Pentax K20D Titanium Limited Edition launched

Posted by admin | Posted in Pentax DSLR, Pentax body, Pentax news | Posted on 28-03-2009-05-2008

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Pentax K20D Titanium

Pentax has announced the new K20D limited edition Titanium Colour Premium kit in Japan.

Similarly to the Pentax K-m Olive limited edition, there will only be 1,000 of the specially coloured kits made, with availability slated for October this year.

The kit will be made up of Pentax’s flagship 14.6 megapixel K20D DSLR camera and a D-BG2 vertical grip, both in titanium colour.

Pricing is still yet to be confirmed,
Pricing is to be confirmed, and it is unclear whether this limited-edition kit will be sold anywhere outside Japan.

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Limited Edition Pentax K-m Olive Camouflage

Posted by admin | Posted in Pentax DSLR, Pentax news | Posted on 25-03-2009-05-2008

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If you’re in the army and need a camo ready DLSR, what about the new olive coloured limited Pentax K-m?

Just 1000 up for grabs… in Japan

Announced for an end of April release in Japan with a price from 70,000 yen (including a 18-55mm olive lens), the Pentax K-m (K2000 in US) is the same K-m in released in Japan in October 2009 and still has a 10.2Mpix sensor.

Olive green must be the hip colour of 2009, as Leica have also released an olive version of their M8.2 digital rangefinder camera, dubbed the Leica M8.2 Safari Edition.

Camo Ready Limited Edition Pentax K-m

I wonder if you can buy the olive kit lens separately. It looks quite funky.

Do you think it will apeal to nature photograhpers? We had a white edition already, so I wonder what comes next. Orange K-m for those who like to stand out?

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Wide Angle Lens Converter 52mm

Posted by admin | Posted in Pentax accessories, Pentax lenses, Reviews | Posted on 23-03-2009-05-2008

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Looking for a wide angle lens for your Pentax or Nikon DSLR?

A perfect way to transform your kit lens into wide angle lens for a quarter of the price is to get the 0.7x wide angle converter. It has 5 star reviews on Amazon UK, and for £70 it’s a real bargain. Those who bought it feel really satisfied with it claiming that the quality of photos is surprisingly high. 5 Stars

Digital King DSW Pro 0.7x Wide Angle Lens Nikon/Pentax 52mm

Please, read what the buyers thought:

I have always needed a slightly wider angle than my Pentax K10d’s 18-55mm lens was able to provide, but I was not willing to pay for a Pentax wide angle lens, which costs as much as the camera itself. So when I saw this adaptor, I went for it, and I’m pleased I did; it works very well. There is no vignetting at the corners at the widest angle, which is often a problem with such adaptors, and there is no discernible reduction in photo quality. Of course you do get ‘tombstoning’ when you take photos of buildings with the camera tilted up at an angle, but this is a normal feature of most wide-angle lens. The adaptor lens is 80mm in diameter and 15mm in thickness, as such it is larger than the barrel of the 18-55 lens, but it does not look ridiculous when attached. The adaptor lens comes with its own pouch, proper front lens cap and a rear push-on cap. Perhaps the only ‘con’ of this adaptor is that it’s attached to the camera via the 52mm filter thread and care needs to be taken when attaching it. If you intend to be constantly removing and re-attaching this lens, it could get a bit tiresome; this lens adaptor cannot really be described as ‘quickly detachable’. I myself intend to leave it on most of the time. One ‘pro’ of this adaptor-lens is that it doesn’t take up a lot of room. It will easily fit in a coat pocket or camera bag. I would not hesitate to recommend this adaptor-lens to the photographer on a budget who needs a wider angle photo, but doesn’t want to pay out hundred’s for a wide angle zoom lens.

Or another one:

Like a lot of keen using a DSLR with standard 18-55 mm (kit) lens I began to look at other (in this case wide angle) lenses and was immediately confronted with the high cost of wide angle zooms. Again like many people I was a little taken aback at the cost of the Sigma 10-20 zoom at over £300 even on Amazon.

After a lot of research on the web I came across the Digital King wide angle lens – .7X which is made in Japan and is designed specifically to work with a 18-55 kit lens. It just screws on the front like a filter.

Took the plunge and bought it through Amazon UK although it was supplied by RK Photographic. It arrived 2 days later inside a nifty pouch with draw string and protected by front and back good quality lens caps. Total cost less than £70.00 p&p free. Free 5 year guarantee.

I have to say when I took it out of the box it looked beautiful. Obviously larger in depth and diameter but still light to use. On maximum wide angle of the kit lens (18mm) it becomes a 12.6 approx wide
angle lens. The quality of image using my Nikon D40 is simply superb and I’m sure would easily meet the standards for keen amateurs. It gives a pleasing natural wide angle “distortion” when used closely to objects although less than a fish-eye would but it is still quite dramatic.

