Pentax cameras - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

This article discusses the camera

Camera

A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...

s – mainly 35 mm SLR

Single-lens reflex camera

A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...

s – manufactured by Hoya Corporation's

Hoya Corporation

is a Japanese company leading in manufacturing of optical products including photomasks, photomask blanks and glass magnetic-memory disks, contact lenses and eyeglass lenses using the wavefront technology, Photonics...

and its predecessors, and .

It covers from the first "Asahiflex

Asahiflex

The Asahiflex was a 35mm single-lens reflex camera built by the Asahi Optical Corporation . It was the first SLR camera built in Japan....

" models in 1952 and their successor, the pivotal "Asahi Pentax

Asahi Pentax

The Asahi Pentax series, by the , was a pivotal development in modern photography. It was the first model of Pentax camera.- Background :In 1957, the Asahi Optical Company introduced the Pentax, a 35 mm Single-lens reflex camera camera which was so well received that it influenced the design...

" single-lens reflex camera

Single-lens reflex camera

, to the present time.

Background

The period around 1950 marked the return of the Japanese photographic industry to the vigorous level of the early 1940s, and its emergence as a major exporter. The newly reborn industry had sold many of its cameras to the occupation forces (with hugely more disposable income than the Japanese) and they were well received. The Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

saw a huge influx of journalists and photographers to the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

, where they were impressed by lenses from companies such as Nikon

Nikon

, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...

and Canon for their Leica rangefinder cameras, and also by bodies by these and other companies to supplement and replace the Leica and Contax cameras they were using. This was the background to the development of Asahi Optical's first camera.

The Asahiflex Series

Asahi Optical introduced its first 35 mm camera in 1952. Asahi was unusual in deciding to start with a high-quality 35mm camera that was not a copy of something else. Its designers were convinced of the inherent superiority of the SLR and so proceeded along these lines. This effort resulted in the Asahiflex I, which was also the first Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese 35mm SLR.

The Asahiflex I had a non-interchangeable waist-level viewfinder, with a direct optical viewfinder for eye-level use. The Asahiflex I had a non-returning mirror and shutter speeds from 1/25 to 1/500. The camera used the M37 screw mount. It went through some minor modifications for flash use, resulting in the IA. With the IIB a key advance was made: the quick-return mirror. The problem of mirror black-out was one of the main problems with prior SLR designs, greatly reducing usability and a major reason for the greater popularity of the rangefinder. With the IIB there emerged the first practical quick-return mirror, a vital innovation and one which was quickly adopted by other manufacturers. With the final model in the series, the IIA, the Asahiflex gained slow speeds from 1/25th of a second to 1/2 of a second.

Asahiflex I (1952–1953)
Asahiflex IA (1953–1954)
Asahiflex IIB (1954–1956)
Asahiflex IIA (1955–1957)

Asahi-Pentax Series (pre Spotmatic)

A recognized problem with the Asahiflex series was that, lacking a pentaprism, it was very difficult to use the camera in a vertical position and taking pictures of moving objects was almost impossible. The small viewfinder on top of the camera was of little use when the photographer wanted to use a 135 mm or 500 mm lens. The problem was recognized by Asahi. In 1957, Asahi introduced the Pentax series, a 35 mm

135 film

The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...

single-lens reflex camera

Single-lens reflex camera

(SLR) camera

Camera

which was so well received that it influenced the design of 35 mm SLRs worldwide for years to come. The Pentax and its later development and likewise classic 1964 Pentax Spotmatic

Pentax Spotmatic

The Pentax Spotmatic is a range of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by the Asahi Optical Co. Ltd., later known as Pentax Corporation, between 1964 and 1976. The original 1964 Spotmatic was one of the first SLRs to offer a through-the-lens exposure metering system, initially using...

spurred the development of Asahi into a photographic multinational company, eventually renaming itself "Pentax" after its seminal product. The Pentax series remains pivotal in the development of modern SLR photography.

There is some confusion about the etymology of the name. Some sources claim it was licensed from VEB Zeiss Ikon, and derived from the combination "PENTAprism" and "contaX". The explanation on pentax.com does not mention Contax or Zeiss Ikon, and states that the name was formed from "PENTAprism" and "refleX", being the reflex mirror of an SLR camera. A third variation substitutes "Asahiflex" for "reflex", which is at least logical as the Asahiflex cameras had waist-level viewfinders and therefore the pentaprism of the Asahi Pentax would have been a significant differentiating feature.

The Asahi Pentax of 1957 featured:

Pentaprism
Pentaprism
A pentaprism is a five-sided reflecting prism used to deviate a beam of light by 90°. The beam reflects inside the prism twice, allowing the transmission of an image through a right angle without inverting it as an ordinary right-angle prism or mirror would.The reflections inside the prism are not...
Rapid-wind film advance lever. Earlier 35 mm SLRs, with the sole exception of Exakta
Exakta
The Exakta is a pioneer brand camera produced by the Ihagee Kamerawerk in Dresden, Germany, founded as the Industrie und Handels-Gesellschaft mbH, in 1912.- Characteristics :Highlights of Exakta cameras include:...

