When the Diffraction Limit is Reached..

First see the Physics formulae for the calculation:-

http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2011-07-11

After all, the following is obtained for the Diffraction Limits, against different F-numbers (for 550nm Green light):-

F-number [f/]	Resolution [μm]
1.0	0.67
1.4	0.94
2.0	1.34
2.8	1.88
4.0	2.38
5.6	3.76
8.0	5.37
11	7.38
16	10.74
22	14.76
32	21.47

So, just say that the Diffraction Limit at f/2.8 is in 1.88um, which means that the pixel pitch size of the sensor have to be larger than that limit in order to avoid resolution loss owing to diffraction. Now, let's look back at the pixel pitch size of the Pentax Q sensor, which is in 1.55um only, that means that a faster lens with a larger aperture has to be used. In this case, a f/2.0 lens could just make it.

Btw, with that small sensor size and hence pixel pitch, what miracle should we expect? Will it work against the Law of Physics? And, should the Q user stop down the lens when shooting outdoor under brighter environment? But then the resolution will be decreased and Image Quality suffers.. And most importantly, we all knew that optics are not in optimal performance when used near wide opened. Besides, how about when the "02" kit zoom is used? In fact, it is just too slow and has gone beyond the diffraction limit by one to 2.5 f-stops already even when it is used wide opened! :-o


Related:-

Comparison of Sensor Specifications

When the Sensor Outresolves the Lens.. (How Meaningful is a 24MP APS-C Sensor?)

Pentax Fans Club Blog Members/Authors Recruitment

http://pentaxfansclub.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-members-recruitment.html

@ http://pentaxfansclub.blogspot.com/

With the wide publicity from my this Blog, I think many people will read your new articles if you are to write something that is good enough over there. And I am sure that I will help to make the new blog grows and promote it as appropriate in the future. It's just your take now! :-D

Pentax Q Wins in a Recent Poll..

.. for "Who Will Die First"! @ 1001 Noisy Cameras! Look at:-

Which mount will get cancelled first? (poll)

Oh well, most people believes that the Pentax Q-mount will get killed and eliminated first! I don't think so anyway as a majority of new comers who are buying a new ILDC knew nothing about the sensor size! The appearance of the Q could be appealing anyway, as it is just considerably smaller than what are being offered in the market. After all, I think time will tell!

For me, I might buy that Nikon "X810", to replace my old Fuji F810, which I bought in the old days to complement my *ist D. But for years, I seldom use the Fuji actually:-



Do note that the F810 has a 1/1.7" sensor which is equivalent to a 4.4X focal length multiplier and yet still better than that of the Q, which is in 5.5X.

Nikon Mirrorless Will Have a Larger Sensor Than the Q

This is the leaked picture of the supposed upcoming Nikon mirrorless mount and sensor:-



via Mirrorless Rumors

And then let's look at the comparisons made by a DPR poster as below:-


Above: Upcoming Nikon Mirrorless (Left) Vs Pentax Q (Right)

Below: Nikon Mirrorless (Left) Vs Micro-4/3 (Right)


via 1001 Noisy Camera

The quick conclusion is that the Nikon sensor will be right smaller than the micro-4/3 in size but yet still much larger than that of the Q.


Related:-

How Large a Sensor that Pentax Could Put Into the Q?

Another "Q" is Coming - The NIKON Q?! Kidding?

Leaked Pentax Marketing Q&As in the P-Q Pre-Release Press Conference

Pentax K Series Ranks Below Average in a Recent DSLR User Satisfaction Survey by J.D. Power

"A study conducted by market research firm J.D. Power and Associates has found that “Nikon Pro Series” DSLRs rank highest in customer satisfaction. The company surveyed 4,500 verified online DSLR buyers to find out their satisfaction across five factors: image quality, durability, features, ease of use, and responsiveness."

From: http://www.petapixel.com/2011/07/19/nikon-ranks-highest-in-online-customer-satisfaction-among-dslr-buyers/

Via: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=38944858


Actually, Pentax K ranks No. 5 amongst 7 with a "just-failed" mark of 883 below the passing mark of 887. Nevertheless, the K is still ahead of the Canon Rebel as well as the Sony A, which is ranked last.

