The entry-level series of PENTAX digital SLR cameras continues with the introduction of the new K200D, featuring the acclaimed Pentax Shake Reduction (SR) system. Blurred hand-held photographs, particularly with telephotos or longer exposure times, are a thing of the past. Two sensors are used by the SR system to detect any vibrations and compensate for any movement by the 10.2 Megapixel CCD. This blurring protection system occurs directly at the CCD saving the user from having to acquire expensive special lenses. Thanks to the Pentax K-mount bayonet virtually any Pentax lens can be used with the new K200D digital SLR. The exciting news is that the new series of PENTAX SDM lenses with ultrasonic autofocus are completely compatible with a new entry-level class camera. (more…)
Author: David Kilpatrick
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Pentax K20D – the first 14 megapixel APS-C DSLR
Pentax has thrown out a challenge to all rivals with a new 14.6 effective Megapixel CMOS Sensor and integrated Shake Reduction in the K20D, based on the earlier K10D but taken to a level of pixel-count specification which now exceeds anything from Nikon, Canon, Sony or the FourThirds consortium. Samsung developed the new sensor and it will no doubt appear in a similar Samsung body. They describe the K20D as ‘semi-professional’. (more…)
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A700 and A100 rear LCD screen resolution
Sony say that the Alpha 100 has a 230,000 pixel rear screen and the Alpha 700 has 920,000 pixels. What they don’t make entirely clear is how many individual R, G or B pixels are used to create each ‘pixel’ of the image (complete RGB). In fact the 920,000 pixel screen is VGA – 640 x 480 – in display resolution, which is 307,000 pixels not 920,000. What is going on? We took some macro images to show you. (more…)
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A vintage Minolta 16mm kit
A mention of 16mm Minoltas reminded me that a few years ago I found a perfect kit – without outer box or instructions, sadly – at an antique fair. A daylight developing tank for the film turned up in the closing-down stock from Konica Minolta’s warehouse. I decided they should really find a new home together via the normal eBay route, but before they went, a studio shoot was needed to record them for our virtual museum. (more…)
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Alpha 700 shoots the Cirque du Soleil
On January 5th, Photoworld was lucky enough to be able to attend the dress rehearsal and official photo-call for the new Cirque du Soleil production at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and to put the Alpha 700 through its paces for high ISO fast action stage show capture. This article with large reproductions of the images appears in our Photoworld issue due out later in January. (more…)
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The Sony Alpha 200 launched
AT THE Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, Sony has announced introduction of the new Alpha DSLR-A200 camera which has been the subject of some strange speculation but was known beforehand to be a replacement for the Alpha 100. This is the first time a DSLR has been launched to the world at this show, and Sony’s decision to do so sends a major signal out as to where they see themselves and the Alpha system in the marketplace. It is highly competitive in price and we have just ordered our body for £369 including VAT (£314 + VAT) plus £13 express shipping from www.sonystyle.co.uk. This is exactly the same price as we paid for our last Alpha 100 in summer 2006.
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Sony Alpha 700 Review Part 1: the Interface
SINCE September 2007 I have had for test the Canon EOS 40D, Sony Alpha 700, Nikon D300, Olympus E-3 and Nikon D3 in that order. The reports have been published in the British Journal of Photography, and later on in Master Photo Digital and f2 magazines (some are yet to appear, in February, in these titles). My own system is Sony Alpha but I have to be as objective as possible when field testing all makes. I also have to seek out the unique selling points, the reasons for owning any given model, rather than just compare them on a tick-chart feature basis.
With the Alpha 200 about to appear, I guess it’s time to sum up what I think about the Sony Alpha 700 and how it compares to the competition. (more…)
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True detail vs. fake sharpness
It’s the same on every web forum – if you post a digital picture which would be acceptable to a photo library or professional buyer, half a dozen grumpy one-liners will come out saying ‘That don’t look sharp to me’ or ‘there must be something wrong with your XXX’ (fill in D300, A700, E-3, D3, 40D as required). Then someone posts a hugely messed up image and people say ‘Wow! What sharpness!’… (more…)
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Minolta lenses 30 years ago
OUR local dealer, Hector Innes in Kelso, used to be a totally Minolta-dedicated retail shop. Hector and his son Alastair have always been Minolta photographers, and Alastair currently uses the Dynax 7D as weapon of choice for weddings. Their shop is one of those few remaining which combines a professional studio (ABIPP, in Hector’s case) with processing and printing, and retail. On the wall there’s a Minolta clock from two or three changes of logo ago, and on the counter, I found a well-used and yellowed Minolta lens chart mat. (more…)
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Advanced DRO – the A700’s magic bullet
BEFORE we publish a fuller assessment of the Sony Alpha 700, here is a taster of just one improved function, the Dynamic Range Optimisation (DRO) system built into the camera. For social, wedding, sports, music, theatre, news and event photographers DRO Advanced Manual settings are a real magic bullet zapping the bugbears of excess contrast, poor lighting, and inadequate flash penetration. (more…)