Pentax Q Hands-on Previeward Butler Preview based on a pre-production Pentax Q running firmware 1.0 The Pentax Q is the smallest interchangeable lens camera on the market. And, just like the company's famously diminutive Auto 110 SLR from the late 70's, it achieves this by embracing a smaller format than its peers. Being built around a 1/2.3" sensor, the Q is a fraction of the size of even the smallest existing mirrorless cameras and is the first really pocketable model (though the protruding lens still means that'll have to be the pocket of your jacket, rather than your shirt or trousers). To make clear what the rather opaque 1/2.3" figure actually means, it equates to a surface area of around 28mm2. This is around 1/8th the size of the sensor used in Micro Four Thirds cameras and 1/13th the size of the the APS-C format sensor in Sony's NEX. The advantage of this is that the lenses for the Q mount can be made a lot smaller than those for other systems, but the downside is that the image quality is more likely to resemble that of a compact camera than a DSLR. You can glean a lot about Pentax's approach to the Q from the lenses it has announced: a 47mm equivalent F1.9 prime lens for the enthusiasts but accompanied with a healthy dose of fun in the form of two fixed focal length 'toy' lenses (a wide-angle and a telephoto version, both sub-$100). On the fun side of things there will also be a fisheye lens or, at the more serious end, a 28-83mm equivalent standard zoom with a built-in shutter, allowing flash sync at any shutter speed. Coupled with the 47mm equiv. prime or the standard zoom the Q, with its sturdy magnesium-alloy build, appears to be offering an alternative take on the photographers' compacts such as the Canon G12, Olympus XZ-1 and even the Ricoh GRD. However, the fact that it can take different lenses means that in a matter of seconds it can be converted into a fun little camera that should still offer a more satisfying shooting experience than a mobile phone and image processing app. And the Q is no toy camera, despite its modest sensor size it boasts a magnesium alloy body with rubber front coating, a 460,000 dot LCD on the rear and raw output in the DNG format. Interestingly, Pentax bucks the recent trend of trying to attract point-and-shoot users by removing those intimidating buttons with all those mysterious symbols on them, and includes plenty of external controls. Pentax Q key specifications:
Compared to the Sony NEX-C3The Q's well-proportioned design makes it a little hard to work out how large it is until you see it in comparison to another camera. The sensor is around 1/13th the size of that in the NEX-C3 but does means it's the closest a mirrorless camera has yet come to being truly pocketable.
 If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).
This article is Copyright 2011 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author. |
Thứ Ba, 28 tháng 6, 2011
Pentax Q Hands-on Preview
Kenko-Tokina launches Tokina SD 17-35mm F4 AT-X PRO FX
 Newly merged Kenko-Tokina has quietly launched the Tokina SD 17-35mm F4 AT-X PRO FX, a semi-fast wideangle zoom for full frame cameras. The company says the F4 maximum aperture makes it easier to produce a smaller lens with fewer aberrations, to sit alongside its 16-28mm F2.8 PRO. The lens features 'SD' glass that the company says offers similar properties to fluorite elements as well as its 'silent drive module' AF motor and high-precision AF position sensor for fast, accurate focusing. No details of pricing or availability are yet available from the company's distributors outside Japan. |
Fujifilm updates X100 firmware to v1.10
 Fujifilm has released the promised fimware update for its X100 large sensor compact. Firmware v1.10 includes 22 feature modifications and additions, including correction of several issues highlighted in our review of the camera. The company has detailed the changes and revised the user manual to reflect additional features added as part of the update. Both the firmware update and the updated user manual can be downloaded from the company's website immediately. |
Andy Westlake: We're delighted to see Fujifilm listening to users' and reviewers' concerns across a wide range of sources, and addressing many of the issues which have been raised over the X100's operation. On paper, Firmware 1.10 appears to resolve a number of the camera's least-popular habits, perhaps most notably its per-exposure-mode ISO and DR setting, along with its general forgetfulness of drive and macro mode settings. We're also pleased that the camera will now retain the AF frame size when switching from the EVF to the OVF and back, and can be set to display a parallax-corrected AF point for close-range work. Our X100 review will be updated once we've had a chance to thoroughly test these and the numerous other fixes and improvements.
