THOUGHTS ON SOME OF THE NEW CAMERAS FROM PHOTOKINA

Well, Photokina has come, and gone, and as expected there were several new, and interesting cameras announced. I will just focus on the ones that matter to me. I don't have any pictures because I don't like taking photos from other people's websites. A quick Google search will give you all you need.

Sigma, as anticipated, introduced the SD14. The specs were pretty much as people expected. A 4.7 megapixel Foveon sensor translating to 14 megapixels per Sigma math. That should equate to around 8 megapixels in Bayer terms. I'm sure image quality will be a knockout, but to be honest with you, I'm not all that excited by it now. Price/value is key for me, and from what I can tell, this camera will be close to $2000 usd. It's amazing that it took Sigma a couple of years since the SD10 to add basically one extra megapixel to the new model. I don't know, I'll reserve final judgement when I see the results from the camera.

The real suprise from Sigma was the DP1, a point and shoot using the same Foveon sensor as the SD14! The camera has a fixed 16mm (28mm equivalent) f/4 lens. This was a bold move from Sigma, and I can see this camera being a cult favorite like the Ricoh GR-D. I would've preferred a faster lens, but apparently f/4 on that small lens would be optimal for the sensor. I haven't heard about a price, but you can guess that it would be on the high side. All in all, it sounds great, and I can't wait to see it. From the images of the camera on the web, it looks cute, but the build looks a little cheap to my eyes. Hopefully, I am wrong.

Fuji announced their much anticipated S5 Pro, the replacement to their S3 Pro. The surprise is that the S5 now comes in a D200 body! Aha...so that's why there was such a D200 shortage, huh? When I first saw the pics, I thought it looked like a genetic mutation. It was hard to imagine Nikon licensing their hot D200 body to anyone else, but they did! So the S5 will have great build, and autofocus ala the D200. But will it process any faster? That part is still up to Fuji, and that was the major complaint on the S3. Hopefully, it will be much better. The camera also seems to have the same 6 megapixel sensor as the S3, but with "increased" dynamic range. I think we all expected a bit more from Fuji. The success of the S5 will depend on how Fuji prices it. They've always been known to overprice their dslrs, and if that's the case, the S5 is out of consideration for me. The increased dynamic range is nice, but not something you'd see in everyday shots based on my S3 experience. No way would I pay more than a D200 for this body. I hope Fuji will do the right thing, but I doubt it. That's it for now...SC

LENS ADAPTATIONS I: Pentax K Lenses On Olympus Digital Bodies

One of the great joys of the Olympus E-System for me is to be able to use legacy lenses from different manufacturers on a digital platform. The E-System has perhaps the most adaptable mount in the industry, surpassing even the Canon EOS mount.

Now why would you want to use old, manual focus lenses on an E-1, say, when there are many great Zuiko Digital lenses out there? Well, for one, you now open yourself up to a vast array of choices for great lenses, some esoteric stuff, some legendary stuff, and many at bargain prices. The other answer is why not?

As an example, the image above shows the E-1 with the classic Pentax 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens. The equivalent Pentax 40mm Limited lens of today goes for about $300 or so. This old lens can be gotten for a little over $100, sometimes less on Ebay. The adapter was an el-cheapo I got on Ebay for $20. On the E-1, the 40mm Pentax becomes an 80mm f/2.8 due to the 2x conversion of the 4/3 sensor.

The lens had to be modified to fit the adapter. The lens aperture lever had to be modified (cut, slightly) to fit into this adapter. I hate to "butcher" any lens, but have become quite proficient at it, adapting several lenses for myself, and others. Adapting lenses for the Sigma dslrs was even worse, as I had to crudely sand down the plastic on the rear of the lenses to get a fit. But in the end, it's the usability, and my comrades were happy to have some nice, manual focus lenses to use on their machines. None of these modifications are particularly difficult, only a little time consuming to get it right. If you're not inclined to do it yourself, I may be offering a service for a nominal fee in the future.

There are other, more expensive Pentax K to E-System adapters out there, and I am not sure if they allow a perfect fit for the K lenses to the E-System, but if you have a vast array of K lenses, it would be worth checking out.

Results? The 40mm f/2.8 pancake was a little soft wide open, excellent stopped down. I wouldn't say it was better or worse than any other standard lens out there. It does have nicer bokeh wide open to my eyes than most standard 50mm lenses. But other than being 10mm wider, the only real difference between the pancake, and say, your plain-jane 50mm f/1.8 is simply the "cool-factor" in how it looks when mounted on your camera. For that the lens gets a 10!

Tech Note: "Bamboo," Olympus E-1 with 40mm f/2.8 Pentax @ 2.8

Copyright 2006 Sam Charupakorn

THOUGHTS ON THE PENTAX K10D

Pentax created quite a buzz with the recent introduction of its K10D digital slr. From the specs, and the images on the web, it does look to be quite an interesting camera. A 10.2 megapixel sensor, a weather-sealed semi-pro body, a 22-bit digital to analog image processor/converter, dust removal, in-body anti-shake just a few of the many highlights of this potential powerhouse dslr. Oh, did I mention the tons of K-mount lenses available? The AF lens selection may be a little lacking when compared to offerings from Canon, and Nikon, but there is a serious amount of manual vintage, and legacy lenses available in the Pentax K-mount.

Pentax, while not as big a player here in the US as the big two, is a very well respected manufacturer, and major player in the home country of Japan. Pentax medium format gear is a favorite among Japanese professionals.

The K10D looks to be a very competitive offering, not only in specs, but in price.
The camera is slated to sell for $899 USD body only, or $999 with kit lens. While I like many things about this camera, there are a couple of niggles for me, with the 1/180th flash sync being my main gripe. I mean, if you're going to build a killer body with weather seals and all, why go half-ass with the flash sync? That doesn't make sense to me, unless Pentax has plans for an even higher model.

In any event, I wish to see the K10D succeed. Competition is good for all consumers. Olympus was the first out with a dust removal system that worked really well, and proved poplular with its fan base. So well in fact, that now dust removal is becoming a standard feature. Pentax, it would seem, should be out of the game by now in this very competitive arena, the way so many companies have folded in the digital era. Instead, they are still going strong. And if the K10D is a success, it will only strengthen their standing in the digital arena, and perhaps reclaim some of their past glory as one of the truly great names in photography.