Q7 Premium Kit Limited

http://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info2/2014/20140403_004972.html

・PENTAX Q7 camera body (Color: black x black)
・PENTAX-01 STANDARD PRIME (Color: black)
・PENTAX-02 STANDARD ZOOM (Color: black)
・PENTAX-06 TELEPHOTO ZOOM
・PENTAX-08 WIDE ZOOM
・MH-RB40.5 Metal Hood for 01 (Color: black)*
・PH-RBB40.5 Plastic Hood for 02
・PH-RBA40.5 Plastic Hood for 06
・PH-RBF49 Plastic Hood for 08
・PENTAX -100 PL Polarizing filter**
・O-CB133 Camera Bag
・Special kit box

Japanese Best DSLR/ILDC Sellers in 2013

http://bcnranking.jp/news/1312/131227_27056.html
(in Japanese, Google translation to English Here.)

So, Pentax K-30 is on the list, ranked no. 11 amongst the best DSLR sellers of the big 20. As for ILDC, the three Pentax Qs are all on the list, namely no. 7 for the Q10, no. 15 for the Q and no. 18 for the Q7. Not bad results indeed.

Yet Another Inteview with Ricoh Official Published Today! (by DC Watch)

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/interview/20131225_628900.html
(in Japanese, Excite English Translation Here.)

The machine-translated English article is quite readable, although the content of the interview itself is not so meaningful and it is most consisted of pure sales talks for what we already knew or things that are trivial, e.g, the SR system is still improving (as it always should!).

Worst Cameras of the Year 2013 - Pentax Q7

http://photorumors.com/2013/12/18/worst-camera-of-the-year-2013/

New Q Body Firmwares Released

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/digital/q_s.html

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/digital/q10_s.html

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/digital/q7_s.html

Well, will there be a new firmware upgrade, whenever a new lens is released and marketed? :-o

Official: Details of New Q System 08 Wide Zoom Lens

Via: http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/japan/products/q7/lenses/index.html

In short,  the following are the specs:

- 3.8-5.9mm, 35mm equivalent on Q7 is 17.5-27mm
- Maximum apertures from F3.7 to F4
- 3 glass-molded aspherical elements
- 38mm in length and 75g in weight

Size Comparison: Pana GM1 Vs Pentax Q7

http://camerasize.com/compare/#491,464

When the Wrong Lens Hood is Used for the Same Lens..

Then vignetting or even dark corners will happen, for the case of the same Q 02 lens that is used on a Q/Q10 versus a Q7, see the following test:

http://bbs.kakaku.com/bbs/K0000264454/SortID=16353126/?Reload=%8C%9F%8D%F5
(in Japanese, Google translation to English Here.)

So, the new flower-shaped lens hood must be purchased separately for the old lens owners, otherwise the old lens hood cannot be used, since it is incompatible.

It seems that Pentax had no good planning in changing the sensor size, so just causing this problem.

Btw, according to the test results, the dark corners are even larger in area when the automatic lens correction is turned off. Do note also the serious barrel distortion of the 02 lens that actually produced, which is terrible:



When it is corrected, it looks somehow better, see and compare:



So, nowadays, the trend of those camera and lens manufacturers are giving us junk lenses, and then images are corrected by software. Of course, there is no free lunch after all, some IQ must be lost and the correction would never be perfect.

German IFA 2013: Ricoh Will be On Show

The IFA show  is coming next month, from 6 to 11 September. This show is meant for consumer electronics and digital products. A quick search at their official page found that Ricoh will be on show:



But yet entering key word of "Pentax" in the same search page gives two returns, one Sigma lens and one Metz flash. So, the Ricoh booth above is the only real Pentax related thing that is found, hopefully!

After all, I expect Ricoh will not be there to show photocopiers of theirs. So, what will be shown? K-50 and Q7?? :-o

New Pentax Reviews: Q7 and K-50

1. DPR's Q7 review is out. Wow, it is completed published so quickly this time. Has Ricoh done something? ;-)

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentax-q7

The overall mark given is quite low, though.

2. Full K-50 review at PF:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/pentax-k-50-review/conclusion.html

So, this is the key point of the conclusion:

"With that said, the K-50 is essentially nothing more than a K-30 in a redesigned casing.  The differences that do exist between these two cameras are subtle and do not affect image quality or usability.  The only new feature to speak of is dedicated support for eye-fi wireless SD cards.  Thus, relative to the competition, Pentax has stood still for about a year now."

"The one thing that discourages us from recommending the K-50 is the fact that it's so similar to the K-30." 

