Pentax has announced its new K-5 DSLR camera as Photokina is getting underway in Cologne, Germany. The new 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor camera has nice but pretty standard specs and features: 11 autofocus points, an HDR mode, 7fps burst shooting, a 3-inch LCD screen, an ISO range of 100 to 12800 (expandable to 80 to 51200 via custom functions), 100% viewfinder coverage, 1080p video recording at 25fps, and a magnesium alloy body. The K-5 will be available starting in mid-October at around £1200 (~$1875) with a kit lens.
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Earlier today Lens Tip published a leaked photograph of an upcoming Pentax K-5. The article is no longer available, suggesting that they were forced to take it down.

Yesterday someone over on PentaxForums posted a list of specs. If the specs are the real thing, then the K-5 will be a 16.2 megapixel DSLR with HD video recording, a magnesium alloy body, ISO expandable to 25,600, 18 autofocus points, 8 fps continuous shooting, and a price of $1700 for the body only.

One iffy thing about this leak is that the body looks pretty much identical to the Pentax K-7. Do you think it’s a fake?

(via Photography Bay)

Pentax is trying all sorts of ways to differentiate its cameras from the 800-pound gorillas in the camera market, and apparently thinks customization is the best way to go. After allowing customizer the colors on traditionally boring-looking DSLRs with their K-x, they’ve just announced two new compact cameras that allow users to choose their own style.
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Pentax has just launched a new color-happy DSLR to replace the K-x: the Pentax K-r. If you remember, the K-x was offered in a bajillion different body colors — up to 100 in Japan. The company looks like it’s aiming for the same eye-candy loving market with this new camera, unveiling it in red and white in addition to the standard black DSLR body.

The camera packs the same 12.4 megapixel sensor as the K-x, and still records the same 720p video. So what’s improved? For one, maximum ISO has been kicked up to 25600 from 12800. Burst mode has also grown to 6fps from 4.7fps. Finally, the LCD has been upped to 3 inches from 2.7.

The camera ships in October for a price of $800 if you just purchase the body, or $1000 if you’d like a kit lens too.

P.S. The company also announced a new 35mm f/2.4 prime lens today for APS-C DSLRs. It’ll arrive the same time as the K-r for about $220.
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Japanese website sankeibiz.jp is listing September 9th as the date Hoya will be announcing new DSLRs, presumably under its Pentax brand name. Here’s what the line looks like when translated by Google:

Word is that the DSLRs will be the Pentax K-r and Pentax K5. We’re also expecting Pentax to announce a new EVIL camera that is unlike anything currently on the market. If they don’t announce this camera on September 9th, it seems likely that it’ll come shortly before or during Photokina at the end of this month.

(via 1001 Noisy Cameras)

Yesterday Citigroup released a research report on Hoya for investors. What was interesting about the report (from a photographer’s standpoint) was a section on page 2 regarding the company’s digital camera business.

From the screenshot above (with the important part highlighted), we find the quote:

Hoya plans to release a mirrorless camera under Pentax brand that is distinct from models already on the market.

Basically it sounds like the company is planning to create a Pentax EVIL camera, and somehow differentiate it from other EVIL offerings currently available.

(via Photo Rumors)

According to  Hoya founder Shigeru Yamanaka’s grandson, Yutaka Yamanaka, Hoya’s acquisition of Pentax may not have been the best business move. The younger Yamanaka said the $1 billion acquisition in 2007 was made mostly to expand Hoya’s involvement in medical optics, but turned out to be “overpriced.” Yamanaka, a Hoya shareholder, went so far as to say it was one of Hoya’s business “failures” which led to financial turbulence over the last three years until Pentax turned profitable.

In spite of Yamanaka’s disapproval of the Pentax purchase, it’s rumored that other companies might be interested in buying up Hoya’s unwanted acquisition. Canon Rumors reports that Canon attempted to buy Pentax, perhaps in order to control more of the DSLR marketshare, in direct competition with Sony. Sony may also be interested in Pentax’s user base. But so far, no word on whether Hoya’s ready to hand off Pentax anytime soon.

(via Bloomberg)

Pentax has just released five full resolution photographs taken with their new medium format DSLR, the Pentax 645D. These 40 megapixel photos are 7264×5440, and weigh in at around 17 megabytes each. The sample shot website also has EXIF data, though most of the page is in Japanese. There’s still no word on when (if ever) the 645D will be released outside Japan.

Pentax has unveiled a new “Rainbow” version of the K-x DSLR camera. The limited edition camera will only be available in Japan through Tower Records starting on July 23, 2010.

Only 1,000 of these units will be made, and each one will set you back ¥74,800 (~$800). Aside from the funky colors, the technical specifications of this camera are exactly the same as other K-x DSLRs:

The camera is part of a 2010 campaign with a “Rainbow” theme by Tower Records that also includes footwear, t-shirts, and backpacks.

Selling strange looking cameras is nothing new to Pentax — they already allow you to customize your colors, and last year they released a limited edition “robotic” themed camera.

Here’s the latest innovation from Pentax: a puppet body for your lens cap! The “Cameraman” is a handmade puppet body that comes with a 52mm lens cap showing a smiley face. It costs ¥2,914, or about $32, and is only available for a limited amount of time.

There’s also about 100 different designs you can choose from, though we think it’d be cool if they offered a blank doll for you to draw your own design. It’d be like the Munny for cameras.

This is the same company that allows you to customize the colors of its entry level DSLR, the K-x.

Looks like Pentax is trying to differentiate itself from the competition with creativity and adding a “fun factor” to entry level photography.

(via Engadget)