Market Leaders of Digital Imaging/Electronic Gadgets for the First Half of 2011 in Japan

See the BCN report below, the sales results are for the first half of the calendar year 2011, in Japan:-

http://www.bcn.co.jp/press/press.html?no=260
(in Japanese, via latest news article and brief summary at DC Watch today)

Full English translation of the report in pdf via Google can be read here.

So, here is what I've copied and pasted the English-translated full table of the Japanese No.1 market leaders of those:-



So, Canon takes almost all the crowns for traditional digital camera stuff including P&S DCs and DSLRs and Lenses, whilst Olympus is the market leader for the mirrorless (ILDCs). Sony is there for several things, but they are not solely camera related, i.e., these are either audio or video/visual related things. Besides, Sandisk is still the king of memory cards used for the digital cameras.

Endless K-5 Issues.. :-o

Someone has done an experiment recently and found out the possible root cause of the K-5 mirror flopping issue:-

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=38904425

It is concluded that it is a design issue, i.e., problem may happen for freshly charged batteries with higher voltage. Do note that original batteries are used in the test.

Next, yet another K-5 user has reported that the e-dial of his K-5 has stopped working, just like some K-r users encountered before:-

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=38937756

And then, a new K-5 user has had his K-5 AF malfunctioned only in 5 days and his unit now behaves in an erratic way, see his recently recorded video:-


(Above: Shockwave Flash File; URL: http://www.56.com/u94/v_NjE2MTM5ODc.html)

via http://forum.xitek.com/showthread.php?threadid=889568
(in Simplified Chinese, Google machine translation to English here)

The serial number of his K-5 unit begins with 403, which is amongst quite a new batch of the production. But still.. The user has made such a joke himself, the 403 s/n is just an unlucky number from the beginning, as when you visit a web page, returning an error code of 403 is simply not a good thing, as it just means "Forbidden"! :-o

Large Size Pentax Q Sample Photos Plus Hands-on Movie Review Posted by Pentax Insider

(Above: First and Last Pictures - ISO 3200 with the Pentax Q)

First of all, view this Flickr gallery:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/n00bs/sets/72157627083831739/with/5943039553/

Test samples in Large (but not Full) Size (in 3200 x 2400) preserved with Complete EXIF data are posted. Do note that those are real-world shots taken both indoor and outdoor and for various subjects including portraiture and scenery. But the undoubtedly more important thing for the pixel peepers is that the ISO speeds used ranged from 125 to 3200! :-o By inspecting those real-life samples, we can now have a much better idea about the IQ/PQ of the Q and how it should perform actually, e.g., with the standard 8.5mm "01" prime lens. And, will the small sensor with supposed to be better optics plus more intensive image processing do the magic? Go figure out yourself! :-D

It should be noted that the firmware version of the Pentax Q under test is in 0.30 as shown in the EXIF, that means that it is yet a beta firmware, with Pentax normal tradition of firmware numbering, i.e., production firmware version should be named as 1.00 and above.

Furthermore, there are some other interesting photos posted in which the objects in the photos are somehow special, including a never-seen-before Pentax Q with transparent outer shell as well as the never-mass-produced Pentax Full Frame DSLR prototype K-1. Go have a look and I'm sure that you, as a Pentaxian, will not be disappointed! Do note again that all photos were made with a Pentax Q!

Last but not least, the same author posted also a "movie (hands-on) review" of the Pentax Q. In which, we can see clearly about some of the operations of the Q, and more importantly, we can finally learn something about the system performance of the Q, for the first time, e.g., the AF speed and responsiveness and rate of continuous shooting:-


(URL: http://youtu.be/RRbi_zEK5GI)

Enjoy! :-D

Some Recent 645D User Photos

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=38911085
(Hong Kong Street Photos: People, etc.)

It is noted that whilst the Medium Format gives the user a shallow DoF and thus a better sense of depth, the thin and limited DoF is really something that is difficult to deal with, as it can be seen.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vincent-fang/5914482526/in/set-72157627019114829/lightbox/
(A Greece Vacation: Scenery)

The Image Quality looks very good and the photos by themselves are not bad! Enjoy!