's left-handed lever, had knob winders.
Film rewind crank, likewise a first for 35 mm SLRs.
Instant mirror return, unique to the Pentax and its immediate predecessor, the Asahiflex IIb
Microprism focusing aids on the focus screen, unique to the Pentax

Moreover, the Pentax placed controls in locations that would become standard on 35 mm SLRs from all manufacturers, such as the right-handed rapid wind lever, the bottom right mounted rewind release, and film speed

Film speed

Film speed is the measure of a photographic film's sensitivity to light, determined by sensitometry and measured on various numerical scales, the most recent being the ISO system....

reminder around the film rewind crank.

The photographic giants Canon

Canon Inc.

is a Japanese multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers. Its headquarters are located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.-Origins:...

& Nikon

Nikon

, did not introduce their own SLR cameras until 1959 with the Canonflex and the F-series

Nikon F

The Nikon F camera, introduced in 1959, was Nikon's first SLR camera. It was one of the most advanced cameras of its day. Although most of its concepts had already been introduced elsewhere, it was the first camera to combine them all in one camera. It was produced until October 1973 and was...

respectively. By contrast, the Pentax series offered these features at a relatively low price, introducing many photographers to 35 mm SLR photography.
The Asahi Pentax series went through various iterations until 1964. Each successive model incorporated minor improvements, the most noticeable being the incorporation of the two shutter speed dials (one for high speeds and one for low speeds) into one. The AP of 1957 is externally almost identical to the 1964 SV.

Spotmatic Series

However, by the 1960s the clamour for in-camera exposure metering was rising. It was possible to attach an external CdS (Cadmium sulfide

Cadmium sulfide

Cadmium sulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula CdS. Cadmium sulfide is a yellow solid. It occurs in nature with two different crystal structures as the rare minerals greenockite and hawleyite, but is more prevalent as an impurity substituent in the similarly structured zinc ores...

) exposure meter to the later AP-derived models, but in 1960 the next breakthrough arrived. At the 1960 Photokina camera show, Asahi exhibited the Spot-matic prototype. This camera took exposure measurements, via a spotmeter, through the taking lens, an incredible innovation. The camera excited tremendous attention and in 1964 the first production Spotmatic (hyphen dropped) emerged. The Spotmatic was virtually identical to the prototype; however, the spotmeter was replaced with an all-over average-reading exposure meter in order to give more consistent results. The camera was an instant success and was snapped up by the thousands, although Asahi had been beaten into production by the Topcon RE Super which went on sale in April 1963; the Topcon failed to attract the same degree of commercial success. The Spotmatic was replaced by the Spotmatic II with many upgrades 1971 - 1976.
In 1966 Asahi Optical had produced one million SLR cameras since the first Asahiflex of 1952. It took them only another three years, until 1969, to reach two million. This period was a time of complete pre-eminence for Asahi Optical. During the Spotmatic era Asahi were manufacturing more SLRs per month than all the other camera manufacturers combined. One of the technological highlights was the Electro-Spotmatic of 1971. This camera was one of the very first to incorporate automatic exposure. The series concluded in 1973 with the introduction of the Spotmatic F (now incorporating open-aperture metering rather than the stop-down metering of the early models).

However by the mid-1970s the limitations of the M42 mount were being felt. By this time most other manufacturers had opted for a bayonet lens mount. It was a great step for Asahi Optical to take but the M42 screw mount, by now widely known as 'Pentax screw mount

M42 lens mount

The M42 lens mount is a screw thread mounting standard for attaching lenses to 35 mm cameras, primarily single-lens reflex models. It is more accurately known as the M42 × 1 mm standard, which means that it is a metric screw thread of 42 mm diameter and 1 mm thread pitch...

', had reached the end of its useful life. Pentax were now to adopt the lens mount that would see them through the next 30 years.

Other Prototypes

In 1960, the same year that Asahi Optical introduced the Spot-matic prototype at Photokina, they also showed another SLR prototype which they called the Metallica. The Metallica gave a glimpse into the future direction of Pentax cameras; it featured a prototype bayonet lens mount, a vertical-traveling, metallic Copal-type focal plane shutter (from which the camera drew its name), and an already obsolescent coupled selenium light meter. The light meter was not TTL, but instead featured the typical large selenium mini-lens pattern on the front of the pentaprism. Otherwise the camera resembled the Spot-matic in appearance. While Asahi Optical didn't put the Metallica into production, the concepts of a bayonet lens mount and a metal focal plane shutter were already being discussed internally at the company.

