing to take a chance on this?

2. Truly Connected Cameras

Tying in with the above point on open platforms, connectivity is the next big thing. Most of us share our photos digitally nowadays, and the Internet is the main way to do this. Standalone cameras still rely heavily on having a computer to do this. Smartphone cameras are showing the way this should be done, so where are the connected cameras? The Olympus E-PL2's bluetooth dongle (a leaked piece of news at this time of writing) is a step forward, and hopefully will set the tone for the rest of the year.

Read more...


Saturday, December 18, 2010

Pentax K-5 Reviewed by Digital Photography Review

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 10:58 AM

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk5/

"At first sight the K-5 is virtually indistinguishable from the K-7 (in some markets the K-7 will remain in the Pentax line alongside the K-5). Apart from an additional 'Fx' (which stands for 'flex') label on the customizable RAW button and a subtle redesign of the AF switch on its rear there are no readily significant differences between the K-5 and its predecessor the K-7. However, there is more novelty to be found under the hood - the K-5's most notable new component is a 16.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, which is probably closely related to the sensors inside the Nikon D7000 and Sony SLT-A55."

I know the Pentax K-5 has been covered before, but I thought I would post DPReview's review. You will be surprised by the score it garnered, but I wasn't. Pentax in the past few years has been building up a good lineup of DSLRs, and the K-5 - while a minor update - makes some compelling changes, like the new sensor that is makes a good account for itself. Plus the lenses. Once again, If you get a Pentax, I really do recommend that you save some money for the Limited lenses; they are really a special thing, and something Pentax users are lucky to have.


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Pentax K-5 Reviewed by PhotographyBLOG

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 09:03 AM

http://www.photographyblog.com/revi...ntax_k5_review/

"The Pentax K-5 is a new semi-professional DSLR camera, based around the same body design as the older K-7 and the same 16.3 megapixel image sensor as found in the Nikon D7000 and Sony A55 cameras. Key new features include a greatly expanded ISO range of 80-51200, Full HD 1080p video at 25fps, 7fps continuous shooting, upgraded 11-point SAFOX IX+ AF system with wider coverage and faster speed, improved High Dynamic Range mode, and a bigger range of in-built digital filter effects."

The Pentax K-5 is an upgrade over the K-7, and while the improvements seem small on paper, it is the new sensor that has been grabbing attention; DxOMark's sensor ranking places it as the best APS-C-sized sensor. Of course, such ratings can be meaningless in real-world use, but the review (and sample photos) here ranks the camera pretty well. Just ignore the ISO 50k setting.

For those considering a Pentax, don't forget to take a look at their Limited lenses, both the DA and FA versions. They are well-made lenses and for me are Pentax's main selling point, and will go very nicely with a K-5.


Monday, September 20, 2010

Pentax Announces K-5 DSLR; Incremental Improvements Abound

Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 08:28 AM

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1009/1...axk5preview.asp

"Pentax has announced the latest member of its DSLR line-up, the K-5. The new model is based on the Japanese manufacturer's current flagship DSLR, the K-7."

The new Pentax K-5 is an improvement over the K-7, despite the lower number. Notable additions include a 16 megapixel sensor that goes to ISO 50k (twice that of the D7000's, for instance), 1080p video at 25FPS, and a 7 FPS continuous mode. What gets taken away though, is AA battery support; the new camera uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery. At least the in-body lens stabilisation that everyone seems to love is still present, along with the ability to mount just about every K-mount lens out there (with exceptions and different levels of functionality). Though at US$1600 for the body only, it is going to have some stiff competition from the cheaper Nikon D7000. I like Pentax a lot; they have smart UI and design, but what was very competitive (the K7 was designed to match heavy hitting DSLRs like the Nikon D300) is not so now. I hope they can pull through though. Hit the link for a hands-on by DPReview.com

Also introduced is the Pentax smc 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6ED AL IF DC WR (what a collection of alphabets) lens. It's a weather resistant lens meant for APS-C cameras, that basically does the 28-300mm range on 35mm cameras.


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