Pentax K-3 Announced (April Fools 2012)

Full-frame, backwards-compatible K-mount DSLR

By PF Staff in Site News on Apr 1, 2012

Update as of 10/2013: the Pentax K-3 has been announced for real- click here for details

It has been over a year and a half since we've seen a new DSLR from Pentax- the K-5 and K-r both came out in the fall of 2010, and the K-r ended up being discontinued in late 2011, prior to the announcement of its successor.

While we all expected the next DSLR announcement from Pentax to be about the K-z (the K-r's successor), today Pentax Japan surprised us all by giving us an early look the Pentax K-3, a new full-frame addition to their DSLR lineup.  Together with this camera, which will likely not start shipping until this fall, Pentax will also be re-releasing many of their FA-series full-frame lenses as D-FA lenses.

The key specifications of the Pentax K-3 are outlined below:

• Sensor: 24.0 Megapixel CMOS (36x24mm)
• ISO Range: 100-25,600 (50-102,400 expanded)
• Autofocus: 29-point SAFOX X w/light wavelength sensor
• Shutter: stepless, 30s-1/8000s rated for 200,000 actuations
• Framerate: 6FPS at maximum resolution
• Video: 1080p/720p recording at 60/30/25/24 FPS, VGA recording at 120/30FPS
• Image processor: Dual PRIME M
• Media: Single SDXC/SDHC/SD card
• Body Color: Graphite black

Note that these are tentative and based on initial reports; the official specifications have not yet been publicly published by Pentax.

The K-3 uses the same "crippled" KAF2 mount that's found on other Pentax DSLRs, meaning it's fully backwards-compatible with manual lenses, but needs to stop-down meter when one is mounted.  Whenever DA (APS-C format) lenses are mounted, the camera will automatically switch to a 12-megapixel cropped sensor mode which only utilizes the APS-C image circle.

Professional photographers using the K-3 will be eligible for the PENTAX Professional Services program (PPS).

Samsung and Schneider-Kreuznach Lenses

Now in our Pentax lens database

By PF Staff in Site News on Oct 24, 2012

Did you know that many modern Pentax lenses have been sold under the Samsung brand? We have now eneterd all Samsung and Schneider-Kreuznach K-mount lenses in our Third-party Pentax Lens Database. This database is not only for technical specifications, it is also is open for member lens reviews.

Samsung had a brief stint marketing K-mount DSLR cameras based on Pentax models. The last one was the GX-20 introduced in 2008, and shown in the illustration above. It was based on the Pentax K20D, which, as a part of this cooperation, had a Samsung-manufactured sensor.

Back to the lenses marketed by Samsung: they ended up having a total of eight rebadged Pentax lenses for their Pentax clone DSLRs. Initially the lenses were branded as Schneider-Kreuznach lenses under an agreement with that German lens manufacturer. These lenses would have the Schneider-Kreuznach name engraved around the front lens or at the lens barrel and be called D-Xenon (DA clone) or D-Xenogon (D FA/FA clone). The accessories (lens hood and lens cases), however, all had the Samsung name, and the Pentax-DA lens derivatives would also sport the Samsung name on the name plate on the left side near the lens mount. Somewhat of a branding mess.

Over time the Schneider-Kreuznach name got replaced with Samsung, and in some cases the D-Xenon/D-Xenogon label vanished, too, and was replaced with Samsung.

It has not been possible these many years later to find out with certainty which lenses were introduced initially under the Schneider-Kreuznach name and if they all made the transition to the Samsung name. We are also short on photos of the lenses; if you own any of these please forward photos to one of the administrators for inclusion in the database. Of particular interest are photos that show the engraved name on the front and near the lens mount.

Here is what we've learned after doing a little bit of research:

New Pentax Mobile Site

Easy access to PentaxForums.com from your mobile device

By PF Staff in Site News on Apr 22, 2014

Today, we're happy to unveil a overhauled version of our mobile site with a host of improvements to make it even easier to browse while on the go.  Even though we've featured a mobile site since 2011, we feel that it hasn't been robust enough for comfortable mobile browsing until now.

The new mobile site lets you browse not only the forum, but also our homepage news and in-depth reviews.  On the forum you'll now be able enjoy larger images and easier access to new content and private messaging. 

Our mobile skin currently supports all web-enabled smartphones and tablets, such as the iPhone,  Blackberry, Windows Phone, Samsung Galaxy, and other Andriod devices.  iPads have large screens and will therefore always be shown our full site.

