CP+ 2015

Pentax 645Z Cut in Half

Photos of the camera's internals

By PF Staff in CP+ 2015 on Feb 17, 2015

It is becoming increasingly-common to see cameras and lenses cut in half at trade shows. Pentax has always been a fan of this practice, and now it looks like Ricoh Imaging is carrying on the tradition. The Pentax 645Z (with a D FA 55mm lens) was among the products that were split in two at CP+ 2015. Click on either photo for a better view:

645Z Left Side - Click to Enlarge

645Z Right Side - Click to Enlarge

These cross-sections confirm that there's a considerable amount of empty space inside the camera, a suspicion that we had earlier. Notice how the gaps are behind the sensor itself, so their removal would not affect the registration distance. The extra space is present because the 645Z uses a film-era body design that was meant to accommodate a bulky film holder.

Compare this to the cramped internals of the Pentax K-30 shown at Photokina 2012:

K-30 Cross-Section: Click to Enlarge

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In Pictures: DA 18-50mm Retractable Kit Lens

By PF Staff in CP+ 2015 on Feb 14, 2015

The new collapsible HD Pentax-DA / SMC Pentax-DA L 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC WR RE lenses made an appearance at CP+ 2015 alongside the Pentax K-S2. Thanks to the various displays we've gained new insight into how this kit lens could be made so tiny!

As you can see in the photo of the lens cut in half, when collapsed, there are hardly any gaps inside the lens. Yet there stll manages to be room for an AF motor, electronics, and weather sealing! Part of the secret is that the lens pushes the rear optical elements closer to the lens mount when collapsed.

The result is an ultra-portable 158g lens that retracts to a minuscule size when not in use. The collapsed length is only 4cm. When extended— even at 18mm— the new lens is actually longer than the standard 18-55mm WR by a hair. It also sacrifices half a stop of light at 18mm and has 10% less reach. Regardless, a compact lens like this feels like a very fitting addition to the Pentax K-mount lens lineup, and we are excited to see that silent focusing will start becoming the norm in Pentax camera kits.

A cheaper SMC variant of this new lens will be available in Pentax K-S2 camera kits, while the more expensive HD version is available for pre-order as a standalone lens. There are a few differences between the two versions apart from the coating: the cheaper variant does not include a lens hood and carries different branding. Both have plastic mounts, weather-sealing, rounded aperture blades, quick-shift manual focus, and silent autofocus.

We plan on comparing this lens to the traditional 18-55mm kit lens once it starts shipping.

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2015 Pentax Interview Transcript

By PF Staff in CP+ 2015 on Feb 15, 2015

Today we are happy to present the transcript of our video interview with Ricoh Imaging representatives at CP+ 2015. Below you will also find additional informal questions and details not found in the video.

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2015 Pentax Lens Roadmaps

3 new full-frame lenses and 4 other lenses on the horizon

By PF Staff in CP+ 2015 on Feb 14, 2015

Three D FA full-frame zoom lenses have appeared on the latest incarnation of the Pentax K-mount lens roadmap. The lenses appear to have focal lengths as follows:

24-70mm
28-105mm
16-30mm

If history repeats itself, the "large diameter" lenses will both sport F2.8 maximum apertures.

A DA wide-angle zoom with a focal length of roughly 12-28mm has also been carried over from the previous road map.

Note that the published roadmaps do not necessarily include all lenses planned to be released in the near future. For example, the recently-announced HD Pentax-DA 18-50mm was never roadmapped. The indicated lens designations and focal lengths are also subject to change.

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CP+ 2015 Ricoh Imaging Booth Photo Tour

By PF Staff in CP+ 2015 on Feb 18, 2015

We will be concluding our coverage of the CP+ 2015 show with a photo tour the Ricoh Imaging booth. The booth itself was very similar in size and layout to that of previous shows, but the new products on display certainly attracted a bigger crowd than last year. The attitude of Ricoh Imaging representatives at the show continued to be highly positive, similar to what we observed during Photokina— fantastic news for Pentax fans.

If you haven't already, see our other blog posts from CP+ 2015 by following the links below: