RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: The Pentax Q Announced!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Pentax Q Announced!

Dpreview previewed:-
http://dpreview.com/previews/pentaxQ/

The pop up flash look funny and special, recall me of those lift-up cage on trucks for highway/road maintenance! ;-D

A side-by-side size comparison to the NEX-C3:-

The shutter is inside lens:-

The new Q lenses (2 Auto, 3 Manual "Toy" fixed aperture "low-cost" lenses):-
http://dpreview.com/news/1106/11062310pentaxqlenses.asp

The official specifications of these lenses in details can be found at the Japanese homepage of Pentax:-

http://www.pentax.jp/english/news/2011/201109.html

	High-performance Series		Unique Series
Product Name	PENTAX-01 STANDARD PRIME	PENTAX-02 STANDARD ZOOM	PENTAX-03 FISH EYE	PENTAX-04 TOY LENS WIDE	PENTAX-05 TOY LENS TELEPHOTO
Lens Mount	PENTAX Q (Metal mount)		PENTAX Q (Plastic mount)
Flange Focal Length *	9.2mm
Lens Construction	8 elements in 5 groups	8 elements in 7 groups	6 elements in 5 groups	4 elements in 3 groups	3 elements in 3 groups
Angle of View	49.5°	76.0° - 29.0°	160°	64°	24.5°
Focal Length (in 35mm format)	8.5mm (47mm)	5mm - 15mm (27.5mm-83.0mm)	3.2mm (17.5mm)	6.3mm (35mm)	18mm (100mm)
Aperture	F1.9	F2.8 - F4.5	F5.6	F7.1	F8
Diaphragm Control	Automatic		Fixed
Lens Shutter	O		-
ND Filter	O		-
SP (Super Protect) Coating	O			-
Minimum Focusing Distance	0.2m	0.3m (whole zoom area)	0.09m	0.07m	0.27m
Maximum Magnification	approx. 0.05x	approx. 0.06x	approx. 0.06x	approx. 0.15x	approx. 0.08x
Filter Diameter	40.5mm		Not compatible
Maximum Diameter	45.5mm	48.5mm	40.6mm	40.6mm	40.6mm
Minimum Length	23.0mm	48.0mm	30.5mm	25.0mm	19.5mm
Weight	approx. 37g	approx. 96g	approx. 29g	approx. 21g	approx. 18g
Hood	MH-RA 40.5mm (option)	PH-SBA 40.5mm (option)	Not compatible

The prices of the lens as shown in the Japanese Pentax Online Shop are as follows:-

01 STANDARD PRIME Bundled (Body + 01 Lens = ￥69,800) (US$872.5)
02 STANDARD ZOOM￥24,800 (US$310)
03 FISH EYE￥9,800 (US$122.5)
04 TOY LENS WIDE￥5,980 (US$74.75)
05 TOY LENS TELE PHOTO￥5,980 (US$74.75)

Besides, the optical viewfinder accessory O-VF1 is asked for ￥19,800 (US$247.5)

And, other official pages about the Pentax Q are as follows:-

Pentax Q Special Site (Japanese): http://www.pentax.jp/japan/products/pentax-q/

The Pentax Q Introduction and Full Specs: http://www.pentax.jp/english/news/2011/201108.html

Yet, there is another preview with hands-on video at Engadget with more product images:-
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/23/pentax-releases-q-worlds-smallest-interchangeable-lens-digital/

You can see clearly the tiny sensor and the look and design of the new Q-mount in the above video.

In addition, the Akihabara News also had a similar hands-on report with video:-

http://en.akihabaranews.com/99434/icon-cat/press-conference/hands-on-pentax-introduces-a-new-compact-camera-with-the-pentax-q

http://vimeo.com/25493612

Finally, Ned has a larger official family photo for the Pentax Q (which could not be found elsewhere so far!):-

Last but not least, the IR has pixel-peeped the Q, already!

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/PENTAXQ/PENTAXQA7.HTM
[Update (6-25): All samples have been withdrawn upon the request from Pentax. :-(]

Previous Reports:-

The "Pentax Q" Specs and Product Images Leaked right Before the Official Announcement (Today)

As the ILDC World Turns.. (June 20)

The Pentax Q is to be Announced on June 23rd (June 19)

The "Pentax Q" (New Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens System w/ Small Imager) (June 3)

Comments (22)

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+1 Vote up Vote down

Ying · 717 weeks ago

Oh Gawd! O_o

+1 Vote up Vote down

Ying · 717 weeks ago

Oh Gawd! :|

They should just stock to the name NC-1 (Brain Dead One).

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 717 weeks ago

所謂”腦殘一號”是了麼？ :-D

0 Vote up Vote down

Ying · 717 weeks ago

Yep that's thhe one :) The Mainland Chinese users sure come up with some funny names for camera gears.

-2 Vote up Vote down

Toomas Kadarpik · 717 weeks ago

Very good IQ at this size sensor, external flash interface, manual modes, leaf shutter to sync flash to high speeds, compact body, interchangeable lenses. Why should one need a dslr who is exposing his pictures just in the Internet.

