OK1000 Pentax Blog

2011-11-30T14:47:00.020-05:00

This blog has been on a long hiatus after I began new projects (since summer 2009) and after reluctantly coming to terms with the obvious I'm going to close the book and let the info here live in posterity. The blog will be here for the foreseeable future in "archive" state for those seeking out information for Pentax cameras pre-2010. Photo © Cursesfoiled 2011. With Pentax K20D and FA-28-200mm lens. Let me be clear, I still love Pentax gear... when you read this, whenever "now" is, be sure...

World Pentax Day, Aug. 15th, 2010 Recap

2010-08-17T10:57:00.006-04:00

The galleries of submitted photos this time around are looking really good! Thanks to Pentax Forums for their great enthusiasm for these projects. Visit them here: http://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/pentaxium-world-pentax-day-august-2010/ Photo © 2010 by Cursesfoiled. K20D with SMC-M 28mm. I wish I had better luck that afternoon, but at least I had my camera with me. And with a great find that I bought in Vancouver a week ago, an SMC-M 28mm. Lovely lens!

Pentax 645D Preview from Canada

2010-05-18T00:57:00.005-04:00

via Perpetual Radio.com.

645D Japanese First-Hand Looks

2010-03-16T11:00:00.012-04:00

Edit: no Shake Reduction, just Dust Reduction, so I removed any mention to avoid any further erroneous misconceptions. Thanks to the commenters who pointed this out. Okay, I'm excited about the Pentax 645D. AkhihabaraNews now has some photos of a transparent mock-up and DCWatchImpress in Japan has some first-hand looks. The latter has put together lots of photos of the industrial design, which illustrate the camera from more angles than the images at Pentax Japan. Seeing as this is as close I...

645D Announced!

2010-03-09T23:48:00.023-05:00

Links: via DPReview, and AkihabaraNews, from the Pentax Press Release at Pentax Japan's Annoucement page.40 Megapixels, Medium FormatUnder $10,000 USISO 100-16004x3 Aspect RatioDust Reduction & Mirror Lock-UpWeather Resistant2 SD card slotsBackwards compatible with many Pentax 645 LensesNew Optional 55mm F2.8 645D Lens ($1,100 US)Price is roughly $9,500 US with availability to come by summer (possibly shipping in Japan by May)... I hope to find out more in the next few days along with everyone...

Apple Raw Support Updates for K-7 and K-x

2010-02-25T18:37:00.005-05:00

About time! Get the update 3.1 For Digital Camera Raw Compatibility here (sorry, Mac OS 10.5.8 and 10.6 only!). Not just for Aperture, it will make iPhoto and Preview App play nice with your PEFs. But oh man, Lightroom 3 can't come fast enough.

Imaging Resource Interviews Pentax USA President Ned Bunnell

2010-02-23T16:50:00.004-05:00

"If you take a look at some of our new offerings, whether it's the Kx in four different colors, or some of our new compacts such as i10 or H90, one of our beliefs is we can focus on the advanced amateur who really wants to explore and expand their photography, but they also want to have a fun time; photography should be fun. We also think that from a positioning standpoint, Pentax's history and knowledge of building small, well designed cameras bodes well for us. Products like the Kx and K7...

K-7 Limited Edition in Silver, Available March 1st, 2010

2010-02-23T08:32:00.009-05:00

It seems that like the Cliff Swallows returning to 6,000 miles Capistrano each year, Pentax loves to return to its metallic finishes. Pentax Japan is prepping 1,000 limited edition K-7's in Silver (press release here). It'll ship in March with the K-7 firmware 1.03 (just released last week), a special "golden ratio" focusing screen (uhm, this is awesome... and I do want that), a reinforced back panel LCD glass plate, a gold "SR" stamp on the front, and a more leather-like grip.

Pentax 645D Fever

2010-02-11T07:42:00.007-05:00

Pentax Japan has started running a teaser (pictured above, link here), and there appear to be some rumors and unofficial materials floating around about a KM-2 (12.4MP), some upcoming lenses (DA*10-16 f/4, DA*20 f/2, DA*28 f/2) and the 645D. Granted, Pentax is likely working feverishly to build up to an official announcement about any or all these items early this year, and nothing's solid yet until that time. But it's certainly buzzworthy. Looks like another great year ahead (yep, last year...

