It appears that Pentax's US suggested retail prices on a number of genuine Pentax lenses might be going up again; the table below, based on yesterday's prices at authorized retailers and the new prices, contains the specifics.  Please note that we've rounded all prices for the sake of readability.

*$150 instant rebate when bundled with a DSLR through 7/31
**$200 instant rebate when bundled with a DSLR through 7/31

These new prices are now reflected on the Adorama, Amazon, and Abe's of Maine web sites. B&H has not upped their prices as of the time of this posting, so act fast if you'd like to get some savings in before it's too late!  To the best of our knowledge, this is not a temporary price increase.

For consistently-sane prices on Pentax lenses, we invite you to visit our Photographer's Marketplace!

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Pentax USA has just announced official price drops on the 645D (professional medium format), Q10 (compact ILC), and X-5 (bridge superzoom) cameras.

The following prices are now in effect:

• Pentax 645D: $6999.95 ($1800 reduction)
• Pentax Q10 02 kit: $499.95 ($100 reduction)
• Pentax X-5: $229.95 ($50 reduction)

We are very happy to see that Pentax is adapting its camera prices to remain attractive in an increasingly-competitive market, especially with the 645D.

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Pentax USA has just announced a number of instant rebates on various cameras and lenses.  We summarize these savings below:

Item Name	Savings	Terms	Buy	Info
Pentax K-5 II Body/Kits	$100		Buy Now	User Reviews | In-depth Review
Pentax K-30 Body/Kits	$100		Buy Now	User Reviews | In-depth Review
DA 35mm F2.4	$70	w/DSLR purchase	Buy Now	User Reviews | In-depth Review
DA 50mm F1.8	$130	w/DSLR purchase	Buy Now	User Reviews | In-depth Review
DA 10-17mm Fisheye	$200	w/DSLR purchase	Buy Now	User Reviews | In-depth Review
D FA 50mm Macro	$150	w/DSLR purchase	Buy Now	User Reviews | In-depth Review
DA 50-200mm WR	$50		Buy Now	User Reviews | In-depth Review
MX-1	$50		Buy Now	User Reviews | In-depth Review
WG-3 / WG-3 GPS	$50		Buy Now	User Reviews
Duration: May thru June, 2013

For the bundle rebates to take effect, you must buy all items at the same time.  All rebates are instant and are deducated at checkout.

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Pentax Europe announced today that there will be a special cash back rebate offer for select Pentax products from May 13th through August 3rd, 2013.  Save between 25 and 100 Euros on select Pentax cameras and kits, including the K-5 II, K-5 IIs, K-30, waterproof WG-3, MX-1, and Q10.  This offer is valid for customers located in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We believe that it may be extended to other countries later on.

The full details will be made available on this page on May 13th.  Products must be purchased between the dates indicated above, must be from authorized retailers, and original recepits must be kept.

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Pentax has just released a new v1.12 firmware update for the original Pentax Q.  This update fixes an issue with the "Tone Expansion" Smart Effect found in the camera.  As usual, it also includes the latest minor bugfixes.

We believe that this bug was introduced by firmware v1.11, which was taken down by Pentax shortly after being made available.  We recommend that everyone running v1.11 update to the latest firmware version, even if you don't plan on using Tone Expansion.

For those of you still running v1.10 or earlier, this new firmware update will improve your camera's autofocus, so we recommend installing it.

Click here to download firmware 1.12 for the Pentax Q, and read on for installation instructions.  Please note that this firmware will reset all your camera's settings once installed.

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Pentax Ricoh have just officially announced the new Ricoh GR, the latest in Ricoh's lineup of high-end compact digital cameras.  The new GR incorporates an APS-C sensor in a an elegant, pocketable body that is styled just like its GR-series predecessors.

Based on the official specifications and the accompanying product information, we feel that the GR is going to be a true "photographer's camera" for those who demand the best in image quality but can't always carry around a bulky DSLR.  The Ricoh GR is the world's smallest and lightest APS-C compact camera. Its small size will allow professionals and enthusiasts alike to carry it everywhere that they go!

If this alone isn't good enough, then we'll add that the GR is also going to be one of the cheapest APS-C compacts, available in the US for just $799. The camera is designed to embody four core values which are of key importance to Ricoh: compactness, superb image quality, fast performance, and being a joy to use.

At the heart of the GR is a 16.2-megapixel APS-C sensor that does not incorporate an anti-aliasing filter. Thus, some might describe the GR as a pocketable version of the Pentax K-5 IIs! Combined with a specially-designed 18.3mm F2.8 lens (28mm equivalent on film), it is inevitable that the GR will deliver stellar image quality no worse than that of the similarly-specced Nikon Coolpix A, which has already received very favorable reviews.  Pentax Ricoh states that the GR's lens was meticulously designed to maximize sharpness and minimize distortions and aberrations, and internal tests show that it is consistently better than the lens of the GRD IV, and that it can outperform a Pentax DSLR with the 18-55mm kit lens.  In addition, Pentax Ricoh claims that the GR's lens is superior to that of the Coolpix A in terms of MTF; we will of course perform tests to confirm these claims in practice.

If marketed properly, the GR could prove to be some serious competition for the Coolpix A, or any high-end compact, for that matter. This is thanks to the GR's low price ($300 less than the Nikon), and because the GR may turn out to be better in terms of general performance, handling, and autofocus speed, which has been exceptional in previous Ricoh cameras.

While you're probably more interested in the specifications of this camera, what especially caught our attention about the GR is the fact that it's the first camera to show clear evidence of collaboration between Pentax and Ricoh, now known as Pentax Ricoh Imaging.  A feature formerly unique to Pentax cameras has made it into the GR: TAv mode. This shooting mode allows you to set the desired shutter speed and aperture while the camera chooses the appropriate ISO.

Official Ricoh GR Specifications

Read on for more details and photos of the GR!

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Pentax Ricoh have just posted a teaser video about the a new compact fixed-lens APS-C camera called the Ricoh GR.  Based on the video, it seems that this camera incorporates many design elements found on previous Ricoh GR cameras, even though in terms of specifications, it closely mimics the recently-launched Nikon Coolpix A.

Here are the key specifications of the Ricoh GR:

• 16.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• No optical low-pass filter
• 4FPS continuous shooting
• 3-inch LCD with 1.23 million dots
• Fast AF response time (0.2s during normal shooting)
• High-performance GR Engine V image processor
• 18.3mm F2.8 GR lens
• 9 aperture blades
• Small body: 117 x 61 x 34.7mm (WxHxD)

Ricoh claims that the GR is going to be the world's smallest APS-C digital camera; specifications confirm that it is smaller than the Coolpix A (by a hair).  Its body design resembles that of the earlier Ricoh GRD IV.

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