The announcement of this new Pentax dSLR is all over the web, but here is one link:

The 10 megapixel Pentax K10D digital SLR camera. Pentax invites you for test drive with their latest digital SLR camera, the K10D. The new SLR features 10.2 megapixels and a host of advanced technologies including Shake Reduction and a weather-resistant body. The K10D body will ship by November 2006 for $899, and as a kit with the DA 18-55mm lens for $999. A new smc Pentax-DA 70mm F2.4 Limited lens, designed for exclusive use with Pentax digital SLR cameras will ship in October 2006 for less than $600… [DCVIEWS Digital camera and photography news]

George Barr has also posted a brief but dead-on note (Pentax K10D – Awesome Specs) about the camera at Behind the Lens:

These are really practical features to add – not frills like you see on some cameras – impressive looking but not really useful – who wouldn’t love a sensor that was easy to clean, image stabilization without buying it in every single lens, or forking out big bucks for a robust camera that can take the beach, stream, snow storm or rain.

The Online Photographer also offers a summary: Little Giant-Killer.

Judging from the specifications and features, this camera could well be a credible competitor to offerings from Canon, Nikon and, more recently, Sony. With a price in the same range as the excellent Canon 400D, this Pentax camera offers a number of appealing and useful features, notably including weather sealing – a feature not available from Canon except on their extremely expensive 1-Series cameras.

Although few lenses have been announced, the body apparently is backwards compatible with the large base of existing Pentax lenses, many of which are notable for high quality and excellent design. (By the way, the new Pentax-DA 70mm F2.4 Limited lens announced along with the camera looks like an example of Pentax’ innovative thinking about camera optics.) Many years ago my two favorite backpacking cameras were a Pentax ME and a Pentax MX, used with excellent 100mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4, and 45mm (?) f/2.8 lenses. I’d love to see that glass put to use on a quality digital body.

In any case, it is great to see more viable competition emerging in the digital SLR marketplace, where Canon has reigned supreme recently. I have nothing at all against Canon – I use Canon gear exclusively and like it a lot – but additional competition can only be good for photographers.
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There is considerable gnashing of teeth in a Fred Miranda discussion thread about the new IS version of the excellent Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens. A number of writers think that the IS feature should be added on the cheap, and are outraged at the $1250 list price of the lens. Some are suggesting a (rather hopeless) boycott of the lens to force Canon to lower the price, and some feel that “L” lenses are no better than the $200 alternatives and that only fools would purchase L lenses.

I don’t think the pricing of the new lens should be much of a surprise. The more expensive f/2.8 version of this lens comes in IS and non-IS versions. At one online retailer you pay a $560 premium for the IS version.

B&H sells the old non-IS version of the f/4 lens for $585. Add the $560 premium for IS (based on the additional cost of that feature on the f/2.8 version) and you might predict a realistic cost for the new lens of about $1150.

It seems a bit overpriced at list, but if it drops $100 it should be right about where you would predict – and the price will drop after the lens is out for awhile. There is no reason to think that the price for adding IS to the 70-200 f/4 L would be much different than that for adding it to the f/2.8 lens.

While I can’t say that every L is better than every non-L (there are some excellent non-L lenses), there really is a difference in optical quality and build quality – and some of us find these differences to be significant.

I predict the following will happen once the whining dies down:

• Some people – impatient, or really needing it right now – will buy this lens at full list price as soon as it comes out.
• A bit later the price will drift downwards – as the price of new gear always does – and others will purchase it.
• Despite the proposal to boycott the lens (yeah, right… ;-) Canon will sell plenty of them over the next decade or so.
• The lens will end up with a reputation as one of Canon’s best, especially for those who value lighter weight, want to save a few hundred dollars over the f/2.8 IS, and/or don’t need f/2.8. *
• Some people will buy the less expensive non-L lenses and be quite happy with them.
• Others will buy a less expensive non-L lens, be happy with it for awhile, gradually discover the difference, and upgrade to a better lens.

* The non-IS version of this lens has a stellar reputation. It is said to be as sharp as (or sharper than) the excellent f/2.8 version of the lens – I know that mine is a great performer. In addition, it is smaller and lighter and considerably less expensive than the f/2.8.

Once the price softens I’m pretty certain that I’ll sell my non-IS 70-200 f/4 L and upgrade to the IS version.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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(With Photokina coming up and the new product rumor mill kicking into high gear, I posted something similar to the following in an online forum yesterday.)

Today I was pondering Canon cameras and how the different models fit into Canon’s overall line-up. I wonder if Canon might be heading towards something like the following:

• A 400D (or 370XTi, or whatever it might be called) is introduced. More buyers consider it instead of the 30D since image quality is arguably as good or better, it increases the MP count to 10+, it has some cool new features such as dust removal, larger LCD, etc. Maybe the 30D gets lost in the shuffle.
• But that’s OK. At some point Canon lowers the price of their low-end 12 MP full-frame camera (the 5D or something similar that follows) to a point only a few hundred dollars above the price of the 30D (perhaps $1500-$1800)… and the 30D then goes away. In other words, Canon moves the portion of the market that was interested in the crop sensor 30D “up” to a FF sensor camera at a price point not too far above that of the 30D. (How many 20D/30D owners would consider an upgrade to a 12 MP FF camera under these circumstances? Quite a few, I think. And those who wouldn’t? They would continue to be happy with their 20D/30D, or maybe even think about the 400D.)
• A new FF camera is eventually introduced at a price point midway between the re-priced 5D and the 1-series cameras – in a sense it takes the place of the current 5D. Perhaps it has a 16 MP sensor and a few other desirable features not in the 5D, such as a high frame rate for action/sport photography, etc.
• At some point the 1-series cameras merge into a single new body with the same pixel density as the 8.2 MP cameras, but on a full frame sensor – thus providing something like a 22 MP sensor.

Another thought… people have pointed out that the pixel density on a 22 MP full-frame sensor is about the same as that on an 8.2 MP 1.6x crop sensor. However, if Canon and others can now put 10+ MP on the 1.6x crop sensor, shouldn’t it be possible to create a full-frame sensor with the same pixel density that provides about 26-27 MP?

And one more… perhaps the current 350D sticks around as the new low-end DSLR, at a reduced price?

Just today I saw that Dell is selling the 5D for less than $2500. Hmmm…

Just for fun, here is a totally speculative before and after view of the market segments.

Market	Price	Current	Future
Casual	$100-$400	P&S Camera	P&S Camera
Amateur	$500-$700	Hi quality P&S Camera	350D or similar w/kit lens, crop sensor
Serious amateur	$900-$1000	350D	400D/XTi w/10 MP and crop sensor
Semi-pro/serious amateur	$1500-$2000	30D	5D or similar w/FF 12 MP
Pro/semi-pro	$3000-$3500	5D	3D (?) w/FF 16 MP
Pro	$7000-$10000	Current 1-series	New 1-series w/FF 20+ MP

All of this – in the nutty spirit of the “rumor thread” where I posted it – is totally wild conjecture and has no basis in actual fact whatsoever. But what the heck, its fun to speculate, too… ;-)

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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A report of a 100+ megapixel sensor at Luminous Landscape:

The CCD device, which measures approximately four inches by four inches, has a total resolution of over 111 million pixels (10,560 pixels x 10,560 pixels at 9µm). It is the world’s first imager to break the 100 million pixel barrier.

Almost more interesting than the 111 million pixel figure is the 4″ x 4″ size. Can you say “digital view camera?” I thought you could.

Of course, this thing is no doubt absurdly expensive – but the absurdly expensive becomes widespread and affordable sooner than you might imagine these days.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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