New Pentax Q Hands-on Preview (with Demo Video)

http://www.quesabesde.com/noticias/pentax-q-analisis-fotos-video,1_7779
(Google-translated English page here)

via http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=38902166

In particular, we can have a look at how the built-in flash of the Q is operated.

N.B. The video won't play at the Google-translated page. As such, you have to play it at the original page.

A Red 645D Limited Edition is Announced

It is announced today, two of the latest news reports:-

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/pentax_releases_645d_in_redlacquer_finish_news_308669.html

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1107/11071308pentax645dGP.asp

Well, of course I like this camera but will NOT buy, coz' its not in K-mount and I have no money to buy it, neither! ;-D

If you have followed my Blog for longer, you may know that I like RED cameras, see:-


(Source: http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-like-red-cameras-d.html)


(Source: http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2009/10/red-k-x-is-delayed.html)

And also this may be related:-


(Source: http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1307126887.html)

Do the red colour of our glorious 645D is close enough to that cheapy entry level 1100D of Canon, which is also a limited edition anyway! ;->

Update (7-15): Minolta released a special edition of the Alpha 707si which is quite close to the 645D SE in the colour and pattern. And, even though the wooden boxes for the package look so alike! Of course, as we all know it now, after that, Minolta was closed down for the camera business! Oh, NO! ;-)



via http://forum.xitek.com/showthread.php?threadid=892144

Official On Sales Dates of the Pentax Q Kits, Lenses and Accessories

See the latest Pentax announcement at their Japanese home-site:-

http://www.pentax.jp/japan/news/announce/20110709.html

(Google English Translation Here)

The release time table for the different Q things are copied and pasted as below:-

製品名 Product name	発売日 Release Date	価格 Price
PENTAX Qレンズキット Lens Kit PENTAX Q （01 STANDARD PRIME付） (With 01 STANDARD PRIME)	2011年8月31日 August 31, 2011	オープン価格 Open price
PENTAX-03 FISH-EYE PENTAX-03 FISH-EYE
PENTAX-04 TOY LENS WIDE PENTAX-04 TOY LENS WIDE
PENTAX-05 TOY LENS TELEPHOTO PENTAX-05 TOY LENS TELEPHOTO
外付け光学ファインダー O-VF1 O-VF1 External Optical Viewfinder
PENTAX-100 PLフィルター PENTAX-100 PL Filter
MH-RA40.5 MH-RA40.5 （PENTAX-01 STANDARD PRIME専用フード） (PENTAX-exclusive hood 01 STANDARD PRIME)
専用カメラケース O-CC115 Camera case O-CC115-only
PENTAX Qダブルレンズキット Double Lens Kit PENTAX Q （01 STANDARD PRIME、02 STANDARD ZOOM付） (01 STANDARD PRIME, with 02 STANDARD ZOOM)	2011年9月中旬 Mid September 2011
PENTAX-02 STANDARD ZOOM PENTAX-02 STANDARD ZOOM
PH-SBA40.5 PH-SBA40.5 （PENTAX-02 STANDARD ZOOM専用フード） (PENTAX-exclusive hood 02 STANDARD ZOOM

So, we shall not see the Q until the last day of August and they will only appear at the streets of Japan by that time. If you just want dual lens kit or the standard Q zoom lens alone, you have to wait till mid-September. As for the prices, they are "opened" ones, so they are not totally fixed and could still be varied. But of course, Pentax has already set the price ranges for those actually.

After all, I just wonder, why Pentax/Hoya announced the Q so early, if they only manage to deliver the goods as early (actually late) as that, even at their home country, i.e., more than two months after their official product announcement, worldwide.

K-5 and K-r Firmware 1.11 is Coming

See the following page, the new firmware name is posted but the download links haven't worked yet:-

http://www.pentax.co.uk/en/Photo-Downloads.html#MediaTypeID4



A quick check on the Japanese Pentax firmware support page reveals no update of any yet, though:-

http://www.pentax.jp/english/support/download_digital.html

So, I believe that the new firmware is to come, but the change(s) is/are not known. Btw, by looking at the revision/version numbering, I bet it will not be a major change, maybe it is only the need of essential debug on the last version of the firmware 1.10, which was meant to support the new Pentax GPS device, the O-GPS1, merely.