Press Release:DETAILED INFORMATION ON FIRMWARE UPDATE
1. FinePix X100(1) Firmware version:
Newly updated firmware: Ver.1.10
(2) Details of the update
• 22 items will be upgraded.
• Among them, 5 items below (No.s 8, 9, 12, 13. and 20) were mentioned in the “FinePix X100 In-depth Review” on www.dpreview.com.
• Improvements to the operation of 6 items (from 1 to 6) have been made, and the description in the current owner’s manual has been updated. The Updated English manual PDF will be available for download from the FUJIFILM.com global website, at the time of the above embargo.
Improved items
<Revised owner’s manual related items>• 1. The following functions can be locked during shooting by holding down [MENU/OK] button over 3 sec. DRIVE/Flash/White balance/Macro (set on the Command Dial – 4 direction key)
• 2. "CORRECTED AF FRAME" menu is added in "SET-UP" menu (the last line on menu page 6) to display additional AF frame (corrected AF frame for reducing parallax) which can be effectively used for macro shots. (Factory default value is set to "OFF")
• 3. Adjustment in 1/3 step increment for shutter speed or aperture setting is enabled in Shutter-Priority AE and Aperture-Priority AE mode, on top of those in Manual Exposure mode. Shutter-Priority AE : Adjustment is controlled by rotating the command dial Aperture-Priority AE : Adjustment is controlled by moving left/right on the command control lever
• 4. In the post-view mode (display after shooting), focused area is magnified in the LCD(EVF) display when the command control lever is pressed. Cf. "IMAGE DISP." Setting must be set to "CONTINUOUS",
• 5. Setting of the role for "Fn" button is enabled by holding down "Fn" button over 3 sec.
• 6. Actual ISO sensitivity for shooting is displayed just after pressing shutter button halfway, when "ISO AUTO CONTROL" is set to ON.
< Improved items, not related to revised owner's manual>
• 7. When "eye sensor" is activated by pressing "VIEW MODE" button, "EYE SENSOR" is displayed on EVF/OVF or LCD just a while to notice the status.
• 8. Macro mode ISO sensitivity, Drive mode, Dynamic range, Self-timer mode, flash mode is maintained even if shutter speed setting or aperture setting is changed. Also, even after changing viewing mode into shooting mode or turning of the camera, these values are maintained.
• 9. The size of focus frame set through viewing EVF/LCD is maintained even after changing display mode between OVF and EVF(LCD).
• 10. When "SHUTTER SOUND" is chosen, each shutter sound is performed in each menu setting
• 11. In viewing mode, the last viewed shot is maintained as even after changing into shooting mode Cf. After another image is shot after viewing former image, memory of viewing the image is cancelled and the last shot is displayed as the latest image.
• 12. When the aspect ration of the image size is set to 16:9, the line of bright frame line on OVF is displayed with aspect ratio 16:9.
• 13. Viewing mode with Photo Information on EVF/LCD is maintained even if another image is shot. On top of this issue, deleting picture directly is enabled even in viewing with Photo information by pressing the command dial up, or MENU operation is also enabled..
• 14. Occasionally, preview image on EVF/LCD after pressing the shutter halfway might be darker than live view, according to aperture setting or brightness of shooting target. This has now been improved.
• 15. When "DISP. CUSTOM SETTING" is set to OVF or EVF/LCD, the setting value is maintained even after customising the menu.
• 16. Even for only RAW data recording mode, "RED EYE REMOVAL" setting is selectable among ON or OFF.
• 17. In MF (manual focus) setting with OVF mode, OVF viewing is activated after pressing shutter half way, even if "FOCUS CHECK"(magnifying centre of the image) is displayed in EVF by pressing the centre of the command control lever.