From World Pentax Day, Oct. 10, 2009

2009-10-10T13:32:00.005-04:00

"Brooklyn Heights Vintage Bike"K20D, DA 18-55mm II @ 28mm, f4, 1/80, ISO 400 Link: All Photos For World Pentax Day, Oct 10th, 2009

World Pentax Day and SyncSnap

2009-10-09T15:12:00.006-04:00

PentaxForums have organized another World Pentax Day for Saturday Oct. 10th. If you have a Pentax camera, get out there and take some pictures to share. Then within the next 2 weeks, submit your photos to the special online gallery at PentaxForums.com (with everyone else's photos taken on that same day) and bask in the communal glory (or your monitor's glow). Easy as pie! If 24 hrs is just too much time and you need stricter deadlines, next week is the official Pentax SyncSnap: October 17th at...

Pentax K-7 Designer's Notes: Takeharu Shin, Development Dept. User Interface Designer

2009-09-23T07:00:00.009-04:00

Here is the second of the "designer's notes" from Pentax's team that built the K-7. These notes come from Pentax Japan and are reproduced here as translated by Pentax (I've touched it up a bit where the translation was a little problematic). Using the K-m as inspiration for button locations, customizing the use of the OK button to quickly change ISO (in addition to the new ISO button), and making digital filters easier to combine were all a part of the strategy for the Pentax K-7. Mr. Takeharu...

Pentax K-7 Designer's Notes: Toshihiro Hamamura, Development Dept. Product Designer

2009-09-21T07:00:00.008-04:00

Here is the first of the "designer's notes" from Pentax's team that built the K-7. These notes come from Pentax Japan and are reproduced here as translated by Pentax. It's interesting that among the details they doted over was the return to a trapezoid style for the pentaprism housing, which is a nod to the rich history of Pentax's SLR cameras. Toshihiro HamamuraIn charge of K-7 product design Pentax Imaging System Division Design Group, Development Department The goal is a camera body that is...

Mixed Reaction to Japanese K-x Custom Colors Is Still Success

2009-09-18T19:42:00.016-04:00

Generally, people are impressed by Pentax bending the status quo by offering bold colors for the K-x. It's good buzz. Even though no one seems to agree on which option to choose, I think the consensus has been that it's been exciting to at least have the opportunity to choose a K-x in one of 100 color combinations available in Japan. Read the comments at Online Photographer to get a sense of the elite sarcasm brigade who are disappointed in the lack of zebra stripe options.I'll admit, I'd pay...

A First Look At The K-x in NYC

2009-09-17T00:02:00.019-04:00

Pentax's Special Launch in New York (For a quick introduction to the K-x, see my previous post "Red. White. Blue. Black. Take Your Pic With the New K-x.") About a month ago, I received a very nice "X Marks The Spot" invite to Pentax's Sept. 16th launch of a mystery camera at the International Center for Photography in NYC, a camera which was then under wraps but which I soon learned was the Pentax K-x. I have to admit, I'm a bit out of the loop this year while I concentrate on my full-time job...

Red. White. Blue. Black. Take your pic with the new Pentax K-x

2009-09-17T00:01:00.009-04:00

K-x Kit 1: $649.95 MSRP for the single lens kit (w. 18-55mm DA L "light" zoom lens) K-x Kit 2: $749.95 MSRP for the twin lens kit (w. 18-55mm and 50-200mm DA L "light" zoom lenses) K-x Kit 3: $849.95 MSRP for the premium twin lens kit (w. 18-55mm and 55-300mm DA L "light" zoom lenses) For fall 2009, Pentax has a new DSLR. The K-x is a new iteration of consumer-sized DSLR based on Pentax's acclaimed digital "k" series (going back to the digital *ist cameras, really), available in 4 different...

