Pentax showing at CP+: AF-360FGZ II Clip-on Flash and Mount Cap Lens for Q system - 1001 Noisy Cameras

Pentax showing at CP+: AF-360FGZ II Clip-on Flash and Mount Cap Lens for Q system - 1001 Noisy Cameras

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends,

New Pentax waterproofs: WG-3, WG-3 GPS (starting at f2) and WG-10 - 1001 Noisy Cameras

New Pentax waterproofs: WG-3, WG-3 GPS (starting at f2) and WG-10 - 1001 Noisy Cameras

Email: brqyvn@gmail.comHi Photographer friends,

Firmware Update Software Version 1.14 for K-5.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends,

Downloads : Firmware Update

Thank you for using a PENTAX K-5 digital camera.
PENTAX wishes to announce the release of Firmware Update Software Version 1.14 for K-5.
Firmware in this document is the software that runs inside digital cameras.

 

http://www.pentax.jp/english/support/digital/k-5_s.html

Prime Price Paradox of Fixed Lens Digital Cameras: Then vs Now - 1001 Noisy Cameras

Prime Price Paradox of Fixed Lens Digital Cameras: Then vs Now - 1001 Noisy Cameras

Email: brqyvn@gmail.comHi Photographer friends,

The new Pentax MX-1, Why I will get one for sure.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends,

Credits: The Pictures below were taken by http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/pentax-ricoh/1209242-pentax-mx-1-handson-review.html. I do not have access to the camera yet, but I was lucky enough to try it at the CES in Las Vegas. Clubsnap Forum, in South East Asia, has more about the camera with lots of pictures and comments. I urge you to check it out. They were lucky enough to get a pre-production model from Ricoh/Pentax.  All the images are from a  pre-production model and we all know that it's only going to be better as the firmware gets completed.

 

Take a look at the camera images and the actual pictures below. Following the images, I write about why I will get the MX-1 for myself. Some reasons are technical while some are personal choices.

 

The original 35mm Pentax MX, 1976 to 1985

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at the details.

 

100% crop

 

Extreme close up is possible with this camera.

 

Clear image in this selective focusing image.

 

That is pretty good bokeh for such a small sensor.

 

• I can't claim that the MX-1 will be better than my K-5, but I can't bring my K-5 with me everywhere I go. However, I can bring the MX-1 as it is about the size of the iPhone but thicker. As a backup or "with-me-all-the-time" camera, it's perfect. This is an excellent choice for "in-your-face" street photography.

 

 

• The image quality at 12 Mega Pixels (1/1.7" sensor) is pretty impressive. What's more, you can take pictures in RAW format (DNG - Adobe standard raw format) and post-process them later if you wish. I shoot RAW most of the time and I use Photoshop Lightroom to tweak the images further. I can always improve an image in post-processing.

 

• One could say that the camera is not practical without a viewfinder, and I usually would agree. That's the way I feel about the K-01, although I do like the K-01. The difference is that the viewing screen of the MX-1 can be tilted on the horizontal axis. That makes taking pictures much easier in bright sunlight. It reminds me of the earlier waist-level finders Medium Format  cameras. Your body will keep the sun reflection off of the screen. A hood can also be used.

 The MX-1 with the screen horizontally tilted with + the monitor hood below = Waist-Level Finder.

 

 

 

• I love the retro look, even taken to the extreme, with brass top and bottom plates. We used to judge a camera's usage by what was called "brassing" which occurred when the camera strap would rub on the paint for long enough to wear it out. You then could see the bare brass metal. Too much brassing and you knew that the camera had been used or abused for a long time.

• The lens used on the camera appears to be the same as used by  the Olympus XZ-2. It is  a 28-112mm equivalent with a  bright F1.8-2.5 aperture across the zoom range. In turn, this produces excellent bokeh for such a small sensor. On the other hand, because of the small sensor, it is possible to take extreme close-up with this camera. It will focus as close as .39" or 1 centimeter.

•  I like to take video every now and then. The K-5 might take good video footage, but the files are large and the software to convert the files to h.264 video / MPEG-4 is slowing my PC with the Intel I-5 and 16 gig of ram to a crawl. It's not much better with my iMac. What's more, the MX-1 records sound in stereo. I would have prefer also having the capability to use an external stereo mike, but it's not an option. If you don't use the AF or zoom during video taking, you will not hear the mechanism grind through the incorporated microphones. 

There you have it...my claim.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

P.S. I will be writing an e-book for the MX-1. I like it that much.

 

You can purchase an e-book for most of the Pentax Digital cameras here:  Yvon Bourque e-books

 

 

 

 

 

CES 2013...not really that exciting for photographers, but exciting for Pentax users.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends,

I was lucky enough to attend the CES 2013 in Las Vegas. I got there on the second day it was opened to the public and stayed through Friday. Although the media announced that this was the most successful CES ever, I wasn't all that impressed and here's why.

 

They had more people attending, but I did not see a lot of new innovations. The technology advancements were mostly around televisions and wireless sounds systems for the TV's, automobiles and computers as well.

 

New super resolution TV's were announced, and frankly, I was astonished by their high definition, that is now beyond anything I have ever seen.  The only problem...you can't really use them in your home until the infrastructure of cable networks and television stations is done.  Gaming was a good part of the CES this year and they are closer to reality than ever before.  That was about it, everything else seemed to be extensions of existing technologies.

 

I was there mostly for the digital photography equipment. Photography used to be mostly analog and was completely separated from electronic devices. Every year, the PMA (Photo  Marketing Association) was holding a similar convention as the CES. Since the cameras are almost all digital, the PMA has associated themselves with the CES. They had to because their attendance was consistently diminishing.