• 18. Displaying period after pressing each command dial (Macro/Flash) is prolonged from 1.5 sec into 2.0 sec for confirming correctly.
• 19. For resuming from AUTO POWER OFF setting, the shutter release button was required to hold down halfway for a few second. For quicker operation, resuming is activated by just pressing the button.
• 20. Image quality captured by Velvia/ASTIA mode is improved on mainly shadow tone (dark area), when dynamic range is set to 200% or 400%
• 21. When "OVF POWER SAVE MODE" is set to ON and "Fn" button is set to "MOVIE RECORDING", the camera may be unstable occasionally. This has now been improved.
• 22. Histogram display on OVF during exposure compensation is improved.
Pentax Q small-sensor mirrorless camera announced and previewed
 Pentax has announced the 'Q' mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The camera is the first to use the company's Q mount and features a compact-camera-sized 1/2.3" image stabilized CMOS sensor. This is wrapped in a magnesium alloy body with a distinctly rangefinder-esque design but distinctly compact sizing. Its feature set ranges from the 1080p30 movie shooting (with H.264 compression), to a series of fun filters that can be applied to the Quick Dial on its front plate. We've had a chance to play with a pre-production Pentax Q and have prepared a quick preview.PENTAX UNVEILS THE PENTAX Q: The World’s Smallest, Lightest Interchangeable Lens Camera GOLDEN, CO. (June 23, 2011)…PENTAX Imaging Company has announced the PENTAX Q – the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera (ILC).* The Q offers the versatility and precision of an advanced DSLR in a body that is significantly smaller than every other digital ILC body available on the market today.The camera’s tiny size, lightweight design, and superior image quality are made possible by an innovative PENTAX developed imaging system. With a high-resolution 12.4 megapixel, 1/2.3 inch CMOS image sensor, the Q carves out an entirely new camera category that extends beyond traditional digital compact, APS-C or 4/3 digital cameras. The backlit sensor is a highly efficient light-gathering instrument that produces very little noise at high sensitivity levels particularly in low light settings. Further, the new Q lens mount is a perfect match with the new sensor and every interchangeable Q lens is designed for more advanced image quality than may be found on traditional compact digital cameras. This innovative PENTAX design is the foundation of the Q’s position as the world’s smallest, lightest ILC system with superior image quality. Several important features of the PENTAX Q include:
Featuring the state-of-the-art optics incorporating special optical glass elements and PENTAX exclusive lens coating technology, this lens delivers beautifully defined, high quality images that are sharp and high contrast even at the edges. The AF motor installed in the lens assures smooth, quiet focusing operation. The lens shutter mechanism allows the PENTAX Q’s built-in auto flash to be synchronized to the camera’s top shutter speed of 1/2000 second (or 1/250 second when using an accessory flash unit). This lens is also equipped with a built-in ND (neutral density) filter, which comes in handy when shooting with open aperture at bright locations or when using slower shutter speeds. The shoe-mounted viewfinder attachment is an optional accessory. This External Viewfinder O-VF1 offers outstanding compositional framing, even in the brightest sunlight where viewing an LCD screen is traditionally a challenge. (Note: The Viewfinder offers framing marks for the Standard lens.) Available in white or black body models, the PENTAX Q and Standard Prime lens (available in silver) kit will be around $800. Initially, the PENTAX Q system will ship in Japan. Anticipated shipping time to the United States is early Fall 2011. The optional shoe-mounted viewfinder will be available at the same time for $249.95 USD. Each may be pre-ordered now on www.pentaxwebstore.com The PENTAX 01 Standard Prime kit lens will not be sold separately. More information is available here: www.pentaximaging.com/news * The world’s smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens system camera, as of June 15, 2011 (based on PENTAX research). |
Pentax announces four additional Q mount lenses
