Pentax has launched a new mirrorless interchangeable lens camera - the Pentax K-01 (pronounced "kay-zero-one"). It utilizes contrast detection because of the absence of a mirror, which will probably be detrimental for its focusing speed. However, unlike most EVIL (electronic viewfinder interchangeable lens) cameras, the 16MP K-01 is nearly as thick as the flagship Pentax K5. Which begs the question - why design an EVIL camera when you cannot capitalize on its key advantage, i.e a compact size? With an APS-C sensor, the Sony NEX cameras are much more compact, even though the Pentax can accept the range of Pentax K-mount lenses. The K-01 is the work of famed designer Marc Newson (whom I'm a fan of), but the design of this Pentax just leaves me in the cold with its odd blend of design cues.

Sorry Pentax - I love your K5 and K7, and I think your Q is something special and unique. But the K-01 looks like the work of some bad boardroom decisions.

Pentax - Terminator, or terminated?

Just like the Terminator movies, Arnold Schwarzenegger always returns with “I’ll be back”. So just when almost everyone has written off Pentax, they’re back with (gasp!) a medium format digital camera!

I suspect many readers are not familiar with Pentax’s history, so here’s a short jaunt down memory lane. Pentax was a big brand in the past, and it had glorious cameras including iconic medium-format ones such as the Pentax 645 and Pentax 67. Pentax then has a history of doing things differently, because while most brands designed their cameras to have interchangeable film backs, Pentax alone decided that users should not be allowed to change films.

As made evident by history, this decision did not resonate well with photographers. So I’m befuddled when Pentax decided to wade into the medium format digital camera market – which is highly saturated, extremely competitive and limited in size. What aghast me even more – is the decision to incorporate a non-interchangeable digital back! There are a few arguments against such an arrangement – you can’t clean the sensor easily unlike interchangeable digital backs. The Pentax 645D has ultrasonic dust cleaning function, but we all know some spots cannot be removed that easily. Secondly, you cannot upgrade the sensor without throwing away the entire camera. Or if the camera jams on you during a shoot, you cannot change the back onto another working camera body. And finally, you cannot use the expensive digital sensor on another camera (such as another brand or even on a large format camera), which most of the other interchangeable digital backs allow you to do so.

So why on earth did Pentax come to this decision to design a non-interchangeable back? I suspect pride and ego contributes greatly to this folly, although I think they rather call it heritage and consistency.  Pentax also claims that the P645D is extremely durable and dependable with this body construction, as well as offering superior weather sealing. Nice, but I’d rather have the flexibility of having interchangeable backs. I guess they’ll be selling a lot of the P645Ds to National Geographic then.

The Pentax 645D features a 40MP medium format digital sensor, and it also accepts the legacy Pentax P645 lenses (might as well… I suspect existing P645 users are the only ones who will buy this camera… and they number in the hundreds). I usually like to root for the underdog, but this is one puppy that’s not a top dog for sure.

And the Oscar goes to.... Pentax!

As mentioned in my previous post, I think Pentax is full of crazy ideas (think colourful DSLRs and launching a digital medium format camera). I'm not sure I can agree with their off-tangent thinking, but they sure caught me off-guard with this one. You see - Pentax launched the K-7 DSLR last year boasting HD movie recording, but everyone's eyes were on Canon's 5D Mk II and Vincent Laforet's movies.

So Pentax said enough is enough, and they commissioned filmmaker Jamin Winans and Futuristic Films to shoot a movie with the K-7 DSLR and Pentax lenses. While the quality of the HD movie is good, I'm more impressed by the crazy script and the great execution of a wild idea. Seriously, anyone who has worked in a corporation would be impressed with the guts of the executive who approved this movie. Drugs, gun battle, wild car chases... not the typical kind of stuff a Japanese company would normally endorse.

Check out this movie made by the Pentax K-7... a lovely combination of wild ideas, great imagination and fantastic dose of fuzzy love!

Pentax counts down for digital medium format launch

Just like a phoenix, Pentax is attempting to reinvent itself and rise from the ashes again. The venerable imaging brand had been struggling in the past decade, never really being able to put up a good fight against the likes of Canon and Nikon (or Sony for that matter). Pentax fans say that the recent crop of Pentax DSLR has great performance or bang for the buck, but I'd say that Pentax would need better marketing to take off from the dumps (regardless of the product).

Pentax is one company that is willing to take risk and boldly go where no other brands have gone before, although I'm not sure if that's out of sheer desperation. Just look at the colourful Pentax K-x DSLR - I'd bet Canon and Nikon will never do anything that brave! I'm not too sure what that does for the sales though - perhaps the Japanese domestic market love it, but I sure would like to stick with the more conventional colours.

Now Pentax is gearing up to launch the elusive Pentax 645D - a medium format digital camera. It ain't gonna be easy going up against Canon/Nikon/Sony in the 35mm DSLR market, so Pentax has also leveraged on its medium format cameras to open up a new market for itself in the digital arena. It sure takes a lot of guts, because Pentax is going into a market where other Japanese brands such as Contax and (original) Mamiya have collapsed.

The medium format (MF) market is a tough one, especially for digital cameras. Digital MF cameras are very expensive (if makes a flagship Canon/Nikon look like a toy in price), and the market is not exactly growing very quickly. With Hasselblad and Mamiya dominating the market with their comprehensive lenses and system accessories, as well as Imacon and Leaf digital backs respectively, it takes a brave brand (Leica S2 comes to mind as well) to swagger into the waters of digital medium format. Let's hope Pentax has something exciting for us, because I'd hate to see another established brand go under.