Drew Barrymore: Time Out NYC Cover

2009-09-06T15:13:00.005-04:00

This week's cover of Time Out New York / Issue 727 (Sep 3–9, 2009) features Drew Barrymore and a Pentax K1000 SE, as a part of Time Out's NYC in Pictures series for their Photo Issue. For her part in the series, Drew presents a small gallery of 10 photos of summer in the big apple (I understand she used a disposable camera, like the other celebrities involved, not the Pentax). Links: Time Out NYC article with Drew Barrymore

Pentax K-7 Firmware Update 1.01: Selective Point Fix

2009-07-28T23:40:00.003-04:00

Well, the cat's out of the bag! Pentax has released a fix for one of their newest cameras, the K-7 DSLR, within the same month of its US release. And as speculated, the first firmware update for the K-7 addresses the highly contentious default behaviour of the 4-way controller for some of those users frustrated by having to press the OK button to allow the controller to move the AF point.v1.01 Added a custom function to the K-7's Custom Function menu that affects the behavior of the 4-way...

K-7: Changing The 11 Focusing Area Point Positions

2009-07-07T15:43:00.013-04:00

There was some concern when the K-7 was first announced that quickly changing the autofocus point (11-points, 9 cross) would be a hassle because the new control pad on the back of the camera was tied to functions in the new menu system (flash, WB, etc.). As it was demonstrated to me, I saw no problem, and Pentax was good enough to show people in their demos around the country that there was nothing to be up in arms about. The solution was easy once you knew the formula. Now that the camera is...

Imaging-Resource's Comparometer™ And The Pentax K-7

2009-07-06T21:04:00.007-04:00

Although I wasn't bowled over by their K-7 Preview (which did appreciate the camera, mind you, just not in the most reasoned explanations), I'm more appreciative of these K-7 chart test results from Imaging-Resource.com and how they reveal the K-7's potential detail bonanza with a lens like the DA 70mm lens. Personally, I'm ignoring the poster test they do of the house (below left). I like the line tests and ISO tests best. What you'll see at their site is a set-up where you can compare the...

K-7 Now Arriving in the U.S. with Bounce Back Card

2009-07-03T15:15:00.006-04:00

Thanks to the astute people at Pentax Forums, Pentax USA president Ned Bunnell has been prompted confirmed that the Pentax K-7 is now in the U.S. and arriving at retailers to fulfill the first pre-orders. There's a little discount treat to be found inside, too. The "Bounce Back Card." Says Ned on his blog:"Since shipments to the US have begun, I thought this would be a good opportunity to point out that your K-7 package will come with a "valued PENTAX customer" thank you card. Similar to the...

Pentax K-7: Hands-On Preview

2009-05-20T11:30:00.031-04:00

Note: This is just one of the many introductory reviews you can read about the K-7, with others notably by Yvon Bourque, Mark Dimalanta, Dan Havlik, Mat Gallagher (with video), Jack Howard of Adorama, Mike Johnston, and the mighty DPReview. I'd like to thank Michelle and Chris of Pentax USA for going out of their way this spring to let us all get a good look at this exciting new camera, and I sincerely hope internet readers everywhere appreciate the variety of good writing they can find about...

Pentax K-7: The Best of the New Features and Facts

2009-05-20T10:01:00.000-04:00

My favorite line from the Pentax K-7 literature is this self-deprecating phrase: "Despite all these features, the K-7 is one of the most compact and functional photo enthusiast level models in the market." As if Einstein had to apologize for not having a giant, bulbous head. The following list is a nearly straight regurgitation from Pentax's literature regarding the K-7's features, but I divided it up into two sections, New/Greatly Improved and Inherited/Slightly Improved, and then I integrated...

Pentax K-7: The Complete Specs

2009-05-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

For posterity, let's remember that in April and May of 2009 these specifications were under considerable speculation and were at one point leaked amid controversy. But now, here they are, all quiet and docile, legitimately reproduced for your viewing pleasure. MODEL: K-7TYPE: Digital SLRPRODUCT CODE: Body Kit: 17811, UPC: 027075155145Retails July, 2009 for $1299.99 (US MSRP) IMAGE STABILIZATIONType: Sensor-shift Shake Reduction with rotational compensation (4 stops max)Electronic level...

On Waiting Until The 20th

2009-05-18T13:22:00.010-04:00

Over the last few weeks, websites (both with and without Pentax NDA agreements) have been speculating, dishing gossip, and spreading information about a certain upcoming camera model to be formally announced on May 20th. It's gone beyond little hints and teases for one site in particular, which has actually been begging for people to leak new information and do dirty work. This weekend, it exploded. Forums and now big sites have been eating up what may well be ill-gotten pictures and specs...