It was interesting because when I looked more closely at reviews of this lens in other web forums I was struck by how the most vehemently against this type of lens clearly had not even used one let alone owned one. This is what convinced me to buy the Digital King lens. No-one who owned one had criticized it. It seems to be a result of a certain sort of snobbery: you will only get quality by paying through the nose for it. This in my experience with this lens is complete nonsense.

Instead of paying £310 I paid less than £70.00 for a very useful wide angle – I admit that it doesn’t have the flexibility of a wide angle zoom but with a saving of £240 I’m willing to put up with that and maybe buy that Blu-ray player from Sony that I keep hankering after?

And one more:

After using two slr’s (a Canon film slr and an Olympus dslr) that employed dedicated multi-element wide-angle and telephoto converters and having been pleased with the results, I thought this converter worth trying. Happily my initial experience actually confirms all of its maker’s claims. This attachment has a single glass element specially designed to match a 18-55mm dslr kit lens at its widest setting. My converter is 52mm dia.(for a Pentax K100d) but I believe a 58mm dia. version is also available.

The performance on my camera is excellent. Perhaps not only due to careful design and manufacture but as experience suggests, the less glass added to the front of a good camera lens the better. Being lightweight and compact the convertor slips conveniently into the front pocket of my zoomster camera bag; accessories are no use unless to hand. Other plus points; there’s nothing to go wrong, all camera functions are retained. Also the chance of dust entering the camera is eliminated by using a supplementary lens rather than changing lenses.

Reasonable care is needed screwing it to the host filter ring but my converter spins on and off freely with its milled edge, black crackle barrel providing a secure finger grip. The lens appears to be coated to minimise reflections (its housing is marked MC) and the metal barrel although shallow seems to offer some shading. Toda-Seiko Ltd (Japan) have been making conversion lenses for around 20 years and for all kinds of optical equipment, something I found reassuring.

Not everyone can justify or afford an expensive prime or zoom wide-angle lens but they can enjoy the added fun and interest of creating more dynamic photos. with this converter. My example cost somewhat less than the current widely advertised UK price so do shop around.

Give yourself a bit a luxury for a tiny price. If you always thought about getting a wide angle lens but could not afford, now you can! Click the link below now:

Digital King DSW Pro 0.7x Wide Angle Lens Nikon/Pentax 52mm

Enjoy!!!

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Pentax announces 15mm DA lens

Posted by admin | Posted in Pentax lenses, Pentax news, Reviews | Posted on 14-03-2009-05-2008

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PMA 2009: Pentax has announced the availability of the DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited ultra wide-angle lens. Incorporating most of the DA* series lens features, it offers a 23mm (35mm equiv.) angle of view and includes a Hybrid Aspherical lens and an Extra-Low-Dispersion glass optical element to minimize distortion and chromatic aberration. With a light aluminium body and a compact design, this lens will start shipping in April 2009 for $649.95 USD.

Press Release:

PENTAX announces a new ultra-wide angle lens, the smc PENTAX-DA15mm F4ED AL Limited

PENTAX U.K. is pleased to announce the launch of the smc PENTAX-DA15mm F4 ED AL Limited, designed for exclusive use with Pentax digital SLR cameras.  This is the newest lens to join the acclaimed Pentax Limited series family. Maintaining the highest standards, the Limited series is renowned for unbeatable construction and unsurpassed image quality. This new Limited series lens will continue that tradition while providing users with a new ultra-wide perspective.

Main features of the smc PENTAX-DA15mmF4ED AL Limited

Ultra-wide-angle perspective
When mounted on a PENTAX digital SLR camera body, this new lens offers the equivalent to a 23mm angle of view in the 35mm format. This lets the photographer create unique, eye-catching images with visual effects only possible from an ultra-wide-angle lens, such as enhanced perspective and an emphasized depth of field. It is the ideal lens for sweeping landscapes, magnificent architecture and confined interiors.

Limited Lens-series quality for incredible images and an appealing compact design.
The PENTAX Limited Lens series combines extensive testing with the incredible knowledge of our engineers to provide every user with a lens designed for the ultimate in image reproduction.  True to form, this new lens not only ensures excellent image quality, but also produces sharp, clear images with outstanding contrast, even at the maximum aperture. This is because its optical design has been optimised for digital photography.  In addition, the lens barrel, hood, and cap are all made of high-grade aluminium, providing reliable construction in an attractive lens.

High-performance optics
This lens incorporates a hybrid aspherical (AL) lens and an optical element of extra-low-dispersion (ED) glass to ensure high-quality image reproduction with minimal aberrations, including lateral chromatic aberration. Additionally, for an ultra-wide-angle lens, the smc PENTAX-DA15mmF4ED AL Limited has excellent control over image distortion.

