Nikon has just launched the new D7100 DSLR which is replacing the D300s as their flagship APS-C body, and of course is succeeding the the current D7000.

Key specifications:

• 24.1 megapixel APS-C sensor
• ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 25,600)
• 51-point autofocus with 15 cross-type points
• 6FPS burst mode with up to 100 frames
• Full-HD video at up to 60FPS
• Dual SD card slots
• 3.2" LCD with 1,229,000 dots
• 100% viewfinder with OLED data readout
• In-camera HDR and wireless connectivity support
• Fully weather-sealed
• MSRP: $1199 (body-only)

This surprisingly-low price may say something about way in which the APS-C camera industry is headed.  With the Pentax K-5 available for just $739 and the Nikon D7000 for $899, and current high-end APS-C cameras selling in the low $1000's, the advanced APS-C DSLR may well be fully replaced by cameras employing 24x36mm full-frame sensors in the near future, with mirrorless offerings gaining an increasing presence among enthusiasts uninterested in shooting in a larger format.  Just over two years ago, the Pentax K-5 launched at a MSRP of $1749, and the Canon 7D was $1899, which is much much higher than anyone would be willing to pay today for such a camera.

While Nikon announcements are normally outside of our homepage coverage, we are sharing this news because we feel it's a fairly good prediction of what Pentax's upcoming APS-C flagship may bring to the table.  Recent rumors suggest that Pentax will be launching a 24-megapixel DSLR called the K-3 later this year to replace the K-5.  Given the success of the 24-megapixel sensor found in the Nikon D5200, and now the introduction of the 24-megapixel D7100, it's possible that Pentax will follow suit and employ the same sensor in their new DSLR.  As many of you know, the Pentax K-5 uses the same sensor as the D7000 but still managed to squeeze a little bit more out of it once the image test results came in, thanks to better in-camera signal processing!

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Adobe has just announced its latest series of photo processing and graphics programs: Creative Suite 6, which includes upgrades to all major products previously found in the CS5 collection. In addition, today only, you can save 50% on the latest Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Premiere Elements 10: get one for $49.95, or both for $69.95!

Adobe CS6 will differ from previous releases in that Adobe will be offering the suite as a cloud-based subscription service, which will give you access to the entire suite for a fixed monthly fee (starting at $50).  You will also be able to upgrade from previous versions, and purchase individual desktop applications as before.

Continue reading to learn more about the suite!

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PentaxForums.com has recently partnered up with Topaz Labs, maker of some of the most popular Photoshop & Lightroom photo editing plugins, to bring you an exclusive 15% discount on all Topaz products!

In order to get the discount, it is enough to apply a coupon code at check out:

1. Navigate to the Topaz store
2. Select the plug-ins you are interested in
3. Check out with this coupon code (be sure to log in)

Whenever you get a new Topaz plugin, you may also be eligible for a free premium account on PentaxForums.com- see the details here.  Topaz plugins are affordable: the prices range from  $30-$80 per plugin, and the bundle containing all 11 of their plug-ins is only $299.

We hope to see you take advantage of these exclusive savings!  Note that from time to time, Topaz also posts even higher discounts on some of their products, so stay tuned to our homepage for the latest deals.

Read on for more information about what Topaz Labs develops.

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CP⁺ is an international "comprehensive camera and photo imaging show" organized by CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association). CP+ opens today, February 9 and closes on February 12. The show is held in Pacifico Yokohama exhibition hall in, you guessed it, Yokohama, Japan.

This trade show is targeting both business users and consumers, and presents the latest products and technologies to help further develop the photo industry and photographic culture. This trade show provides the joy of "shooting", "viewing" and "linking" pictures in versatile formats from Yokohama, a city of photography, and propagates photographic and imaging culture from Japan to the world.

We are particularly excited about this year's show as a result of Pentax's aggressive marketing strategy and recent announcements of over 10 new products!

PentaxForums will have a representative present at the show and we will provide coverage of the Pentax booth here on our site on Saturday (Japanese time; Friday evening EST). We have also scheduled a meeting with Pentax and we expect to conduct an interview and present the immense following that Pentax Full Frame has gained over the past two months.

In the mean time, sit back, relax, and enjoy the hands-on coverage that's surfacing around the web.  Initial reactions to the K-01 are quite positive, and several hands-on videos of the camera have been posted on sites such as Engadget, among others!

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Topaz Labs have announced a new Photoshop plug-in, Topaz Star Effects (TM). Like the other Topaz plug-ins, Star Effect is a real time saver over creating tsuch effects directly in Photoshop or your favorite image editing program. Topaz Star Effects automatically locates the light sources in your image and creates a star effect.

The plug-in will also work with iPhoto, Aperture and Lightroom using Fusion Express.

A free trial is available, or you can jump right in and for a limited time purchase the plug-in for just $19.99.

Refer the Topaz Labs web site for details.

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Our friends at Topaz Labs, makers of several handy Photoshop post-processing plugins, have announced a year-end 30% off sale of their plugin bundle as well as all upgrades to the bundle (if you currently own a single product).

The coupon code, YearEndSavings, can be applied during checkout at the Topaz Store.

For more information on how Topaz plugins work, see our Topaz Adjust in-depth review!

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Topaz Labs, developer of several Photoshop photo editing plugins that are very popular among our members, has just realease a new version of Topaz Adjust: Topaz Adjust 5.  This is an image touch-up and color enhancement plug-in which will help you pop the colors and make things clearler in your photos.

Below is an example of what the plugin is capable of:

As a special introductory offer, the coupon code at the above URL can be used for 30% off the Adjust plugin, or even the whole Topaz 9-plugin bundle (which includes the famous Topaz DeNoise).

To learn more about this plugin, visit the Topaz web site!

A full in-depth review and walkthrough of the entire Topaz bundle will be posted on PentaxForums early next year!

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In the absence of any recent news from Pentax, we turn to a breakthrough from Canon: the announcement of the EOS-1D X "Advanced". The 1D X is Canon's new flagship which not only introduces several improvements over the 1D Mark IV, but also sets several industry-firsts.

The general specifications are as follows:

• New 18.1 megapixel sensor
• Full-frame sensor
• 12FPS shutter rated for 400,000 actuations
• 14FPS JPEG-only capture
• New 61-point autofocus system
• Dual Digic 5 image processors
• MSRP: $6800
• ISO 50-204,800
• Availability: March, 2012

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