In 1966 Asahi Optical showed a revised prototype of the Metallica named the Metallica II. Gone was the cumbersome selenium light meter, replaced with a now standard internal CdS meter. The Metallica II retained the bayonet lens mount shown in the earlier 1960 prototype, and also featured an improved Copal-square metallic shutter. But the biggest innovation was the fully automatic shutter operation coupled to the TTL meter. The metering system, for the first time in a 35mm SLR, controlled the shutter speed automatically based on the aperture set. With these innovative developments, the Metallica II pioneered features that would not surface on Pentax production cameras until the Electro-Spotmatic (ES) (automatic aperture-priority exposure) in 1971 and K2 (vertical metal shutter, bayonet lens mount, automatic aperture-priority exposure) in 1975. (Cecchi 1991:80-86)

K Mount cameras

K Series

K2 (1975–1980)
KX (1975–1977)
KM (1975–1977)
K1000 (1976–1997)

Three new models were introduced at once in 1975: the K2, KM and KX. The KM was almost identical in features and operation to the Spotmatic F. The KX featured a better TTL light meter using SPD (silicon photodiodes), visible aperture and shutter speeds in the viewfinder, and a mirror lock-up mechanism. The K2, the flagship model, incorporated aperture-priority autoexposure with a fully manually selectable range of shutter speeds from 8s to 1/1000. The only other aperture priority camera Pentax had made up to this point, the ES series, only had manual shutter speeds from 1/60 upwards. A special version of the K2 was also produced (called the K2DMD) to use a motor drive and data back. A later addition to the K series was the K1000 (basically a KM stripped of its self-timer and depth of field preview), later to find fame as the perennial camera of choice for photography students.

What set these cameras apart from any earlier Pentax was the removal of the M42 lens mount. With the K series of cameras, Pentax followed its rivals and introduced its own bayonet mount, the K mount. Still the basis for Pentax lenses and cameras today, this offered greater convenience and enabled the production of faster lenses such as the 50 mm . Eager to keep M42 users in the Pentax system, an M42-K Mount adaptor was offered, enabling M42 users to continue to use their existing lenses (with loss of automation).

The K series cameras followed the design ethos of the time, big and heavy. But scarcely had the K series been introduced, than Pentax began working on a new camera line, a new camera line reflecting a new ethos - one which continues to influence Pentax to this day.

M Series

The M series cameras were noted for their compact size, among the smallest and lightest 35 mm SLRs ever made. Except for the MX, all were based on the same basic camera body, and featured aperture-priority exposure automation. While superficially resembling the ME, the MX was designed as a manual-only SLR system targeted to the advanced amateur or professional photographer, and had its own set of accessories that were mostly incompatible with the other M series cameras. Conversely, the other M-series cameras were targeted squarely at casual users. None of the M-series, with the exception of the MX, featured a depth of field preview.

The ME featured aperture-priorty only automation with no manual override.
The MX

Pentax MX

The Pentax MX was a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Asahi Optical Co, later Pentax of Japan between 1976 and 1985.It was Pentax's flagship professional SLR until the introduction of the Pentax LX. Internally, the MX is essentially a smaller, lighter version of the Pentax KX, and...

was entirely manual and resembled the earlier KX in features.
The ME Super was an ME with a manual mode.
The MG, MV, and MV1 were even simpler versions of the original ME.

The ME-F was an early attempt at an autofocus SLR using a special 35-70mm zoom with a motor built into the lens.

ME-F (1981–1988)
ME (1976–1980)
ME Super (1980–1987)
MG (1982–1985)
MV (1979–1982)
MV1 (1979–1982)
MX (1976–1985)

A Series

The A series added fully programmed exposure control (adjusting both aperture and shutter speed automatically) to the M series. To enable control of the lens aperture by the camera body, it used the new KA-mount, a backward-compatible modification that also allowed the array of standard K-mount lenses to be used in manual and aperture-priority exposure modes. The A series were the first cameras from Pentax to use LCD digital displays for exposure information in the viewfinder. The super A / super PROGRAM and the program A / program PLUS both used a translucent white window on the front of the pentaprism to provide backlight to the LCD display without having to use the battery for illumination.

super A / super PROGRAM
Pentax Super-A
The Pentax Super-A, also sold in some markets as the Pentax Super Program was a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Pentax of Japan in the 1980s....

(1983–1987)
program A / program PLUS (1984–1988)
A3/A3000 (1985–1987)

LX

The Pentax LX

Pentax LX

The Pentax LX is a 35 mm Single-lens reflex camera produced by Pentax in Japan between 1980 and 2001. The lens mount is the Pentax K mount, allowing the use of almost all Pentax 35 mm format lenses, those made before 1975 using a screw-mount adapter with limited automatic functionality. ...

model was a tough, professional-grade competitor to the Nikon F3

Nikon F3

The Nikon F3 was Nikon's third professional single-lens reflex camera body, preceded by the F and F2. Introduced in 1980, it had manual and semi-automatic exposure control whereby the camera would select the correct shutter speed . The Nikon F3 series cameras had the most model variations of any...

, the Canon F-1

Canon F-1

The Canon F-1 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Canon of Japan from March 1971 until 1976's introduction of the mildly updated F-1n, while in 1981 a New F-1 was launched. The new Canon FD lens mount was introduced along with the F-1, but the previous Canon FL-mount lenses were...