 Pentax has announced four additional lenses for its new Q mount. As well as the kit 47mm equivalent F1.9 '01 Standard Prime' lens that will come with the camera, the company has also announced the '02 Standard Zoom' that will offer 28-83mm equivalent focal lengths. Alongside these will be three more affordable, fun lenses. The 03 Fisheye, 04 Toy Lens Wide and 05 Toy Lens Telephoto are designed to make accessible the creativity that interchangeable lenses can bring. The latter three lenses are all manual focus and fixed aperture to keep costs down.PENTAX ADDS FOUR LENSES TO Q SYSTEM: Zoom, Fish-Eye, Toy Telephoto Among Selection PENTAX 02 Standard Zoom With a focal length equivalent to a 27.5-83.0mm zoom lens in the 35mm format, this standard zoom lens is ideal for wide angle to medium telephoto range. With four extra-low-dispersion and low-refractive aspherical optical elements, the lens offers exceptional image rendition while effectively reducing chromatic aberration to a minimum over the entire zoom range. The Standard Zoom features a minimum focusing distance of 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) at all focal lengths for close-up photography. Featuring a high-grade finish, this lens incorporates the special optical glass elements and PENTAX exclusive lens coating technology for beautifully defined, high quality images that are sharp and high contrast even to the edges. The AF motor installed in the lens assures smooth, quiet focusing operation. The lens shutter mechanism allows the PENTAX Q’s built-in auto flash to be synchronized to the camera’s top shutter speed of 1/2000 second (or 1/250 second when using an accessory flash unit). This lens is also equipped with a built-in ND (neutral density) filter for open aperture shooting at bright locations or when using slower shutter speeds. The lens price $299.95 USD. Three additional lenses also are announced. Each offers outstanding value at an affordable price so users may produce a variety of distinctive, dramatic images. Each features manual focus operation, fixed aperture and lightweight lens mount minus a lens shutter unit to reduce size and weight. PENTAX 03 Fish-Eye This ultra wide angle lens offers an extra wide 160 degree angle of view allowing photographers to create a fish eye visual effect. The distinctive ultra wide angle characteristics produce unique, eye-catching images with an exaggerated, distorted perspective and a pan-focus effect that captures every element in the image field in sharp focus. The lens price is $129.95. PENTAX 04 Toy Lens Wide and PENTAX 05 Toy Lens Telephoto With optics designed specifically to retain various lens aberrations, these lenses produce subdued, nostalgic images like photos taken with a traditional toy camera. The Toy Lens Wide is a unifocal wide angle field of view with a focal length equivalent to 35mm in the 35mm format. The PENTAX 05 Toy Lens Telephoto is a unifocal medium telephoto lens with a focal length equivalent to 100mm in the 35mm format. The PENTAX 04 Toy Lens Wide price is $79.95 and the PENTAX 05 Toy Lens Telephoto is $79.95. Additional accessories for the PENTAX Q system lenses will include the following (prices and availability to be announced): PENTAX-100 PL Filter Attached to the PENTAX 01 Standard Prime or PENTAX02 Standard Zoom, the 40.5mm polarizing filter minimizes reflections on the water or glass surface, which are difficult to remove during digital processing, to assure crisp, high contrast images. MH-RA 40.5mm A metallic, dome-shaped lens hood for exclusive use with the PENTAX 01 Standard Prime lens. PH-SBA 40.5mm Lens A plastic, square-shaped lens hood for exclusive use with the PENTAX 02 Standard Zoom lens. Initially, the PENTAX Q system will ship in Japan. Anticipated shipping time to the United States is early Fall 2011. Each of these lenses may be pre-ordered now on www.pentaxwebstore.com The PENTAX 01 Standard Prime kit lens will not be sold separately. More information is available here:www.pentaximaging.com/news * The world’s smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens system camera, as of June 15, 2011 (based on PENTAX research). |
Photos you can refocus: Lytro promises camera within a year
 Startup company Lytro is claiming to be close to launching a camera that allows any point of focus to be specified after the shot is taken. The concept behind the device, called a light-field, or plenoptic camera camera has surfaced regularly over the past few years, but now Lytro, founded by Stanford PhD Ren Ng, says it will have a product ready within a year. The concept uses a series of microlenses to split the incoming light rays across multiple sensor pixels, depending on the angle from which it arrived. This additional information about the angle of the arriving light makes it possible to recalculate different focus points after the image has been shot, but at the cost of lower image resolution. The company hasn't, as yet, provided details such as its system's output resolution. (From the New York Times) |