Activation

To activate our mobile site, simply visit the homepage (pentaxforums.com) or the forum (pentaxforums.com/forums/) from your mobile web browser.  The mobile site should load automatically.  However, if you're shown the full version of our site, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "Enable Mobile" or "Mobile Skin" links, as shown in screenshot 1 and screenshot 2.

Deactivation

If feel your phone or tablet has a big enough screen to use our full site, you can always switch back using the "full site" link at the bottom of each mobile page, as shown in this screnshot.

Old vs. New

As you can see, the touch-friendliness, design, and readability of the new mobile skin have been drastically improved.  The new skin will also stretch both next and images to match the width of your screen, so photos become larger on larger screens.

New Mobile Homepage:

Old Mobile Homepage:

Walkthrough

Next, we will take a closer look at some of the features of the new mobile site.

Looking back at Pentax and PF in 2013

The year 2013 in review

By PF Staff in Site News on Jan 7, 2014

Before we get too far into 2014, we wanted to take a look at the highlights of last year in the Pentax world and on Pentax Forums.  There is no question that 2013 was a very exciting year for Pentax users, as lots of exciting cameras and lenses were announced.  The new Ricoh Imaging leadership seems to have brought many positive changes and we can't wait to see what the new year might have in store for us.  But in the mean time, here are the highlights of 2013!

Noteworthy Products from 2013

A total of 11 lenses (2 Q-mount and 9 K-mount) and 11 cameras (7 compacts and 4 ILC's) were launched by Ricoh Imaging in 2013.  7 of the 9 new K-mount lenses featured the new Pentax HD coating, even though all but one of these lenses were simply new versions of existing lenses like the SMC Limited primes.  For a full list of new products, visit our camera and lens databases.

Pentax K-3

The Pentax K-3 was the much-awaited successor to the K-5 family of cameras, which dates all the way back to 2010.  Since its launch in October, the K-3 has received positive reviews all accross the net, and it has been praised as one of the best APS-C cameras of 2013.  To learn more, check out our Pentax K-3 review.

Pentax K-50 & K-500

The K-500 represents the return of Pentax to the entry-level DSLR market.  This camera is nearly identical to the Pentax K-50, which was also released this year as a successor to the weather-sealed K-30.  The K-50 and K-500 have a more traditional external appearance than the K-30, even though all three cameras share the same control layout. Learn more about the K-50 and K-500 in our in-depth reviews.

Pentax Q7

Pentax took us by surprise when it announced the Q7 back in June.  This extremely compact camera was fitted with a 1/1.7" sensor, a noteworthy upgrade over the 1/2.3" sensor found in the earlier Q10 and Q bodies.  Check our our in-depth review to see why we liked this camera so much more than its predecessors.

Ricoh GR

Last but not least, we have the Ricoh GR, a truly-pocketable "pro" compact camera fitted with the same filterless APS-C sensor as the K-5 IIs.  Like the K-3, the GR sparked a lot of buzz when it was released, and it continues to impress enthusiasts photographers who use it. The performance that this small and light camera delivers was never before seen in a compact camera, and we're sure you'll agree after reading our review.

The Year 2014 from a Pentax User's Perspective

Looking back at the highlights of 2014

By PF Staff in Site News on Jan 1, 2015

Happy New Year, everyone!  Before we get too far into 2015, we wanted to take a look at the highlights of 2014 from the perspective of a Pentax user.  We will be looking not only at Pentax products and the state of Ricoh Imaging, but also news and developments right here on PentaxForums.com.

It all went by so quickly, but 2014 was actually quite an eventful year for the Pentax community.  Despite a continuing decline in global camera sales for the photo industry as a whole, the current outlook for Ricoh Imaging and Pentax products remains positive.  As we learned at Photokina 2014, not only is Ricoh Imaging profitable, but Pentax products are gaining market share relative to the competition.

3,000,000 Posts on the Forum!

First and foremost, we would like to thank all of our members for helping make our community what is is today: we couldn't have made it without your support of our site or your passion for Pentax products.  In early December, our Pentax Forum surpassed the 3 million post mark.  Pentaxians around the world should be proud that they have a discussion site that rivals those of much bigger brands.

To celebrate this milestone, we gave away an FA 31mm Limited lens.  It happened to be won by RonHendriks1966, and we're sure you will soon hear about his experience with the lens on the forum.

