Ricoh's string of teaser coverage for its upcoming full-frame Pentax
DSLR continues today with a new image and a press release - but nothing
in the way of concrete information.
Back in February, Ricoh announced plans to develop a Pentax full-frame DSLR (not the same one that was announced in 2001). Per the original announcement, Ricoh was aiming for an end-of-year release, but by September it had updated the launch date to Spring 2016.
Ricoh's new statement offers precisely no information about the
forthcoming 'SRL' camera (we have to assume this is a typo), but does go
into some detail about Pentax's corporate history, and comes with a new
picture (shown above). The continuing lack of any specification details
is a shame, because judging by our quick look at a
prototype camera on display at the Photo Plus Expo in New York, it
seems that the new camera might offer some interesting features.
For now though, we can only speculate. Needless to say, we'll
continue to bring you news about the forthcoming Pentax full-frame DSLR
as and when we receive it. What might 'SRL' stand for? Leave suggestions
in the comments.
Press release:
PENTAX New-format SLR Camera
2015.11.30
PENTAX has always been a unique brand of camera. Never one to imitate
other makes, PENTAX has stuck to its pursuit of original value to
create high-performance cameras used and loved by pros and amateur
photographers alike.
Let’s look back on the history of PENTAX, going back to its origins
at Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. The company was established in 1919 as Asahi
Kogaku Goshi Kaisha. It manufactured eyeglass lenses and cine lenses. In
1952, the company began camera production with its Asahiflex 1, the
first single-lens reflex camera made in Japan. In 1954, this model
evolved into Asahiflex IIB with a quick-return mirror. The Asahi Pentax
AP, which came out in 1957, was the first camera to come equipped with a
pentaprism—a five-side optical glass element—as well as a quick-return
mirror. This was the first time the name PENTAX appeared. These models
were followed by many other cameras—exclusively SRL [sic] —equipped
with unique features that were the first of their kind, both in Japan
and in the world. In 1964, the Asahi Pentax SP was the first SRL [sic] with
TTL (through-the-lens) metering. Asahi Pentax ES, launched in 1971, was
the first with TTL full-aperture metering and automatic exposure
control.
Not all PENTAX cameras used 35 mm film. In 1967, the maker put out the first medium-format SRL [sic] with
built-in TTL exposure metering that used 6 cm x 7 cm film. The camera
was aptly named PENTAX 6 x 7. A medium-format camera using 6 cm x 4.5 cm
film, the PENTAX 645 (1984). Not only did PENTAX mobilize the
medium-size camera world with 35 mm cameras, but it also launched the
first medium-format interchangeable AF lens camera, PENTAX 645NII
(1997), achieving both high-quality pictures and mobility. The camera
has been used and loved by photography lovers of all kinds.
As for digital SRL [sic] cameras, in 2003, PENTAX *istD was
unveiled as the smallest and lightest weight camera in the world. PENTAX
K100D (2006) was well-received as the first PENTAX digital SRL to have
built-in image stabilization. The same year, PENTAX K10D was released.
It had the same functions as K100D as well as the first dustproof and
weatherproof structure, and achieving a reputation for overall
excellence in an SLR camera. It received 3 major international camera
awards: TIPA, Camera of the Year, and EISA. In the years that have
followed, the maker has continued to release unique cameras, such as the
digital SRL [sic] with the well-known medium-format 645 mount, PENTAX 645D.
Coming up in spring 2016!
PENTAX is launching a digital SRL [sic] with a brand-new format.
0 comments:
Post a Comment