, Olympus OM cameras, and Contax

Contax

Contax was a camera brand noted for its unique technical innovation and a wide range of Zeiss lenses, noted for their high optical quality. Its final incarnation was a line of 35 mm, medium format and digital cameras engineered and manufactured by Kyocera, and featuring modern Zeiss optics...

RTS. It is rugged, weatherised and sealed against dust, yet compact and light. It has interchangeable focusing screen

Focusing screen

A focusing screen is a flat translucent material, usually ground glass, found in a system camera that allows the user of the camera to preview the framed image in a viewfinder. Often, focusing screens are available in variants with different etched markings for various purposes...

and viewfinder

Viewfinder

In photography, a viewfinder is what the photographer looks through to compose, and in many cases to focus, the picture. Most viewfinders are separate, and suffer parallax, while the single-lens reflex camera lets the viewfinder use the main optical system. Viewfinders are used in many cameras of...

; the S69 screen is particularly bright. The LX uses an advanced metering system that also reads the light falling on the film and the first shutter curtain during exposure, the TTL

TTL

TTL may refer to:* Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor, a state-owned manufacturer of cigarettes and alcohol in Taiwan* Through-the-lens metering, a feature of cameras capable of measuring light levels in a scene through their lens...

OTF (off the film) feature, a Minolta

Minolta

Minolta Co., Ltd. was a Japanese worldwide manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It is perhaps best known for making the first integrated autofocus 35mm SLR camera system...

patent, but utilised by Olympus in the OM-2

Olympus OM-2

The Olympus OM-2 was a single-lens reflex system camera produced by Olympus of Japan.-Main Features:The Olympus OM-2 was an aperture priority automatic camera , based on the earlier, successful Olympus OM-1 body...

in 1975. The selected aperture value and shutter speed are shown in the viewfinder. The camera remained in production for more than 20 years.

LX (1980–2001)

P Series

P5/P50 (1986–1989)
P3/P30 (1985–1988)
P3n/P30n (1988–1990)
P30t (1990–1997)

SF Series

The SFX (called the SF1 in the US) was the world's first AF SLR with built-in TTL auto flash, which is retractable. Pentax has referred to the built-in flash as "RTF" (Retractable TTL Flash) ever since then. Pentax SAFOX I (Sensor Ability Fortifying Optical Compensating System) autofocus module was integrated to these series.

SFX/SF1
Pentax SFX
The Pentax SF-X was a camera from the Japanese Pentax brand, manufactured by the Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. . It is also known as the Pentax SF-1 in the United States, and was first produced in 1987. It was Pentax's second Autofocus 35mm SLR after the Pentax ME F...

(1987–1989)
SFXn/SF1n (1989–1993)
SF7/SF10 (1988–1993)

Z/Pz Series

The second generation of autofocus cameras from Pentax. They are equipped with new SAFOX II autofocus module and power contact to enable power zoom function in power zoom FA lenses.

PZ-10 (1991)
PZ-1 (1991)
PZ-20 (1992)
PZ-50 (1992)
PZ-1P (flagship model) (1994)
PZ-5P (flagship model) (1994)
PZ-70 (1995)

MZ/ZX Series

This innovative series brought the "small and light" concept back from previous generation manual focus cameras. This series known as MZ models elsewhere were named ZX models in the USA except MZ-S, the MZ-5 being known as the ZX-5 in the USA. The exception to this rule was the MZ-6 which was known as the ZX-L in the USA. Models shown on the same row are model replacements/upgrades in the range, so the MZ-10 was replaced by the MZ-7 which was subsequently replaced by the MZ-6.

All members of this series are compact autofocus SLRs except the MZ-M. The flagship model in this series is the MZ-S which body materials are metal, faster film drive and higher flash sync speed. Only MZ-S and MZ-6 are compatible with newly introduced P-TTL flash system. Both models can control remote flash wirelessly by popup flash commander mode in normal or high-speed flash sync.

SAFOX IV/V autofocus module are integrated into this series.

Models which were also backward compatible with both the KA and K mounts:

MZ-S (Flagship model)

MZ-3

MZ-5 MZ-5n

MZ-10 MZ-7 MZ-6/ZX-L

MZ-M (manual focus version and no built in flash)

Models which were backward compatible with the KA mount but not the K mount:

MZ50 MZ30

MZ60

MZ-D Prototype

The Pentax MZ-D

Pentax MZ-D

The Pentax MZ-D, also known by its internal code name of MR-52, was a prototype digital single-lens reflex camera from Pentax of Japan. It was announced at Photokina in September 2000 and was demonstrated to the press at the Photo Marketing Association show in January 2001...

, also known by its internal code name of MR-52, was a prototype digital single-lens reflex camera

Digital single-lens reflex camera

Most digital single-lens reflex cameras are digital cameras that use a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder on the back of the camera....

. It was announced at Photokina

Photokina

The photokina is the world's largest trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries. The first photokina was held in Cologne, Germany, in 1950, and it is now held biannually in September at the koelnmesse Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre...

in September 2000 and was demonstrated to the press at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show in January 2001. In October 2003, Pentax canceled the camera, stating "The cost of manufacturing the prototype SLR 6-megapixel digital camera meant it was not a viable product for our target market."