Update (7-14): The Pentax pages now have the updates available and the (only) change is as follows (so my guess made above is correct):-

Changes to V1.11

• Corrected method for obtain GPS data when developing RAW images that is contain GPS data on Version 1.10

  *If the collaboration model is updated with this software, original start-up screen is deleted and it is changed to standard start-up screen.

*If you have already updated to Version1.10, we are very sorry for this inconvenience. Please update to Version 1.11.

(Source: http://www.pentax.jp/english/support/digital/k-r_s.html)

I don't really understand the first remark btw, do you?


Related:-

K-r AF Accuracy Comparison: FW V1.10 Vs 1.01, under Yellow and White Light Sources

RiceHigh's Subjective Ratings on Pentax AF Lenses on Pentax DSLRs 2011

http://ricehigh.atspace.com/RiceHighs_Subjective_Ratings_on_Pentax_Lenses_on_Pentax_DSLRs_III.html

Sony is Also Making an APS-C 16-50mm/2.8 Lens

Just see what Sony Rumors reports:-

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-hot-16-50mm-f2-8-ssm-to-be-announced-in-late-august-for-799/

It will come very probably as the rumour rating is the highest, according to them.

I think this is really a good news to Sonyians with cropped APS-C Sony cameras and in fact the focal range and the lens speed/maximum aperture is just ideal as a standard APS-C zoom. As compared to the Pentax DA*16-50/2.8 SDM, the Minolta SSM technology should be far more reliable as it has been proven, btw. Frankly, if the DA*16-50 SDM is not so infamous for dead SDM motors, I would have bought one long time ago, and ditto for the slow focusing speed of the SDM.

Leica Lenses Manufacturing Process

Leica Lenses (English) from leica camera on Vimeo.



via Leica Camera Official Blog:-

http://blog.leica-camera.com/leica-news/the-leica-manufacturing-process/


Related:-

A Virtual Lens Plant!

Disassemble the DA21 Limited (and the Secret of the QSF Mechanism)

A Chinese Pentaxian (who is actually a camera/lens hacker!) has DIY to repair his DA21 with shifted infinity collimation position (over time) so that his could not focus at infinity as the far end of the focusing ring always hit the boundary:-

http://forum.xitek.com/showthread.php?threadid=640585
(Simplified Chinese, Google-translated English Page Here)

He disassembled both the rear and front parts of his lens in order to find out what he could do. Here are two of the posted pictures:-



On the course of disassembling the rear part, he discovered the secret of the Quick Shift Focus (QSF) mechanism. Below is the key components of the driving gears:-



He tells that the gears are designed in such a way that the driving force is only transmitted in one direction. That is, when the lens is driven from the AF motor of the body, the focusing ring will turn. On the other hand, when the focusing ring is turned by hand, the gears will be de-linked automatically, and that's how the QSF works.

Whilst I think he is mostly right. But however, I think the QSF is just more than a pure mechanical thing. As none of my DA lenses works with my older Pentax film SLR bodies like the MZ ones. The movement sometimes is limited in one direction and sometimes is not. As such, I suspect there is also some kind of electromagnetic mechanism to make it fully works.

Later on, the hacker discovered that it was not about the rear part for the problem he wanted to tackle and it should be about the front part. So, after some more inspections and trials, he finally found the key components that he should re-adjust and then re-applied the lubricant, here they are:-



So, he finally succeeded for what he had done in the whole course. Congrats, guy! But sometimes I just wonder, why so many Pentaxians needed to DIY but not sending their gear to the local Pentax service centres for calibration, adjustment and repairing? Is that the Pentax service quality could never meet the users' demands and the charges are too expensive and the places/opening times of the centres are rather inconvenient? ;-D


Related: Search Blog for the Keyword of "Dissemble"

When iPhone Just Do The Job, Why Pentax Q? :-o

(Source URL: http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/iphone-slr-mount/)

The camera sensor is small as well but it is dust proof, no matter how you are to change your lenses! ;-D


Read Also:-

Three Methods to Make Your Own Mirrorless!