4 replies · active 717 weeks ago

+2 Vote up Vote down

RiceHigh 110p · 717 weeks ago

Yes, for web sized photos, prosumers, DCs or even cameraphones are all we need! ;-D

+3 Vote up Vote down

kadajawi · 717 weeks ago

Horrible IQ at this price point. If I have this money I'd rather buy a NEX-3. Doesn't look much larger (and the NEX-3 has a wonderful size). Images are way superior. Or just buy a Panasonic LX5. Better image quality, half the price. Or a Canon S95 or Nikon P7000 (same as the LX5). Or a Canon SX130 IS with probably rather similar image quality, full manual controls, RAW (via hack), and it doesn't even cost a quarter. And covers a larger zoom range. Actually I have the SX130.

+6 Vote up Vote down

Baffled · 717 weeks ago

That's right, but then you also don't need an ILC. Marketing-wise Pentax have shot themselves in the foot a few times, I'm afraid this time they shot themselves in the head. Hopefully the APS-C model will be more common sense, and have the K-mount on board (with a new mount, hardly any current Pentaxian is likely to buy it)

-1 Vote up Vote down

Denis · 717 weeks ago

With K-mount mirroless pentax won't shoot their head but cut it off ;)
It will be too huge, no point at all. May be adapter, but the native mount must not be K.
On the other hand, the APS-C mirrorless will kill any reason to buy Pentax DSLR. But, to be honest, Samsung NX-20 will kill it anyway: it has better pancakes than DA Ltds, it's more compact than "compact" pentax DSLR's and it suits hobbyists very well and I see no reason to use Pentax for pros.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Wait and see. · 717 weeks ago

Very low noise at iso 1600. Probably better than Canon G10 or Nikon Coolpix.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+4 Vote up Vote down

Baffled · 717 weeks ago

How about comparing like with like? (with ILCs = GF, NEX)

+4 Vote up Vote down

areabridges · 717 weeks ago

Don't want a new lens mount; to many of us in the U.S. the main attraction of Pentax is that we have lots of old lenses we can use. Expensive, too. Finally, "special" is one word for the flash -- I'd call it "atrocious". Ugly, impractical, destined to be broken promptly. I'm generally something of a Pentax apologist, but I'd only get excited about this camera if it was given to me free.

2 replies · active 717 weeks ago

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illdefined · 717 weeks ago

the flash can fire unextended as well.

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areabridges · 717 weeks ago

I did eventually figure that out; it's less awful than I first thought! I'm hopeful for future developments of this concept, but for now I'm happy with my K-5. (A FF mirrorless that takes K-mount lenses is what i'm hoping for, but I will not be holding my breath.)

+6 Vote up Vote down

Tony · 717 weeks ago

This camera at this price point is a joke. WTF were they thinking? I know what.. they weren't. They must be bleeding money right now. I don't see how they can be profitable selling their stuff. The Sony NEX line of cameras is my choice of camera unless someone comes out with a Full Frame mirrorless :)

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Mike · 717 weeks ago

Why isn´t LS in some K lens? Shitt... *55 LS with X sync 1/2000 will be dreamlens. And huge magnet across Canon and Nikon users.

0 Vote up Vote down

Chris · 717 weeks ago

Maybe they will offer a K-mount adapter.
Should be possible, as the Q has no mirror and the lens can be positioned slightly in front of the camera.

3 replies · active 717 weeks ago

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Ying · 717 weeks ago

The Q mount does not have mechnical link of any sort, so if they were to make an adaptor, then the adaptor will need to have Adature lever for the DA lens that does not have Apature ring!

And even then ALL you K mount lens will be manaul only - manual focus/ manaul apature.

Somehow I doubt this will be very realistic.

They really have shot themselves in the head this time! If this thing sells for $300 then maybe there will be a cult following but $800???

To think, materially this thing shoudn NOT justify $800 tag at all!

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Ying · 717 weeks ago

No a K to Q mount won;t be practicale.

1. Due tot he sensor size conversion ratio, even a 18mm lens would become a short tele. The only usable lens as a standard would have be the 12-24!

2. The Q mount is pure electronical. How do you control your apature on your DA lens? If you include apature mechanism in the adaptor itself, then what do you do with those FA lens WITH their own aparture rings?

3. All PK lens will become pure manaul lens with no auto function what-so ever.

I don't think such an sdaptor will make any sense. However, as is the fact that Pentax released the Q, I won;t be surprised if they are going ahead to do even more senseless things...

+1 Vote up Vote down

Denis · 717 weeks ago

15Ltd will be about 83mm equivalent. The 77Ltd will be supertelephoto range lens. And their optical quality is too low to use it with such a tiny sensor.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Jayl · 717 weeks ago

Pentax where are you going with this? I'm affraid your going alone on this one. At a price point of 800, tsk tsk tsk ...if you made something like this for less than 500 then maybe..

Keep it up and this might be a Q for you to close shop.

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RiceHigh's Pentax Blog

Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Pentax Q Announced!

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