Pentax / Ricoh Imaging Developments

While there was only one 2014 Pentax product announcement that we would consider groundbreaking (the Pentax 645Z), the Pentax/Ricoh camera system is now more compelling than ever.  As the company continues to fill gaps in its three key lineups (K-mount, medium format, and compact mirrorless), many products are also becoming more easily accessible outside of Japan.  In addition, 2014 brought many more Pentax sales and promotions than prior years, something that we believe has slowly started to spoil us Pentax users.  Furthermore, these promotions weren't just limited to the US: Australian, Canadian, and European members were also able to take advantage of great holiday deals in their respective regions.  After a brief time-out in 2012 and 2013, the "great value for your money" aspect of the Pentax brand has undoubtedly returned.  There is more to a company than just the products it offers, and we are happy to see that Ricoh Imaging is working on improving its infrastructure, product distribution, and marketing.

Some may see 2014 as more a technological stop-gap year for Ricoh Imaging, since little innovation was in fact presented at this year's trade shows.  Yes, we did get the 645Z, but most of its hardware actually came from the Pentax K-3, originally released in October, 2013.  The two other interchangeable lens cameras launched this year— the K-S1 and Q-S1— placed an emphasis on cosmetics over technology and are very similar to last year's K-50 and Q7 on a hardware level.  Similarly, the majority of Pentax and Ricoh compact cameras are either re-badged versions of older models, minor improvements, or re-badged versions of compacts marketed under a different brand.

With this in mind, we predict that the company will surprise us in 2015 with some exciting new technology.

Noteworthy Products from 2014

Ricoh Imaging launched a total of 3 new lenses (2 K-mount and 1 645-mount) and 10 new cameras (7 compacts and 3 ILC's) in 2014. 

Cameras: 645Z, K-S1, Q-S1, WG-4, WG-20, WG-30, WG-30w, XG-1, Theta Mark 1.5, G800, WG-M1
Lenses: HD DA 1.4x Teleconverter, DA-645 28-45mm, DA 16-85mm

Third party K-mount lens releases were few and far between, but Sigma did manage to release Pentax versions of 3 interesting products: the 18-35mm F1.8, 30mm F1.4, and USB dock.

Next we will take a look at the most exciting of these products.  For more details on the rest, visit our camera and lens databases.

Pentax 645Z

We can sum up the 645Z in just one word: "Wow"!  This camera is likely the biggest home run that Pentax has ever hit.

The 645Z is a 51-megapixel behemoth designed for professional studio and landscape photographers.  While its sensor and image quality are impressive, what really makes this camera unique is the fact that it works and feels like a normal DSLR.  It's so user-friendly that the is virtually no learning curve for users stepping up from smaller DSLR formats.  It also has a handy tilting LCD screen and it's weather sealed; this combination is a first for Pentax.

On top of that, with its $8499 price tag, the 645Z is considerably cheaper than other medium format systems.  Yet it still manages to outshine the competition in key areas, which seals the deal in our books.

Learn more in our in-depth Pentax 645Z review.

Pentax K-S1

The Pentax K-S1 is a bold experiment: this colorful camera is marketed both as a fashion accessory and a premium product.  While certainly a better concept than the Pentax K-01, we have our reservations about this camera for the simple reason that hardly any of our members (or anyone, for that matter) own one.

You can still expect this camera to take great pictures, and its new 20.2-megapixel sensor is commendable, but at the end of the day it really brings nothing new to the table compared to the cheaper, weather-sealed K-50.  It's a good thing that its retail price has managed to drop by some 30% since being introduced a few months ago.

Learn more in our Pentax K-S1 first impressions.  An in-depth review is coming soon.

Pentax Q-S1

The Pentax Q-S1 plays a similar role as the K-S1, but as a smaller camera available in even more colors, it's bound to do better— at least in the Japanese market, where it belongs.  Except for its appearance, this camera is virtually identical to last year's Q7.

Learn more in our in-depth review of the Q-S1.

DA 1.4x Teleconverter

The HD Pentax-DA 1.4x AW AF Rear Converter is a long-overdue accessory that allows Pentax users to get additional reach from telephoto lenses without sacrificing AF or AE functionality.  In our review we found this teleconverter to blow cheaper alternatives out of the water, and thus it deserves to be recognized.

O-FC1 FluCard

The Pentax O-FC1 FluCard is an SD memory card with bonus functionality: it enables wireless tethering (remote control, live view, and file download) on the Pentax K-3, 645Z, K-S1, and future models.

While the wireless range and performance of this card are both lacking, we feel that it's still a noteworthy addition because it represents the start of WiFi-enabled Pentax cameras.  The recently-launched Ricoh WG-30w compact natively features the functionality offered by the FluCard, so we feel that it is only a matter of time before future Pentax DSLRs can be controlled wirelessly without the need for an accessory.

Learn more in the FluCard review and walkthrough.