Prolonged Shutter Time Lag of K-5 and K-r (Vs K-7 and K-x)

Imaging Resource (IR)'s K-r full review has been out (though it is a bit too late), here is the performance and timing measurement page:-

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/KR/KRA6.HTM

We can see that the shortest possible shutter/system time lag is in 97 milliseconds for the K-r.

Now, let's check the K-5 figures here, for what IR measured before, the best figure is of 92 milliseconds.

Well, if you are to compare the best figures of K-7 and K-x, in 74 and 82 milliseconds only, it can be noted that the shutter/system lags of both the K-5 and K-r are prolonged. In fact, the K-5 is even a bit worse than the K-x, and is not faster than the K-r by that much.

So, what causes this? Is this a measure to eliminate some of the severe shutter vibration and blur that were found and have been infamous for the K-7 and K-x?

P.S. This is my first Blog article that is edited and published with the new Blogger interface and tool at their trial test site of draft.blogger.com. It is easier to use and is more intelligent. I like it! Great job, Google! My thanks! :-D There are still quite some bugs exist, though, e.g., all posts are not displayed after publish of this article and sometimes drafted articles could not be saved. I hope Google will debug those soon!

Update (7-10):-

As per the suggestion of Blog reader Alex, I have summarised and tabulated some results of the DSLR system shutter lags, as measured by the IR for many different popular newer DSLRs, as below, for the sake of easier comparison:-

Rank	Make & Model	Shortest System Lag (in second)	Percentage Slower (against the fastest as the base)
Fastest	Nikon D3S	0.043s	0%
	Nikon D3X	0.045s	+4.7% (More Time)
	Canon 1DS3	0.045s	+4.7%
	Canon 1D4	0.049s	+14.0%
	Nikon D7000	0.053s	+23.3%
	Nikon D300s	0.053s	+23.3%
	Canon 7D	0.061s	+41.9%
	Canon 60D	0.063s	+46.5%
	Nikon D90	0.067s	+55.8%
	Pentax K-7	0.074s	+71.1%
	Canon 5D2	0.082s	+90.7%
	Pentax K-x	0.082s	+90.7%
	Pentax K-5	0.092s	+114.0%
	Canon 550D (T2i)	0.096s	+123.3%
	Pentax K-r	0.097s	+125.6%
Slowest	Nikon D3100	0.117s	+172.1%

So, do you have a better/clearer picture now? ;-D


Related:-

Is the K10D Really Sluggish in Shutter Lag?

K-5 Mirror "Jumpy" Videos Galaxy

The weather is hot in the summer, quite some K-5 units needed to stay indoor at air-conditioned rooms, otherwise, the following will happen! ;-D


(URL: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjcyMjg0NTA0.html)

via http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2011/06/clear-and-detailed-video-demonstration.html


(URL: http://youtu.be/IIQ01XfG3QE)

via http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2011/05/k-5-mirror-disorder.html

And also a newly uploaded clip:-


(URL: http://youtu.be/YV3R2YXKCyM)

via http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php?tid=1042618

Oh, I believe those affected K-5 users will hope much that Winter to come sooner! :-o

Retrolization of your Digital Cameras!~

Changing the skin of a Pana FX70 to a 1938 Leica Standard!



Video URL: http://youtu.be/E7mDE-jBNAg or Full Picture Gallery Here

via http://jimmyyen.blogspot.com/2011/07/leica-standard.html

And one more!



URL: http://youtu.be/UJDtmcWiaVM (Narration in Japanese)

So, as we can see there exists people of collectors and hobbists who spent a lot of time to hack cameras just because to re-decorate the outlook of their small-sized sensor P&S DCs, I now believe that the Pentax Q does have its market and will succeed! ;-D

Another "Q" is Coming - The NIKON Q?! Kidding?

I think this is either a hoax or a real joke if it is to be true. A "Nikon Q" ILDC system is coming! :-o

Rumour @ SystemKamera-Forum.de (Google-translated to English)

Via: http://www.1001noisycameras.com/2011/07/rumors-nikon-q-system-using-123-sensor-too.html

Once again, Oh My God!!


