If you’re in the market for a new pocket camera, you could do worse than a Pentax. My friend just bought one from the old generation and she likes it, but when she sees these she’ll be mad. Click the link below for the whole menagerie, in arbitrary order since there are no prices and some are better than others in different ways. All the cameras have USB 2.0 high speed interfaces and good stuff like face recognition built in.
You may or may not catch a glimpse of these at PMA.
The wait is officially over, folks. Today marks a new chapter for Pentax and the big boys better pay attention. The K10D and K100D Super are being replaced today with the K20D and K200D. There have been significant changes from previous models and I think many will be surprised.
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Pretty sure this is legit. Not sure how this individual acquired these images, but they certainly look real and there are some mumblings in the forum that specs for the K20D were leaked. They don’t seem to be much different than what we’ve previously covered. I wonder if we’ll see an announcement today or possibly tomorrow?
K20D/K200DのパンフGet! [My Things]
Can you tell I’m obsessed with cameras lately? I’ve been closely watching the forums at DPR and today I came across some interesting posts regarding the Pentax K20D. One individual claims to have seen a handful of images taken with the K20D, which include EXIF files. There are also two purported images (super boring subjects) taken at ISO 100 and ISO 3200, but no EXIF files. Read More
Apparently some Canon reps technicians have loose lips and while jawing about how unpredictable their bosses were about announcing things, may have leaked a few specs for a phantom camera set to fit in between the 1D Mark III and the 5D. He also mentioned some possible upgrade specs for the 5D — maybe now is your chance to buy a used 5D on the cheap as all the pros ditch for the new freshness. The “3D” is rumored to have a smaller body but still a 15.1-megapixel full-frame sensor. And 12800 ISO? Yes please! See the rest of the shady specs after the link.
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Olympus has unveiled its new higher-end point and shoots, starting at $250. More megapixelage and better lenses, but slightly heavier if you’re watching those ounces. More pics and specs after the link.
I don’t know how they do it, but the Oly SP-570UZ boasts ultra zoom with a 10-megapixel sensor, dual image stabilization, face detection, shadow adjustment and perfect shot preview, which I’ll discuss later. The 570 is sort of like an SLR, but not. It has a rather large LCD at 2.7-inches and a f2.8-4.5 lens with an equivalent of 26-520mm focal length. I guess the inclusion of manual, aperture and shutter priority modes along with hotshoe would fool some into thinking this is a full fledged DSLR and for good reason. It also snaps photos at 13.5fps. It makes for a perfect step up from point-and-shoots if you’re uncomfortable with DSLRs. All of this can be yours for $499.99.
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Olympus, who made my first and favorite CD player, is releasing a metric ton of cameras at the PMA convention. Hit the link for the important specs, pics, and my pick.
Olympus is announcing two shockproof, dustproof, waterproof and freezeproof models to the SW collection. The 1030 has a slight advantage over the 850 by claiming that it’s crushproof. How crushproof? It can supposedly handle up to 220 pounds of crushing pressure. It also features a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, 3.6x optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD, xD card slot and 14.7MB of internal storage. ISO goes on up to 1600 and movies are captured as AVI motion JPEGs with audio. A rechargeable Lithium Ion battery takes care of power issues. One very cool feature is the inclusion of an LED for macro shots that require flash without the flash. The 1030SW comes out in March for $399.99.
pma will not bring a new 5d body…..
Says tsiphoto from DP Review Forums. Apparently he has a proven track record on such things and shouldn’t be questioned.
No new 5d at pma [DP Review]
Looks like LGD has the scoop on Pentax’s yet-to-be-debuted DSLRs. Not sure how accurate this is, but Pedro believes lightning can strike twice as he claims he found the specs on the Olympus E410 and E510 on LGD last year by manipulating the URL. I think he’s full of poo, but I have nothing to back it up. Dare to be disappointed? Waiting for ecstasy? Links look busted, though.
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Why do you have what you have and what sorts of goodies are in your camera bag? Are you excited for PMA?
Rumors are running rampant over what Pentax may or may not announce at PMA. One thing is for sure, Pentax is focusing on DSLRs this year and that’s coming straight from the horse’s mouth. Head of Japanese sales for Pentax, Hitoshi Sasaki, was recently quoted:
We will keep focusing on DSLR as we did last year,” Sasaki said. “The segment will demand not only the cameras but also interchangeable lenses and accessories, contributing much to the expansion of sales and profits. The lens line will further be enriched this year. In the “Optio” series compact cameras, we will review the lineup where models under ¥30,000 (US$270) are the mainstream to upgrade overall lineup. The approach may be made in terms of product development and sales strategy.
I, for one, am ecstatic and optimistic over what Pentax will announce. Will the K200D jump up to 10-megapixels or how about live preview on the K20D? Looks like the Optio’s will be getting a refresh as well.
Pentax Corp. focuses on DSLR development [PMA Newsline]
For those of you following rumors on DSLR news before PMA, here’s some info on the Canon Rebels. Again, only time will tell.
It will be the Rebel XTs. Same sensor, 3″ screen, live-view, dust remover (already had in XTi), increased noise and DR performance (gaining of 2 stops more or so claims Canon), support for UDMA cards, Digic3, Canon wireless master built in, improved AF performance and 4 new cross sensors around the center AF point. Lastly from what I hear it should be priced at $599. Not too shabby.
Some slightly shady sources have suggested that Canon will be rolling out the 5D Mark II soon, possibly at the PMA convention in a couple weeks. If only I could have stayed in Vegas! AVN then PMA! There’s nothing solid, but some unnamed Canon reps seem to think we’ll be getting a couple surprises at the show, which hopefully will include the long-awaited update to their pro-level full-frame DSLR.
More Canon 5D Mark II Rumors [Photography Bay]
I’m totally on the fence about going to PMA only because Vegas kicked my ass this last week, but I am obsessed with cameras these days so I may bite the bullet and go. Purported images of Pentax’s refresh to their DLSR line showed up a couple weeks ago and now it seems that during the CES press release circus on Sunday revealed details of Samsung’s next DLSR, GX-20. So what does Samsung’s DSLRs have anything to do with Pentax?
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PMA is about a month away so the rumor mill is slowly building steam. The K100D has been cleared from Pentax’s site and I can see why the K200D would replace it, but the Super hasn’t been around a year so I don’t see it disappearing. It’s safe to say that the K100D’s replacement is coming, but the photos of the K200D look pretty fake. They look sloppy. The grip looks shaved down, which is going to suck because that’s one of the great things about the current line. The card access lamp has been taken from below the Fn button to the top of the four-way controller. It just seems stupid to do that. The lens unlock button is a full circle as opposed to a half moon. The rest of the controls look the same. The addition of RAW on the fly would be amazing. There’s a weird button next to the shutter release. Check the photos for yourself.
