OT: Holy Guacamole, 2 New Pentax DSLRs

[bmattock]

The Pentax K100D - 6.1 MP with anti-shake and the jointly announced Samsung/Pentax 10MP *ist D. Yowza.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0605/06052205pentaxk100d.asp

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[wlewisiii]

That looks very interesting indeed. Perhaps I'm missing it and it's there, but two quick questions about Pentax DSLRs - what is thier crop factor and can the K mount manual focus lenses be used without adaptors or funky changes to the metering?

Thanks for sharing this, Bill.

William

 

[bmattock]

That looks very interesting indeed. Perhaps I'm missing it and it's there, but two quick questions about Pentax DSLRs - what is thier crop factor and can the K mount manual focus lenses be used without adaptors or funky changes to the metering?

Thanks for sharing this, Bill.

William

The crop factor on my *ist DS is 1.5, dunno what it is on this one yet. I'd guess that the two new 6.1 mp models are going to be 1.5 crop factor, same as mine - since mine is also a 6.1 MP.

By the by, apparently there are THREE new models. The K100D has the anti-shake. The K110D does not - but both are 6.1 MP. The as-yet-unamed 10MP camera is being rolled out as we speak - name will probably be given shortly.

On my *ist DS - yes, I can use ANY Pentax lens. Adapters are required only for M42 mount, 67MF, and 645MF lenses. All three will still meter TTL and even use focus indicator light (and beep if you want). And my older K, KA, and KAF lenses? All work like a champ. Pentax is the backwards-compatability champ, bar none. Nikon claims it, but there are all kinds of rechipping, caveats, and so on. Canon - no way between FD and EOS.

Olympus may end up being the 'universal recipient' in terms of how many different brands of lens mounts can be adapter to the new 4/3 system, but Pentax supports all their old lenses, to the fullest extent the lenses offer automation of their day.

I have truly enjoyed my *ist DS. Now I guess I have to start saving again. Anti-shake 6.1 MP or 10MP without AS? Hmmm...

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[DougK]

I'd take the anti-shake over the extra megapixels since 11x14 is my usual print size limit. Tough choice, though, and I'm glad to see Pentax still in there swinging.

 

[bmattock]

More info - Pentax is apparently dropping the badly thought out *ist naming convention, and is clearly trying to build a mnemonic to the famous Pentax K-1000, the "Swiss Army Knife" of manual-only film-based SLRs. And sadly - it appears both K models have a penta-mirror and not a proper pentaprism, which my *ist DS has got. Damn.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[wlewisiii]

Thanks for the information. I really like my FD stuff alot, but I do tend to look at the Pentax DSLRs when I think naughty thoughts 🙂 I'm especially impressed with the anti-shake being built into the body so it will work with all the older lenses. Though given my budget, the K110D would probably be much more likely...

Argh. Not only would I have to find pennies for a body, I'd need to find pennies for 24, 35, 50 & 85 K mount primes (to get 35/50/75/127 equivalents.) because a consumer zoom just won't cut it for me these days... :bang:

I really wish K-San would set aside his distaste for digital long enough to put out 6mp versions of all the old manual focus SLR bodies that they used to make - a digital version of the T60 for ex would be so freaking simple. Even at 1.5 crop or so, I'd buy it in an instant...

Ah well...

William

 

[wlewisiii]

Just out of giggles, did anyone else here wonder why they called a camera Splat-ist when that first came out? I agree, Bill, trying to recapture the K names is a smart move on their part.

William

 

[bmattock]

Thanks for the information. I really like my FD stuff alot, but I do tend to look at the Pentax DSLRs when I think naughty thoughts 🙂 I'm especially impressed with the anti-shake being built into the body so it will work with all the older lenses. Though given my budget, the K110D would probably be much more likely...

Argh. Not only would I have to find pennies for a body, I'd need to find pennies for 24, 35, 50 & 85 K mount primes (to get 35/50/75/127 equivalents.) because a consumer zoom just won't cut it for me these days... :bang:

I really wish K-San would set aside his distaste for digital long enough to put out 6mp versions of all the old manual focus SLR bodies that they used to make - a digital version of the T60 for ex would be so freaking simple. Even at 1.5 crop or so, I'd buy it in an instant...

Ah well...

William

I'm with you, William. I also keep my T60 handy. I am planning to experiment, when I have a spare couple of bucks, to see if I can rig an adapter to use FD glass on the new Oly 4/3 system. Consider this - Canon made an FD->LTM adapter. A LTM->M42 adapter is just a thin threaded ring that steps up M39 to M42, and they sell 'em on eBoy. Then a common M42->4/3 adapter and whammo - FD and infinity focus and no extra optics on a nice modern Oly 4/3 dSLR.

Well, the 4/3 system is a bigger crop. Something like double? Can't recall, it is late. But a Canon FD guy can dream, can't he?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[wlewisiii]

I'm with you, William. I also keep my T60 handy. (snip)
Well, the 4/3 system is a bigger crop. Something like double? Can't recall, it is late. But a Canon FD guy can dream, can't he?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

That adaptor rig sounds interesting. It would be fun to give it a try.

I just looked at the oly Evolt 300 page and it says the stock 14-45 lens is equivalent to a 28-90 so 2x looks to be correct.

Oh, well, I've got a 50/1.4 SSC to fix and a bottom feeder FTb-N coming in who knows what condition so I probably should simply get them sorted out before worrying about modern tech 😀

Thanks!

William

 

[Kim Coxon]

More info and prices for the US here http://www.pentaximaging.com/footer/news_media_article?ArticleId=7717552

Kim

 

[Goodyear]

My wife will kill me if I suggest another DSLR.

But since I already have some reasonable K-mount glass lying around... Hmm.

 

[titrisol]

Bill, why would you want another DSLR?
10MP????? geeee that means you are planning printing 16x20?