Previous Story:-

Nikon Mirrorless Would be in 2.6X. (Rumour)

Using Digital Filters for Different Effects w/ the New NEX Firmware

Taiwan gadget site Mobile01 has given us this excellent quick demonstration video:-


(URL: http://youtu.be/vVClbMvrJlU)

I am impressed with the ease of use and the clear real-time display of the effects as well as the quick and direct adjustment of parameter for specific filters. IMO, as long as user-friendliness is concerned, it is designed to be yet better than what we Pentaxians can have with any of our Pentax DSLRs! So, who said that the NEX is very difficult to use afterall? :-)

P.S. The worst system camera for user-friendliness I have ever owned should belong to the Panasonic GF1, honestly speaking. Moreover, the system response of it is rather unsatisfactory, with noticeable long enough delay in taking pictures. In contrast, every NEX is working very fast and be truly responsive, indeed. Btw, how is the actual performance of the Q? Time will tell.


Related:-

Manual Focusing in LiveView Mode Will Make Ever Easy and Accurate

As the ILDC World Turns..

Measurbation Shootout of K-5 w/ DA55/1.4 Vs 60D w/ EF50/1.4

The measurbation starts from page two of the test report:-

http://tech.163.com/digi/11/0706/00/78879J6G001624J3_2.html
(in Simplified Chinese, Google translated English page here)

The K-5 combo wins in resolution in general.. E.g.:-



..and seems to have better details and more favourable colour responses:-



Well, how come the colour of the cropped 60D image has become B&W btw? :-o

But then the 60D is tested to have lower ISO noise throughout the range:-



But yet, the K-5 images are having better clarity and retain more details.

Last but not least, the colour tendencies are checked with the Imatest:-



A quite nice test and comparison overall, but whether you're to agree with the results or not is up to you! As usual, I blog, you decide~

HTML5 Word Cloud: Text Analyzer

Has just played with this. It's interesting!

http://timc.idv.tw/wordcloud/en/# via Jimmy Yen's Blog (in Traditinal Chinese).

Just choose RSS feed or Blogger name from the left column, enter the site feed path or the site name and then Start, e.g.:-

http://timc.idv.tw/wordcloud/en/#feed:http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Nice~! The analysis is accurate! The word Pentax shows up at the centre and the words K-5 and K-r also appear in larger words! :-)

What to Do When a Mirrorless Has No EVF? :-o

(Pentax Q w/ O-VF1 and Standard "01" Prime, Source: http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/img/dcw/docs/457/277/html/051.jpg.html)

As we all know, Pentax Q does not support any EVF (Electronic View-Finder) nor there is any I/O (Input/Output) port/interface for mounting such a possible accessory in the future - which is simply not possible for the Q design actually.

So, what's the workaround then? In fact, NEX users have been facing the same problem since Sony never provided/produced an EVF ever even though they do already have a dedicated I/O port on all of their NEX bodies. But clever users have always been able to find out some ways to tackle the problem, see this:-


(Full album with brief DIY instructions: http://www.pbase.com/chounws3/nex_5_with_evf)

Brilliant? :-D

Nevertheless, speaking of the Q Vs the NEX, one thing the Q shines over the NEX is that it is equipped with a built-in interval timer, which the NEX doesn't have. Just in the worst case of the NEX-3 and C3, there is even not an Infrared port for controlling the camera so that things have to be carried out purely mechanically. Look at this robotic control, which IMO is just clumsy and funny:-



Via http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.com/2011/06/nex-3-nex-c3-intervalometer-from-bymac.html

Nevertheless, it is still a technically feasible workaround. And when one has no choice, it is just better than none! :-o

Ephotozine DA70 and FA31 Lens Reviews

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/smc-pentax-da-70mm-f-2-4-limited-lens-review-16835

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/smc-pentax-fa-31mm-f-1-8-al-limited-lens-review-16866

Nice reviews. They are still confused with the actual meaning of the MTF, though. I recommend do read the MTF50 charts only as at MTF of only 20%, everything is almost meaningless. How could one distinguish between the white and the dark colours if there exists only a marginal difference of 20% - i.e., the contrast will be very low as a result.