A Latest Interview with the Japanese Ricoh Head

The Chinese Fengniao editors interviewed the Ricoh head who is in charge of the Pentax camera business just a few days ago, when he came to China for something:

http://qicai.fengniao.com/387/3874303.html
(in Simplified Chinese, Google English Translation Here.)

I've opted to translate some key excerpts of the interview and putting aside all the other marketing bullshits (although many things are still bullshiting, which I can't help and avoid!), as follows:


Q: With the integration of Pentax and Ricoh, will the brand Pentax be removed in the end?

A: No, we have no plan to do so. For those products which are special enough, they will continue to carry the Pentax badge, like the Q and WG series. Otherwise, some adjustments would be needed.

My comment: Did he mean that only mediocre products should carry the Ricoh badge? ;-p And do note that the K series is not mentioned! :-o


A: The ex-Pentax and Ricoh staff of the development team are now working together as a team and at the same place. They can complement each other for the shortcomings amongst them. Because of the integration, some staff are now travelling in longer distances. An Hi-end product is being developed by the team. (But what it actually is was not disclosed.)

My comment: I do not believe in what he said for that "hi-end" thing, according to his past tracking records! :-o 


Q: Now, what's going on for the Pentax Full Frame thing?

A: Our development team is still working on it and the project is not aborted.

Q: What Pentax is to do to tackle with the higher pixel count and new generation of sensors with new functions by the competitors, like the newly developed one used in the Canon 70D?

A: To be a responsible company, we are not chasing only the pixel count, as higher pixel count means worse noise and high ISO performance. That's the reason that we did not follow blindly.

My comment: I have only two words to say: BULL SHIT!

 
Q: All the 16MP Pentax cameras are with the same architecture?

A: No. They are different and the newer is better. If one is going to disassemble the cameras, the differences can be seen.

My comments: Bull shitting again, as usual. Is he going to tell us the K-30 and K-50 are much different, putting aside the body shell?! He forgot that there are also official specifications of the cameras?! Actually, Pentaxians are good at disassembling cameras and lenses! And my Blog has documented many of those, here.


Other things that told by the Ricoh Head himself:

- The K-01 Blue White (Smurfs) edition was endorsed by Marc Newson for the colour combination.

- The K-01 was not discontinued owing to the low demand. But it was discontinued owing to the higher demand than that the production could meet. 

My comment: Man, are you serious? Are you kidding? You are a LIAR!!


Oh, I've really given up at this point. This guy is really helpless and the replies are mostly junk. I do appreciate the direct and acute questions that the Fengniao editors have asked for us, for what we all Pentaxians have been concerning most, though! Thanks, guys! :-)

The Name PENTAX is Dismissed from the Cyber Space! >:-(

The name of PENTAX was a history of the past since August 1st 2013. Look what Ricoh has done to destroy the name Pentax! >:-{ For instance, click the following, i.e., the old Pentax Japanese homepage:

http://www.pentax.jp/

It will be forwarded to the following page immediately:

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/moved/

It is told that the old webpage does no longer exist, visitors should click on the link to Ricoh Imaging web domain directly, here.

However, in the main page of RICOH, whilst we see the K-50, Q7, GR, K-5II and WG-3, we do not and cannot see the name of Pentax along with them! For instance:



I think a Ricoh K-50 and a Ricoh Q7 as it appears it entirely not correct and is actually rather disgusting!

In particular, I think only this is correct for the make and model amongst the five!



After all these happenings, I think Ricoh heads are actually having their brains grown under their asses! I feel obliged to say this but had to air it out! Even Hoya opted to keep all Pentax websites and domains and of course back to the old Asahi days Pentax.something was used all over the Internet. This is for the first time in the history of Pentax the name of "Pentax" was completed removed in the whole Internet! >:-o It is really a stupid move which is only meant to show sovereignty but no benefit of any but all disadvantages instead!

The intention of Ricoh is now very clear, what they wanted to do is to remove and destroy Pentax the name step-by-step and eventually Pentax will be absorbed and completely removed! I did hope that Ricoh should do good things to Pentax and improved many things by hard working for what Hoya had not yet done. However, the reverse is true for the reality.

After Ricoh's takeover for two years now, Pentax' product development is ever slowest and the name is now even destroyed. Damn Ricoh! If you just want to destroy Pentax, just did NOT buy it even it was dirty cheap for the deal! It is just all stupid and nonsense, even solely in commercial sense!