*ist Series (Digital)

In 2003 Pentax introduced their first Digital SLR

Single-lens reflex camera

under Digital *ist series and released the first flagship model, the Pentax *ist D which uses a Sony 6 megapixel

Pixel

In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....

CCD

Charge-coupled device

A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...

. Since 2003, the *ist D is the only digital SLR that can control HS wireless P-TTL from its pop-up flash and has many advanced features for professional applications. In 2004 Pentax released the second member in the digital *ist line, the Pentax *ist DS which is the first real consumer model (retailing under $1,000 USD). What set Pentax D and DS DSLRs apart from the competition was the clarity and high magnification provided by their pentaprism viewfinders, a very useful feature considering the support for legacy manual focus lenses. In 2005 Pentax released the Pentax *ist DL, a model with fewer features than the D and DS with a lower price. All Pentax's digital SLRs are compatible with K-mount lenses, and M42 (42 mm screw mount) lenses (with adaptor). Due to the smaller size of the CCD, lenses have an effective field of view of 1.5 × times the same lens in 35 mm format. So, where a 50 mm lens was considered a "normal" lens on 35 mm film, that same lens on a 1.5× "crop factor" camera has the field of view of a 75 mm lens on film. This only uses the center of the lens' projected image. To address this "crop factor," Pentax created a new series of lenses that were designed only to cover the smaller sensor. These are the DA series for their digital SLRs, which still feature the K-mount but have a smaller back-focus element designed specifically for use with the Digital SLR lineup. The DA series lenses do not have a mechanical aperture ring and so are not backward compatible with some earlier film bodies. The later D-FA lens series re-introduces a mechanical aperture ring and so is fully compatible with both film and digital SLRs.

SAFOX VIII are integrated into this camera series.

*ist D Flagship model (2003–2006)
*ist DS (2004–2005)
*ist DS2 (2005–2006)
*ist DL (2005–2006)
*ist DL2 (2006)

K Series (Digital)

In May 2006, Pentax announced a new line of Digital SLR cameras to replace Digital *ist series. The K100D

Pentax K100D

The Pentax K100D and similar Pentax K110D are 6 megapixel digital single-lens reflex cameras, launched in the U.S. on May 22, 2006. The K100D has a maximum resolution of 3008 x 2008, and can also down-sample to 2400 x 1600 and 1536 x 1024...

and K110D

Pentax K110D

The K110D is Pentax's entry-level DSLR. It has 6.1 Megapixels . The K110D is youngest of three sibling cameras in terms of specifications. It differs from the K100D only in lacking an in-body image stabilization system....

replaced *ist DL2 and DS2, while incorporating in-body shake reduction in the K100D model. The Pentax K10D

Pentax K10D

The Pentax K10D and similar Samsung GX-10 are 10.2 megapixel digital single-lens reflex cameras launched in late 2006. They were developed in a collaboration between Pentax of Japan and Samsung of Korea....

, a new flagship model in Digital K series replaced *ist D, adopted Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

10-megapixel CCD

Charge-coupled device

sensor and weather-sealing construction, was announced on 14 September 2006.

The K10D featured a pentaprism

Pentaprism

A pentaprism is a five-sided reflecting prism used to deviate a beam of light by 90°. The beam reflects inside the prism twice, allowing the transmission of an image through a right angle without inverting it as an ordinary right-angle prism or mirror would.The reflections inside the prism are not...

viewfinder (instead of the slightly dimmer pentamirror

Pentamirror

A pentamirror is an optical device used in the viewfinder systems of various single-lens reflex cameras instead of the pentaprism. It is used to reverse again the upside-down and laterally reversed image coming from the reflex mirror....

on some previous models), full programmed, aperture and shutter priority modes, and a new Sensitivity-priority mode where the rear dial adjusts light sensitivity and the camera adjusts shutter speed and aperture to maintain correct exposure. Power contacts on the lens mount were introduced to enable Pentax's SDM (Supersonic Drive Motor)

Ultrasonic motor

An ultrasonic motor is a type of electric motor powered by the ultrasonic vibration of a component, the stator, placedagainst another component, the rotor or slider depending on the scheme of operation...

for silent focusing. The power contacts also provide the power zoom function in some FA lens that Pentax introduced in the 1990s. In addition, the K10D could write JPEGs and two versions of RAW files (PEF, and the Adobe specification DNG

Digital Negative (file format)

Digital Negative is an open raw image format owned by Adobe used for digital photography. It was launched on September 27, 2004. The launch was accompanied by the first version of the DNG specification, plus various products including a free of charge DNG Converter utility...

).

The K100D Super was a slight upgrade to the K100D announced in June 2007. The upgrade included some features from the K10D, such as an improved shake reduction (SR) system, a dust removal system, and power contacts for SDM lenses, but which could not enable the power zoom function as the K10D.