So, when you read, do bear in mind that the MTF20 is NOT about the "resolution of coarse details" nor the "overall contrast of a lens", the resolution is measured as per the resolution unit in lw/ph (line-widths per picture height) as shown in the Imatest results and there is nothing to do with the MTF set threshold figure after all. And, as I've mentioned above, the contrast is really very low at a MTF of 20% anyway.


Last Related:-

Latest Pentax Reviews: DA18-135 and K-5 Vs 7D

OMG! Just Don't Do That!!

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=38816655



That looks completely horrible! >:-(


Related:-

What Camera Brand(s) Will Ricoh Use To Sell Their Cameras?

How to Make the Pentax Q Looks Better?

1,000 Posts of My Blog

This is the 1,000th post at my this Blog here, the RiceHigh's Pentax Blog. For these four years and some months, at the time of writing this post, my Blog has been visited for more than 2.388 millions of times and below is an update of the Alexa traffic rankings of the most popular Pentax themed Internet websites, since the last time I compiled such a report:-

Rank	Site	Official?	Commercial?
56,472	Pentax Japan Home	Yes	Yes
137,358	Pentax Imaging (USA)	Yes	Yes
304,219	Pentax Global Page	Yes	Yes
308,495	My Blog (Where You're Now!)	No!	No!
423,862	Pentax UK	Yes	Yes
519,147	Pentax China	Yes	Yes
656,154	Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount Page	No	No (Although Donations Are Accepted)
889,410	Hin's Tech Corner (Not Being Updated Anymore)	No	Partial (With Ads)
1,089,175	Pentax DSLRs Blog	Almost (Highly Affiliated)	Yes
1,411,068	K Rumors (Not Being Updated Anymore)	No	Partial
1,423,566	Pentax Europe	Yes	Yes
2,353,201	Ned Bunnel's (President of Pentax Imaging) Blog (Old)	Yes	Yes (Virtually It Is!)
2,385,880	Ned's Photo Journal (New Blog)	Yes	Yes
2,888,677	Asahi Optical Historical Club (AOHC)	No	No! (One and Only One Besides Mine!)
3,294,309	Falk Lumo's Blog	No	Partial

Thank you for reading and your support after all! :-)

No matter what will happen in the future, I will STILL BE (T)HERE! :-D


Related:-

100 Most Influential Photography Websites

Site Traffic of My Blog Matches 30% of that of the Dpreview on Pentax Contents

Three Methods to Make Your Own Mirrorless! (K-mount or Not)

Since the launch of the Q, many existing Pentaxians have been complaining. Really wanna a K-mount mirrorless? Just stop whining, do it yourself, act now! ;-p

Below are three possible methods..

1. Buy Other EVIL/ILDCs and Adapt!

The easiest way is to adapt lenses to an existing ILDC of other brands, which are all with much larger sensors than the Q's and one should have no more complaints!:-

My New APS-C K-mount ILDC!

My (m4/3) K-Mount EVIL is Here!

As you can see, it is just so easy! So, I just wish to say, what's all the fusses about? Lol.. :-D

Besides, with the same method, I just wish to urge for no more complaints about the lack and no hope for a K-mount Full Frame from Pentax also! Just DIY again! I did it almost 3 years ago! See:-

My K-mount 135 Full Frame DSLR!

All in all, when at this stage even if the Pentax brandname could be kept is uncertain, why still asking for a Pentax Full Frame DSLR (which is really unrealistic afterall!)?! :-o

2. Remove the Mirror of a LV Capable DSLR!

http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2010/09/diy-make-your-own-mirrorless-brand.html

3. Hack a P&S DC!

See these examples:-

http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php?tid=1041814
http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php?tid=1028557
http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php?tid=797675
(in Traditional Chinese, DIY for Google translation if you need to do so!)

Oh, well.. I think I must have helped a lot of people this time! Lol.. ;-D

Ricoh Has to Cut 9% of Workforce in 10,000 Jobs, Why Still Acquiring Pentax?

(Shiro Kondo, President and CEO of the Ricoh Group - BBC Picture)

First, see what BBC reported:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/13555788

"We have become a big company and need to re-engineer our corporate structure throughout to become more muscular," said Shiro Kondo, president and chief executive.

"We have done very little pruning of unprofitable businesses, and we need to pull out of some."