My last word, if some days later the name Pentax is completed removed and all new cameras and lenses are marked Ricoh, I will not buy anything from the company anymore, and NOT EVEN ONE! >:-[

Update: Now the Pentax Online Camera Store has also disappeared and it is now called "Ricoh Imaging Online Store" but for 99% of the goods it is selling are Pentax items! Funny but ridiculous enough?!




Related:

Change of Company Name: From "Pentax Ricoh" to "Ricoh" Only

Q7/Q10 Designers' Stories (Interviews)

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/interview/20130719_607368.html

The above article is in Japanese, an Excite machine-translation to English can be found here.

Actually, there is not much useful information that we do not know, but if you still want to read it further, just click the above! ;-)

Customize and Colorize the Ricoh GR, Pentax Q7 and K-50!

http://www.pentax.jp/japan/support/customize.html
(in Japanese)

Update (8-5): The above picture link is dead because Ricoh has changed the domain name of their website. I just won't bother to correct that as it's the sole fault of Ricoh!

Well, the main point of those RP cameras is now colours, not the colours of the images they produce, but the colours of the camera shells! Well done, Ricoh! >:-(

Q7 Japanese Commercial Video (TV Ad.)

Broadcast Version (30 seconds):



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B4GtAqJM99M

Online Version (Loooong!):



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L34Ei6oqRjE&feature=player_embedded#at=47

Via Pentax.jp

Everything is in Japanese.

Besides, speaking of YouTube videos that I have embedded and linked to, last time I discovered that the YouTube server robot had automatically indexed many of my linked videos in a single summary page, for those videos that have been more popular amongst my readers, under my Blog name, here it is:-

www.youtube.com/channel/HCOmpHTJSxNi0

So, my thanks to YouTube, that is an easy and quick reference for myself, also! :-)

Q7 Complete Set Unboxing and Basic Measurbations for All Q Lenses

http://www.monox.jp/digitalcamera-sp-pentaxricoh-q7-all.html
(in Japanese)

via PFC (in Traditional Chinese)

Different ISO settings are measurbated. It is worth noted that NR does have effect at the base ISO of 100 already, if "strong" is selected.

And, there are more measurbations for all the Q system lenses, including distortion and resolution measurements. For instance, here are the 01, 02 and 02 test pages, respectively:-

http://www.monox.jp/digitalcamera_special_pentax01.html

http://www.monox.jp/digitalcamera_special_pentax02.html

http://www.monox.jp/digitalcamera-sp-pentaxricoh-06.html

Furthermore, a side-by-side comparison against the Q10 is also made:-

http://www.monox.jp/pentaxricoh-q7-1.html


(Above: Left Q7, Right Q10)

And this is the actual sensor size difference:-




Related:-

More K-50 and Q7 Stuff at Pentax.jp

Sony RX100 II Announced

http://store.sony.com/p/20.2-megapixel%2C-RX100/en/p/DSCRX100M2/B

Will you consider this instead of the new Ricoh GR or Pentax Q7, or even over the old Pentax MX-1? Undoubtedly, the RX100 II is far more versatile and it compromises well for its features set, performance, sensor size, camera size, image quality and then the price! Well, it does support an EVF and has a flipped monitor, too!

In fact, as a current Q user, I do not consider the Q7 anymore, which is not a real upgrade for me. The RX100 II seems to be a much better combo than the Q7 with a 02 zoom lens. And, last time I inspected the Q7 samples, the corner performance of the Q7 images with the original 01 prime lens is actually not that good.

Updated Q Lens Roadmap to Show Effective AoV with Different Sensors

http://www.pentax.jp/japan/products/lens/images/Q_Mount_Lens.pdf

01 to 07 lenses on Q/Q10 against Q7 are shown. The crop factors / multiplying factors of the 3 toy lenses are complicated, as they are all different on the Q7!

Pentax Q7 Brief Hands-on at PF

http://www.pentaxforums.com/news/pentax-q7-first-impressions.html

I think the only useful information that is provided is the following:-

"The Pentax 03, 04, and 05 lenses do not support the Q7's larger sensor.  These lenses will automatically be used in a crop mode on the Q7.  With adapted DSLR lenses, the crop factor has changed to 4.5x, down from 5.6x."

First Looks of the Q7 and K-500 at EPhotoZine

Q7: http://www.ephotozine.com/article/pentax-q7-hands-on-preview-22178



K-500: http://www.ephotozine.com/article/pentax-k-500-dslr-hands-on-preview-22177



The K-500 preview reminds me of how Pentax could make "two" new camera"s" by just: One bundled with a lithium battery and then the other with an AA battery holder plus without the installation of the weather sealed rubbers at the factory, that's it! >:-o