Compact, lightweight design
Thanks to its newly developed optics, this lens is designed to be extremely compact and lightweight despite its ultra-wide-angle perspective. Since it has no dome-shaped protrusion at the front end, the photographer can mount commercial 49mm-diameter filters, including circular polarizing filters popular in landscape photography.

Other features

  • Flower-shaped lens hood, with extendible design for easy carrying
  • Minimum focusing distance of 18 centimetres (or 0.59 feet) for close-up photography
  • PENTAX-developed Quick-Shift Focus System for instant switching to manual-focus operation after the subject is captured in focus by the AF system
  • PENTAX-original Super Protect (SP) coating applied to the front surface of the lens, making it easy to wipe off fingerprints, cosmetics and other stains

Price
RRP £569.99

smc PENTAX DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited lens specifications

Lens mount

Pentax KAF2

Lens Construction

8 elements in 6 groups

Focal length

15mm (Equivalent to 23mm in 35mm format)

Angle of View

86° (wiith PENTAX D-SLR camera body)

Maximum Aperture

F4

Minimum Aperture

F22

Diaphragm Blades

7 blades

Minimum Focus Distance

0.18m (0.59 ft.)

Maximum Mag. Ratio

0.15 X

Filter Diameter

49 mm

Dimensions

63mm x 39.5mm (2.5 inch x 1.58 inch)

Weight

212g (7.47 oz.)

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Pentax lens: smc FA 50mm 1.4 review

Posted by admin | Posted in Beginners Guide, Pentax lenses, Reviews | Posted on 14-03-2009-05-2008

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This Pentax lens is perfect for portrait photographer. But read on to see what experts say:

The Pentax smc FA 50mm F1.4 is something of an anomaly in the company’s current lens lineup, as the last of their film-era primes featuring plastic construction and an aperture ring. This actually reflects the fact that Pentax are probably the leading proponents of modern-design fixed-focal length lenses, with their range of compact ‘pancake’ lenses and ‘Limited’ series high quality primes being the envy of users of other systems. Indeed we can probably presume that the 50mm F1.4 will itself be superseded by the recently-announced Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM lens, but in the meantime it stands as the most obvious option for users seeking a fast prime for low light and portrait work.

The 50mm F1.4 features a traditional design of 7 elements in 6 groups, with all of the lens surfaces spherical in profile. In this regard it’s very similar to the Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM and Nikon AF-Nikkor 50mm F1.4D which we’ve reviewed recently, and therefore looks somewhat dated when compared to the all-new, aspheric-element Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM. The ‘smc’ designation indicates treatment with Pentax’s ‘super multi coating’ for the minimization of flare, and the ‘FA’ designation indicates that, unlike the newer ‘DA’ digitally optimized lenses, its image circle covers the 35mm full-frame format.

With Pentax concentrating their attentions on the APS-C format, the function of this lens has subtly changed from the days of 35mm film, and the 1.5x crop factor means it now acts more like a classic short ‘portrait’ telephoto, instead of the general purpose ‘standard’ lens it was designed to be. The question to be asked is therefore whether it’s well suited to this role, especially given the high resolution demands of the smaller sensor. Read on to find out.

Headline features

  • 50mm focal length
  • Fast F1.4 maximum aperture

Pentax smc FA 50mm F1.4 specifications:

Street price • $200 US
• £170 UK
Date introduced 1991
Maximum format size 35mm full frame
Focal length 50mm
35mm equivalent focal length
(APS-C)
75mm
Diagonal Angle of view (FF) 47º
Diagonal Angle of view (APS-C) 31º
Maximum aperture F1.4
Minimum aperture F22
Lens Construction • 7 elements/6 groups
Number of diaphragm blades 8
Minimum focus 0.45m
Maximum magnification 0.15x
AF motor type • ‘Screw drive’ from camera body
Focus method Unit
Image stabilization • None
Filter thread • 49mm
• Does not rotate on focus
Supplied accessories • Front and rear caps
Optional accessories • PH-RA49 screw-in round plastic hood
• RH-RC49 screw-in round rubber hood
• PH-SA49 clip-on rectangular plastic hood
• S70-70 soft case
Weight 220g (7.8 oz)
Dimensions 63.5mm diameter x 38mm length
(2.5 x 1.5 in)
Lens Mount Pentax K only

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area

Detail

Rating (out of 10)

Build quality

8.5

Ergonomics & handling

8.0

Features

8.0

Image quality

8.0

Value

8.5

Highly Recommended

You can  read full review at http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/pentax_50_1p4_p15/ .

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Pentax cameras take amazing photos

Posted by admin | Posted in Pentax photos | Posted on 14-03-2009-05-2008

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There are a lot of photo galleries, but these are dedicated to Pentaxians:

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/- brilliant photos!!!

http://www.pentaxsportoptics.com/

http://www.pentaxian.com/

Highly recommended.

 

They all prove how valuable Pentax DSLR bodies are! Enjoy your experience.

 

 

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