Thứ Tư, 22 tháng 6, 2011
SITE NEWS Content commenting system launched
 We've just launched a simple commenting system for our news items, previews and galleries, with more sections to follow. At the moment you can only comment if you're a logged-in registered dpreview.com user, but this may change in future versions of the new feature. Feel free to try it out and add your comments to this story! |
UPDATE Fujifilm Canada offers sneak peek at X100 firmware
| Fujifilm Canada has released details of the forthcoming X100 firmware update on its '@fujiguys' Twitter feed. A series of updates detail ten significant changes to the X100's firmware, designed to address some of the criticisms of the camera's behavior. Changes include more responsive 'wake from sleep' behavior without a long press of the shutter button, clear indication of the eye sensor being engaged and the maintaining of ISO/Self-Timer/DR/Flash/Macro settings when exposure mode, review mode or power state is changed. The original messages can be found at http://twitter.com/#!/fujiguys but, as yet, no official announcement of when the updated firmware will become available has been made. List of published changes (presented in the order in which they were published)
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CAMERA NEWS Leica launches M9-P professionally targeted rangefinder
Leica has announced the M9-P, a variant of its 18MP full-frame M9 rangefinder camera. The P version gains the sapphire crystal LCD glass previously seen on the Leica M8.2 but now featuring improved anti-reflective coatings for improved visibility in difficult lighting conditions. In order to give an understated appearance, the M9-P omits the traditional Leica red dot and M9 designation from the front of the camera, instead the Leica name is engaved in the metal top-plate in the company's traditional script.
SOFTWARE NEWS Apple releases Final Cut Pro X video editing software
 Apple has announced Final Cut Pro X, the latest version of its popular high-end video editing software. Final Cut Pro X features a trackless canvas, that Apple is calling a 'Magnetic Timeline' for flexible arranging and editing of clips. It's also possible to 'audition' different combinations of clips to make it easier to choose between multiple takes. The software also features improved tagging (including auto-analysis of clips) to make it easier to manage and locate the clips you want to use. Final Cut Pro X is available from the Mac App Store for $299/£179.Press Release: Apple Revolutionises Video Editing With Final Cut Pro X “Final Cut Pro X is the biggest advance in Pro video editing since the original Final Cut Pro,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “We have shown it to many of the world’s best Pro editors, and their jaws have dropped.” “I’m blown away by what Apple has done with Final Cut Pro,” said Angus Wall, Academy Award-winning film editor. “Final Cut Pro X is incredibly modern and fast, but most importantly it lets you focus on telling your story in the most creative way, while it actively manages all of the technical details.” At the heart of Final Cut Pro X is the Magnetic Timeline, a trackless approach to editing your footage that lets you add and arrange clips wherever you want them, while other clips instantly slide out of the way. You can use Clip Connections to link primary story clips to other elements like titles and sound effects, so they stay in perfect sync when you move them. You can even combine related story elements into a Compound Clip that can be edited as a single clip. The groundbreaking new Auditions feature lets you swap between a collection of clips to instantly compare alternate takes. Content Auto-Analysis scans your media on import and tags your content with useful information. Final Cut Pro X then uses that information to dynamically organise your clips into Smart Collections, so you can easily find the clips you want by close up, medium and wide shots as well as media type and the number of people in the shot. You can also tag parts of clips with Range-based keywords to add custom search criteria to your media. Completely rebuilt from the ground