 

Now, they pretty much have been gobbled up by the CES event. The exposition floors of this year's convention occupied the equivalent of 37 football fields. That's not counting the private suites each major company had for wining and dining their guests and also meeting with potential buyers and retailers.

The photography industry was not as prestigious and was not represented by the usual number of vendors as it was when they had their own conventions, the PMA. Of course, the big camera makers were there. They included Canon, Nikon, Sony, plus various other manufacturers and related equipment vendors. Of course, RICOH PENTAX was well represented. I believe it was their biggest booth space yet. It was attractive and a lot of people were visiting. The  Pentax representatives were the friendliest folks there. I met with John Carlson and Amber Renard, (I believe John is Sr. Manager of Sales & Marketing and Amber is Public Relations and Trade Show Coordinator). Both were exceptionally courteous and I am very appreciative of the attention they gave me.

I briefly met and spoke with Jim Malcom, Executive Vice President of the new Ricoh / Pentax company in the U.S. His enthusiasm about Pentax's future led me to believe that Pentax will regain the prosperity it once had. He introduced me to most of the personnel on the floor, both from the U.S. and Canada.

What a great team. I actually felt like I was part of the team myself. Try to approach Canon or Nikon personnel...good luck!

All this positive interaction made me very confident that the acquisition of Pentax by Ricoh, is the best marriage we could ever have wished for. After all, Ricoh is already a player in the Digital Photography market, and Pentax adds to their ability to compete with the leaders of the industry. I believe that Pentax will be the third largest Digital Camera Manufacturer in the not-so-distant future.

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque

 

This is what you got for $18.97

 

Jim Malcom to the left and John Carlson to the right.

 

 

It's hard to see here but this HD TV was 84".

 

 

Early morning crowd visiting the Pentax Booth.

 

 

The MX-1 was introduced at the CES and I was surprised at how well it's built. I am actually going to write an e-book about it, after all not everyone wants to be a professional photographer. Some people just want to take good pictures and know how to operate their camera to it's capability. That's what my e-books do.

 

 

One of the main entrance was all about Pentax.

 

If you already own a Pentax DSLR, chances are that we have an e-book for it. Check it out here.

3 new lens maps from Pentax - K-mount, Q mount, 645.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends,

Pentax has just released the lens maps.

There are 3 maps, one for the K mount, onr for the Q mount and one for the 545.

 

Leaving for the CES / PMA convention in Las Vegas.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends,

We had a few problems at work with our computer setup. They always break when you are ready to go somewhere. Anyway, all is fine and we will be at the CES by noon tomorrow (Wednesday1/9/13).

I will do the best I can to report the action at Pentax and at all the other camera makers kiosk.

Check us out starting tomorrow night, Vegas time.

New Pentax NX-1 Retro Camera announced.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Photographer friends,

Classically Crafted, Contemporary Quality

With its genuine brass covers and advanced digital compact capabilities, the PENTAX MX-1 is where craft design meets contemporary quality.  The MX-1’s fast F1.8-2.5 lens, 4X zoom and large 12 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor allow for bright everyday imagery inside a stylish body. As its brass wears with time, feel the good old days come back to life in your images of today with the PENTAX MX-1.

 

DSLR-like features in a compact body

This compact camera includes DSLR-like features such as textured mode dials, an exposure adjustment dial, In-body RAW development capability, HDR shooting and Custom images modes.

Beautifully crafted, genuine brass covers

Beautiful design is made to resemble a classic film camera; with its genuine brass covers and metal accents for a refined finish.

Fast and bright, wide-aperture smc PENTAX lens at F1.8-2.5

Enjoy a fast and bright, wide-aperture smc PENTAX lens at F1.8-2.5 for outstanding depth of field control and beautiful bokeh.

1/1.7’ Backlit 12 megapixel CMOS sensor

This high-end compact is equipped with a 1/1.7 inch, 12 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor for exceptional performance.

• 4X optical zoom ideal for everyday use

  This 4X optical zoom features a versatile range for shooting at 28-112mm in the 35mm format, making it ideal for everyday use. The four-element aspherical lens corrects for various optical aberrations, ensuring sharp images free of ghosting and flaring throughout the entire range.

• PENTAX body-based Sensor-shift & Pixel Track Shake Reduction (SR) stabilization

  Dual PENTAX body-based Sensor-shift & Pixel Track Shake Reduction (SR) stabilization system effectively compensates for camera shake and ensures sharp, blur-free images and video, even in the most shake-prone and low lighting conditions.

• ISO up to 12800

  Shoot in any lighting condition with excellent high sensitivity performance throughout a wide dynamic range, with a maximum sensitivity of ISO 12800.

• Fast Face Detection

  Create the perfect group shot or a gorgeous portrait with Fast Face Detection technology, as it quickly finds up to 32 subjects in any scene for impeccably focused and exposed faces. This technology also includes Smile Capture and Blink Detection functions, as well as exposure modes specifically designed for portrait photography and even Pet photography.     

• Large 3-inch 920K pixel tilt LCD screen

  The large, high-resolution 3-inch 920K pixel LCD screen can be tilted up or down for easy viewing and shooting from difficult angles. Menus are straightforward and user-friendly, and make use of a Dual-axis electronic level gauge for horizontal and vertical shooting.

• 1080p h.264 HD video

  Capture full 1920 X 1080p resolution HD video with efficient, high quality h.264 compression at 30 frames per second. Also, make use of an HDMI port to allow smooth and functional output of high definition images, video and sound to HDTVs. Enjoy creative movie playback features, such as High-speed Movie mode for slow-motion playback and Time-lapse Movie mode for fast-forward playback.

• 1cm macro mode

  Photograph tiny details in life-size with a 1cm macro mode, allowing you to focus on the smallest of subjects from as close as 1cm from the front of the camera lens. This is the perfect feature for taking beautiful shots of plants and insects.