On January 23, 2008, Pentax announced the K20D

Pentax K20D

The Pentax K20D and its clone, the Samsung GX-20, were 14.6 megapixel digital single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by Pentax that were announced on January 23, 2008. The K20D was available in the U.S...

and K200D

Pentax K200D

The Pentax K200D is a 10.2 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on January 24, 2008 along with the higher-end K20D. It was discontinued in December 2008, giving it the distinction of being one of the shortest-lived DSLR cameras....

, which replaced the K10D and K100D series respectively. The K20D featured a Samsung

Samsung

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

14.6 megapixel CMOS

CMOS

Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor is a technology for constructing integrated circuits. CMOS technology is used in microprocessors, microcontrollers, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits...

APS-C

Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives...

sized sensor, a special 21 frame/s burst mode

Burst mode (photography)

Burst is a mode in a camera mostly in SLRs. In this mode, several images can be captured with one press on the shutter. This is used mainly in mixed-light conditions or when the subject is in successive motion. The photographer can then select the best image of the group or arrange them in a...

, live preview

Live preview

Live preview is a feature that allows a digital camera's display screen to be used as a viewfinder. This provides a means of previewing framing and other exposure before taking the photograph. In most such cameras, the preview is generated by means of continuously and directly projecting the image...

on the LCD display, and an increased sensitivity range extending to ISO

Film speed

Film speed is the measure of a photographic film's sensitivity to light, determined by sensitometry and measured on various numerical scales, the most recent being the ISO system....

3200. The K200D adopted the 10 megapixel sensor and weather sealing of the K10D, among other improvements, while retaining the smaller body size of the K100D Super.

The K-m / K2000 for US

Pentax K2000

The Pentax K-m is a 10.2 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 22, 2008 at the 2008 Photokina trade show along with the DA-L series of lightweight, inexpensive lenses. It was discontinued in November of 2009, being replaced by the more recent Pentax K-x.The K-m is...

was announced on September 22, 2008 at the 2008 Photokina

Photokina

trade show along with the DA-L series of lightweight, inexpensive lenses.

On May 20, 2009, Pentax announced the K-7

Pentax K-7

The Pentax K-7 is a 14.6-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on 20 May 2009. This is the first new flagship model released by Pentax since its merger with Hoya Corporation on 31 March 2008.- Features :...

as a replacement for the K20D

Pentax K20D

. It introduced an updated version of the Samsung

Samsung

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

CMOS

sensor, but with an entirely new compact design. Notable new features included full metal body construction, a pentaprism viewfinder covering 100% of the frame, 720p

720p

720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...

video capture, a quieter and faster shutter mechanism, and the ability to apply automatic corrections for lens distortion and lateral chromatic aberration

Chromatic aberration

In optics, chromatic aberration is a type of distortion in which there is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same convergence point. It occurs because lenses have a different refractive index for different wavelengths of light...

. This flagship model uses a 77 multi-zone metering system and updated focus - SAFOX VIII+. The K-7 was available from July 2009.

In September 2009 the K-x

Pentax K-x

The Pentax K-x is a 12.4 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 16, 2009. Pentax K-x uses an Exmor, Sony-made sensor . In some cases it even approaches the quality produced by full-frame DSLRs like the Nikon D700 and the Canon 5DMkII, both with larger sensors...

, was introduced to replace the entry level K-m / K2000 (US)

Pentax K2000

. It is regarded as one of the best APS-C DSLRs in terms of overall image quality, especially in high ISO performance.

In September 2010 Pentax announced the K-r

Pentax K-r

The Pentax K-r is a 12.4-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 9, 2010. The K-r is available in 3 body colors in North America, with other colors available only in the Japanese market. The K-r introduces a new SAFOX IX autofocus system and has a 3-inch...

, a 6 frames per second 12.4 megapixel camera and the K-5

Pentax K-5

The Pentax K-5 is a 16.3-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on 20 September 2010. It began shipping in mid-October 2010.Externally, the camera body is almost unchanged from the Pentax K-7...

, a 7 frames per second 16.3 megapixel camera. These cameras use a new, faster autofocus system, SAFOX IX.

Pentax K100D
Pentax K100D
The Pentax K100D and similar Pentax K110D are 6 megapixel digital single-lens reflex cameras, launched in the U.S. on May 22, 2006. The K100D has a maximum resolution of 3008 x 2008, and can also down-sample to 2400 x 1600 and 1536 x 1024...

(2006–2007)
Pentax K110D
Pentax K110D
The K110D is Pentax's entry-level DSLR. It has 6.1 Megapixels . The K110D is youngest of three sibling cameras in terms of specifications. It differs from the K100D only in lacking an in-body image stabilization system....

(2006–2007)
Pentax K10D
Pentax K10D
The Pentax K10D and similar Samsung GX-10 are 10.2 megapixel digital single-lens reflex cameras launched in late 2006. They were developed in a collaboration between Pentax of Japan and Samsung of Korea....