up, Final Cut Pro X is a 64-bit app that takes full advantage of the latest Mac hardware and software so you never have to wait for the next edit, even if you’re working with 4K video. Final Cut Pro X uses multi-threaded processing and the GPU on your graphics card for blazing fast background rendering and superb real-time playback performance. Additionally, a ColorSync-managed color pipeline ensures color consistency from import to output. Final Cut Pro X also includes powerful tools for audio editing and color correction, and is complemented by two companion apps, Motion 5 for professional motion graphics and Compressor 4 for advanced media encoding, available from the Mac App Store for £29.99 each. Pricing & Availability Final Cut Pro X is available today for £179.99 from the Mac App Store. Motion 5 and Compressor 4 are available today for £29.99 each from the Mac App Store. Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Pro X can be found at www.apple.com/uk/finalcutpro. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices. |
LENS NEWS Leica announces Super-Elmar-M 21mm f/3.4 ASPH
Leica has announced the Super-Elmar-M 21mm f/3.4, a wideangle prime for its M-series rangefinder cameras. Weighing in at less than 10 ounces, it's extremely compact at just under 2 inches in length. It has a minimum focus distance of 0.7m, and uses a dual-sided aspheric element and 4 anomalous partial dispersion elements in its optical construction. On the M8 camera it offers an angle of view equivalent to a 28mm lens. It will be available from June 2011 at a price of £2025.
UPDATE Pentax, Sony, Leica and Ricoh update firmware
 Pentax, Sony, Leica and Ricoh have released firmware updates for several of their cameras. Pentax has updated the firmware for its K-r, K-5 and 645D. Firmware v1.01 for all three cameras brings compatibility with the recently-announced 0-GPS module. Sony, meanwhile, has created updates for its NEX-3 and NEX-5, and SLT A33 and A55 models, adding many of the features of its forthcoming NEX-C3 and SLT A35 cameras. Leica has updated the firmware for its M9 digital rangefinder to improve color consistency across the frame when used with wide-angle lenses. Finally, Ricoh has updated its G700 and G700SE rugged industrial cameras. Click here for links to the updates.PentaxFind out more and download Pentax K-r firmware v1.01Find out more and download Pentax K-5 firmware v1.01 Find out more and download Pentax 645D firmware v1.01 SonyFind out more and download Sony NEX-3 firmware v04Find out more and download Sony NEX-5 firmware v04 Find out more and download Sony SLT-A33 firmware v2.00 Find out more and download Sony SLT-A55 firmware v2.00 LeicaFind out more and download Leica M9 firmware v1.162RicohFind out more and download Ricoh G700 firmware v1.09Find out more and download Ricoh G700SE firmware v1.09 |
Thứ Hai, 20 tháng 6, 2011
SAMPLES Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm F1.4 sample gallery
 Just Posted: Our samples gallery from the Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm F1.4 ASPH. We've had the chance to borrow a production example of this fast 50mm-equivalent lens and have prepared a samples gallery to show some of what it can do. We've also shot a couple of comparisons against the popular Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH to see how the two lenses compare wen used wide open, and give some idea of what the slightly longer focal length and wider aperture mean in terms of background defocus and subject isolation.Jump to: Sample Gallery: There are 24 images in the samples gallery. Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), we do so in good faith, please don't abuse it. Unless otherwise noted images processed using Adobe Camera Raw at default settings. Because our review images are now hosted on the 'galleries' section of dpreview.com, you can enjoy all of the new galleries functionality when browsing these samples
Compared to the Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPHIn addition to our gallery shots we've also shot a couple of (very) quick comparisons with Panasonic's popular and highly-regarded 20mm F1.7 pancake prime - one of our favourite lenses of the past few years. We've shot the same image with both lenses set to their maximum aperture, using the Panasonic DMC-G3 at ISO 160. In both instances we've attempted to recreate approximately the same framing - meaning the 20mm shots were taken closer to the subject.
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