Hasta La Gadget!

Like what you see above? Well, it could be yours… if you’re willing to wait four months. Pentax is giving a very limited edition high-five to its medium-format 645D DSLR. The 40 megapixel stunner, recently crowned 2011 “Camera of the Year” at the Camera Grand Prix Japan, is getting a luxe lacquered makeover in this made-to-order kit. If you’re the type to collect overpriced (we assume) pieces of photographic paraphernalia, then this custom paulownia-wood box and its contents are probably up your alley. What do you get for all this premium exclusiveness? Well, there’s the aforementioned specially-designed body, a leather strap, body mount cap and center-spot-matte focusing screen. Not included is an actual photographer to take the pictures for you (or keep your swag clean) — now that would be high-end. There’s no word yet as to what this stately beauty’s gonna cost, but that shouldn’t stop you from pre-ordering it on the company’s site right now. Money may not buy you happiness, but it can get you a rare toy. Hit the break for the official line from a very happy imaging company.

Continue reading Pentax releases limited edition 645D DSLR, covers it in swank

Pentax releases limited edition 645D DSLR, covers it in swank originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s no question that Canon and Nikon still dominate the interchangeable lens camera (ILC) market, but with Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, and now Pentax all launching compact, inexpensive, mirrorless models in recent years, the legacy manufacturers have some catching up to do. In an interview confirming the restoration of pre-quake production levels in Japan, Canon camera division head Masaya Maeda told Reuters that the company is “considering the technical aspects” of creating a mirrorless camera, following up by saying “we will launch an interesting product next year.” The comment doesn’t exactly make a mirrorless Canon a sure thing, but it’s as solid a commitment as we can expect for now.

One possible concern for Canon is that entry into the new ILC category would cannibalize the company’s higher-end point-and-shoot offerings, which likely offer higher margins. But if mirrorless models gain market share over traditional DSLRs and Canon doesn’t have its own cam to match, the company could find itself racing to catch up, rather than dominating the ILC category as it has done in the past. Competition from Canon isn’t likely to start a price war, since there isn’t much elasticity at this point, but it could put pressure on other manufacturers to push the limits with image quality, accessory selection, and perhaps even lead to a future lens standard — though we’re probably more likely to see a Pentax Q that can actually capture DSLR-quality images far before manufacturers decide to adopt a universal lens mount.

Canon restores camera production in Japan, hints at mirrorless model in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s only one way to make leaked blurrycam images appear even less legit: shoot ’em in black and white. That’s exactly what we have here with the claimed leak of a new Olympus camera — the E-P3, according to Photo Rumors — in all its Micro Four Thirds glory. The camera appears to be a hybrid of both the E-P2 and E-PL2, including a P2-style button layout, but with a pop-up flash and sloping top plate reminiscent of the PL2. The new cam is also rumored to include a new 12 megapixel sensor, a max sensitivity of ISO 12,800, a high-res touchscreen, much-needed AF improvements, and an updated UI. Photo Rumors expects Olympus to announce the E-P3 on June 30th, along with an E-PL3 and E-PM1. That last model would be the first in the rumored Pen Mini series. We don’t expect the E-PM1 to best the new Pentax Q’s record-breaking small size, but with a significantly smaller sensor, the Q will be no match for any of Olympus’s new Micro Four Thirds offerings.

Update: Andrea wrote in to tell us that Mirrorless Rumors now has a much clearer publicity shot. Isn’t it lovely?

Is this the Olympus E-P3? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So you’ve got an expensive new DSLR that can shoot video, and you’ve seen all of the press about people using the things to make movies and music videos. But really, you’re not going to become a DIY Kubrick without the proper accessories. The Mountkestrel DuoPod is a pretty solid looking option if you’re looking to do the steadicam thing with your DSLR, slipping over your shoulders for on-the-go shots. It’s a little unwieldy compared to a lot of consumer camera stands, but that’s pretty par for the course for these sorts of rigs. As its name suggests, the DuoPod also doubles as a two-legged stand for those times when your shoulders need a break. Check out a fittingly shaky video of the stand in action after the jump.

Continue reading Mountkestrel DuoPod turns your shaky shoulders into a DSLR steadicam (video)

Mountkestrel DuoPod turns your shaky shoulders into a DSLR steadicam (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 04:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday, the Sony NEX-C3 was the world’s smallest interchangeable lens digital camera. It’s not anymore. That title now belongs to the Pentax Q. To achieve the camera’s incredibly small body size, Pentax had to shrink the sensor as well, making the Q not only the world’s smallest interchangeable lens camera (ILC), but also the cam with the world’s smallest sensor in an ILC. The Q uses a 12.4 megapixel, 1/2.3-inch backlit CMOS image sensor, manufactured by Sony — significantly smaller than the 4/3 and APS-C sensors used in Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX-series cameras, respectively. As image quality is dependent on sensor size, the Q won’t be able to compete directly with any other ILC — instead, its images are most comparable to those you’d capture with a traditional digital compact (which, ahem, don’t cost $800).

The Q will ship in late September or early October with a 47mm f/1.9 kit lens for about $800, and will be available in black or white — abandoning the incredibly diverse color palette offered with other Pentax DSLRs. It will also be compatible with a 27.5-83mm zoom ($300), a 160-degree fisheye ($130), and 35mm and 100mm “toy camera” lenses ($80 each). The ILC will shoot 1080p/30 video with h.264 compression, 5 fps stills, and includes an HVGA-resolution 3-inch LCD and unique pop-up flash. A dedicated bokeh filter makes up for the camera’s natural inability to capture images with a shallow depth of field. During our brief hands-on, images captured at up to the Q’s highest available sensitivity of ISO 6400 appeared to be usable, at least based on a magnified LCD view (we weren’t permitted to capture images to our own SD card). The cam offers traditional DSLR capture modes, in addition a a variety of creative modes and Smart Effect Options, including an HDR capture mode. The version Pentax had on hand wasn’t fully baked, but jump past the break for our video walkthrough with a product manager.

Continue reading Pentax intros Q, world’s smallest interchangeable lens digital camera (hands-on video)

Pentax intros Q, world’s smallest interchangeable lens digital camera (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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