(2006–2008)
Pentax K10D Grand Prix (limited edition) (2007)
Pentax K100D Super (2007–2008)
Pentax K200D
Pentax K200D
The Pentax K200D is a 10.2 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on January 24, 2008 along with the higher-end K20D. It was discontinued in December 2008, giving it the distinction of being one of the shortest-lived DSLR cameras....

(2008–2009)
Pentax K20D
Pentax K20D
The Pentax K20D and its clone, the Samsung GX-20, were 14.6 megapixel digital single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by Pentax that were announced on January 23, 2008. The K20D was available in the U.S...

(2008–2009)
Pentax K-m
Pentax K2000
The Pentax K-m is a 10.2 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 22, 2008 at the 2008 Photokina trade show along with the DA-L series of lightweight, inexpensive lenses. It was discontinued in November of 2009, being replaced by the more recent Pentax K-x.The K-m is...

(Pentax K2000 in U.S.) (2008–2009)
Pentax K-7
Pentax K-7
The Pentax K-7 is a 14.6-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on 20 May 2009. This is the first new flagship model released by Pentax since its merger with Hoya Corporation on 31 March 2008.- Features :...

(2009–present)
Pentax K-x
Pentax K-x
The Pentax K-x is a 12.4 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 16, 2009. Pentax K-x uses an Exmor, Sony-made sensor . In some cases it even approaches the quality produced by full-frame DSLRs like the Nikon D700 and the Canon 5DMkII, both with larger sensors...

(2009–present)
Pentax K-r
Pentax K-r
The Pentax K-r is a 12.4-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 9, 2010. The K-r is available in 3 body colors in North America, with other colors available only in the Japanese market. The K-r introduces a new SAFOX IX autofocus system and has a 3-inch...

(2010–present)
Pentax K-5
Pentax K-5
The Pentax K-5 is a 16.3-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on 20 September 2010. It began shipping in mid-October 2010.Externally, the camera body is almost unchanged from the Pentax K-7...

(2010–present)

645D

In March 2010 Pentax announced its first medium format digital camera, the Pentax 645D. The camera has been in and out of development since 2003 and went on sale in Japan in May 2010 at MSRP

MSRP

MSRP may refer to:* Manufacturer's suggested retail price, in business* Message Session Relay Protocol, a protocol used for multimedia communications* MSRP Motorsports, a former name of the HP Racing NASCAR team...

of ¥850,000, with supplies to the rest of the world expected to start soon after. It is targeted at professionals doing outdoor photography—camera body features very high level of airtightness. It uses a 40 megapixels, 44 mm × 33 mm CCD sensor. At the same time, new series of lenses designated D FA 645 was also released.

Pentax Q

In June 2011 Pentax announced the 'Q

Pentax Q

The Pentax Q is a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera announced in June 2011. It uses a new lens mount which is smaller than the old Pentax K mount....

' mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and the 'Q-mount' lens system. At release, it will have a small 1/2.3 inch 12.4 megapixel CMOS sensor.

Optio (Digital)

Pentax Optio A30 has a 10 MP 1/1.8" image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, a 2.5" LCD display screen, and in-body SR similar to that used on Pentax DSLR models.

Pentax Optio A40 has a 12 MP 1/1.8" image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, a 2.5" LCD display screen, and in-body SR similar to that used on Pentax DSLR models.

Pentax Optio E40 has an 8 MP image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, a 2.4" LCD display screen, and supports standard AA batteries.

Pentax Optio E80 has a 10 MP image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, a 2.7" LCD display screen, and offers HD video recording.

Pentax Optio E90 has a 10.1 MP image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, a 2.7" LCD display screen, and offers HD video recording. Features rubberized surface. Comes in black and cherry red.

Pentax Optio H90 has a 12.1 MP image sensor, a wide-angle 28-140mm (5x) optical zoom lens, a 2.7" LCD display screen, and offers widescreen 720p HD video capture at 30 frame/s recording. Features advance pixel track shake reduction. Compatible with the SDHC technology. Comes in black, white, and orange.

Pentax Optio I-10 has a 12.1 MP image sensor, a wide-angle 28-140mm (5x) optical zoom lens, a 2.7" 16/9 LCD display screen, and offers HD video recording. Its design is reminiscent of nearly all Pentax SLRs and is similar in size to the old Auto 110 SLR camera, this makes it a "retro-stylish" camera (classic look, slim design). Comes in black, white and "classic" (silver & black).

Pentax Optio M20 has an 7 MP image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, and a 2.5" LCD display screen.

Pentax Optio M40 has an 8 MP image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, and a 2.5" LCD display screen.

Pentax Optio P80 has a 12 MP image sensor, a 4x zoom lens, a 2.7" LCD display screen, and offers HD video recording.

Pentax Optio RS1000 has a 14.1 MP image sensor, a 4x zoom lens, a 3.0" LCD display screen. Comes in sunset palm color.

Pentax Optio RZ10 has a 14.1 MP image sensor, a 10x zoom lens, a 2.7" LCD display screen, and offers 720p HD video at 30 frame/s recording. Features sensor shift shake reduction. Comes in black, lime, violet, and white.