So, is that Pentax camera/imaging business actually profitable? If it really is, why Hoya has tried every effort to prune it over years?!

Next, let's see another report from the Business Week, with quoted source from Bloomberg:-

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-05-26/ricoh-to-cut-10-000-jobs-may-triple-profit-in-three-years.html

"May 26 (Bloomberg) -- Ricoh Co., the Japanese office- equipment maker, plans to cut 9 percent of its workforce over the next three years to revive profit growth amid falling sales."

"The company plans to take measures including cutting 10,000 workers and consolidating factories by the year ending March 2014, it said in a statement today. Tokyo-based Ricoh said it expects the steps will cost 60 billion yen ($733 million) by next fiscal year and boost its operating profit by 140 billion yen in three years."

So, on top of that, the Pentax acquisition will cost Ricoh an additional US$124M more, which is just 17% of the original "sudden" cost.

“We need to make the painful reforms” to recover earnings, President Shiro Kondo said at a press conference in Tokyo. “The quake had a big impact on us, as most of our major plants in Japan are concentrated in the northeast.”

Frankly, they will have yet another painful reform for how to deal with the new Pentax and how to cut cost/jobs within Pentax also, I'm afraid!

After all, why Ricoh still acquires Pentax just looks like a big mystery to me! At least the share price of Ricoh has stopped rising and then dropped slightly after the announcement of the Pentax acquisition news. It seems that the investors are on the sidelines in the meantime before they are to invest further. In contrast, the share price of Hoya has surged and grew up for several percent after the same announcement. So, the share market responses do have hinted us something, haven't it?

What Camera Brand(s) Will Ricoh Use To Sell Their Cameras?

Your bet?

What Brand Name(s) Will Ricoh Use To Sell Their Cameras?
	"Ricoh Pentax"
	Ricoh Only
	Pentax Only
	Ricoh And Pentax
	Another New Name
pollcode.com free polls

And, just in case if the Pentax name is dropped, what will you do?

If Pentax Exists No More, I Shall..
	Switch!
	Buy Less (from Ricoh)
	Buy More
	Do Nothing (No Change)
pollcode.com free polls

Related:-

Hoya Selling Pentax Camera Division and Businesses to Ricoh

Last Poll:-

What is your buying intention of the Pentax Q?

Open Letter from the Head of Pentax Camera Division, Mr. Toshiaki Iue

Photo Romors has published such a letter which is "just in", see:-

http://photorumors.com/2011/07/01/open-letter-from-hoya-to-valued-pentax-customers-and-partners/

I think the two most important messages as it looks are: 1. "All employees will be transferred to the new company accordingly."; 2. "Also, all current products will continue to be sold with the PENTAX brand name under current operations.".

But do note about the wording of "current product" of the latter! Do you think there is any hidden meaning/hint btw?


Related:-

Hoya Selling Pentax Camera Division and Businesses to Ricoh

Size Comparison between Pentax Q and G11, S95, NEX-5, GF-2 and GR III

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/pview/20110701_457277.html


Last Related:-

A Closer First Look of the Pentax Q @ DC Watch

Hoya Selling Pentax Camera Division and Businesses to Ricoh

See the latest official press release at Hoya's website (in English):-

http://www.hoya.co.jp/english/news/latest/d0h4dj0000001fv8-att/d0h4dj0000001fwi.pdf

In short, Pentax's camera division and all its businesses will be sold whilst Hoya will keep the more profitable businesses. So, Pentax is splitted and divided! :-(

The splitting is agreed to be completed on October 1 of 2011. Ricoh will pay 10 billion Japanese Yens (currently about US$124 millions) for the transaction. It should be noted that the ex-Pentax Corporation and Hoya reached an agreement and Hoya purchased Pentax in a total of 105 billion Japanese Yens in 2007. So, now it seems that the camera division of Pentax worths only less than 1/10 of the original value of the whole Pentax, when it was acquired 4 years ago.


Old Reported Stories:-

Hoya Founder's Grandson Calls Pentax Acquisition "Failure", Seeks Reforms (May 2010)

Hoya CEO Still Thinking to Sell Off Pentax (October 2009)

Finally, It is Done. (June 2007)

Hoya Swallows Pentax! (December 2006)