Pentax Optio S10 has a 10 MP image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, a 2.5" LCD display screen, and is DivX

DivX

DivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...

certified.

Pentax Optio V10 has an 8 MP image sensor, a 3x zoom lens, and a 3.0" LCD display screen.

Pentax Optio W10 has a 6 MP image sensor, an internally zooming 3x zoom lens, 2.5" LCD display screen, and is waterproof - 30 minutes of continuous operation at an underwater depth up to five feet, and dustproof (Class 5 dustproof performance of category 2).

Pentax Optio WPi has a 6 MP image sensor, an internally zooming 3x zoom lens, 2.0" low-reflection LCD display screen, and is waterproof (JIS Class 8 water resistant rating). Continuous underwater picture-taking possible for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5m to ten feet for up to 2.5 hours at a time.

Pentax Optio W30 has a 7 MP image sensor, an internally zooming 3x zoom lens, 2.5" LCD display screen, and is waterproof to ten feet for up to 2.5 hours at a time.

Pentax Optio W80 has a 12.1 MP image sensor, a 28-140mm (5x) zoom lens, 2.5" LCD display screen, and is waterproof to 5 meters for up to 2.5 hours at a time. It also offers HD video recording.

Pentax Optio W90 has a 12.1MP CCD image sensor, a 28-140mm (5x) optical zoom lens plus 6.25x digital zoom, 2.7" LCD display screen, waterproof up to 6 meters, HD video 720p30 and also offers "Ring flash

Flash (photography)

A flash is a device used in photography producing a flash of artificial light at a color temperature of about 5500 K to help illuminate a scene. A major purpose of a flash is to illuminate a dark scene. Other uses are capturing quickly moving objects or changing the quality of light...

" by three front-mounted bright LEDs clustered around the lens. Comes in orange, black, and pistachio.

Pentax Optio WS80 has a 10 MP image sensor, a 35-175mm (5x) zoom lens, 2.7" LCD display screen, and is waterproof to 1.5 meters for up to 2 hours at a time.

Pentax Optio X90 has a 12.1 MP image sensor, a 26-676mm megazoom (26x) lens, a 2.7" LCD display screen. Fast shooting at up to 11 frame/s. 1 cm super macro mode. Comes in professional black.

Pentax Optio Z10 has an 8 MP image sensor, an internally zooming 7x zoom lens, a 2.5" LCD display screen, and in-body SR similar to that used on Pentax DSLR models.

Other formats

Pentax is one of the few camera manufacturers still producing medium format cameras. , there are two offerings, one in the 6×7 format, the Pentax 67 II

Pentax 6x7

The original Asahi Pentax 6×7 of 1969, as well as the later Pentax 67 models, are SLR medium format system cameras for 120 film. It resembles a traditional 35mm SLR camera with interchangeable viewfinder and lens, but is considerably bigger and heavier, weighing with plain prism and standard lens;...

and one in the 6×4.5 format (Pentax 645NII). Both use 120 roll film

120 film

120 is a film format for still photography introduced by Kodak for their Brownie No. 2 in 1901. It was originally intended for amateur photography but was later superseded in this role by 135 film...

. These cameras build on the Pentax SLR design experience. The shape of the Pentax 67 is broadly similar to a 35 mm SLR camera. By contrast, the Pentax 645 resembles other medium-format cameras by makers such as Mamiya

Mamiya

is a Japanese company that today manufactures high-end cameras and other related photographic and optical equipment. With headquarters in Tokyo, it has two manufacturing plants and a workforce of over 200 people...

and Bronica

Bronica

was a Japanese brand of professional medium format roll-film cameras, including rangefinder and single-lens reflex models.Bronica cameras first appeared in 1958, when the company's founder, Zenzaburo Yoshino, introduced a camera of his own design, the Bronica Z rollfilm camera, at the Philadelphia...

, which tend to be cube-shaped.

Another interesting product was the tiny Auto 110

Pentax Auto 110

The Pentax Auto 110 and Pentax Auto 110 Super are single-lens reflex cameras made by Asahi Pentax that use Kodak's 110 film cartridge. The Auto 110 was introduced with three interchangeable lenses in 1978. Three more lenses were introduced in 1981, and then the Super model was released in 1982....

reflex system, based on the 110 pocket-instamatic

110 film

110 is a cartridge-based film format used in still photography. It was introduced by Kodak in 1972. 110 is a miniaturised version of Kodak's earlier 126 film format. Each frame is , with one registration hole....

film format.

External links

The largest database of M42 mount lenses and Pentax K compatible (more than 5000 models) PhotoPentax.com

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Background

The Asahiflex Series

Asahi-Pentax Series (pre Spotmatic)

Spotmatic Series

Other Prototypes

K Mount cameras

K Series

M Series

A Series

LX

P Series

SF Series

Z/Pz Series

MZ/ZX Series

MZ-D Prototype

*ist Series (Digital)

K Series (Digital)

645D

Pentax Q

Optio (Digital)

Other formats

See also

External links