New Pentax Q System Products

Pentax has announced that they will be introducing three new products in their Q-mount interchangeable lens camera system at Photokina in Germany next week. Here’s a brief description of the three new products:

1- The Q10 digital camera has an improved 12.4 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor with SR, improved auto-focus, and full 1080p30 video with h.264 compression into one tiny, stylish package.

2- The PENTAX 06 Telephoto Zoom is a lightweight 15-45mm lens (equivalent to 83-249mm in the 35mm format) for the Q system.

3- And there's a new Q Adapter for K-mount lenses so you can use your favorite K-mount lenses with the Q-system super compact bodies. (The superb Pentax 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR lens would be a 550mm super telephoto!!!)                                        

September 11

Today is September 11 and all of us at the MCC remember where we were and what we were doing on that fateful day 11 years ago. Nothing we can say or do will ever undo the evil that was done that day, all we can do is pray that nothing like this ever occurs again.

A Slew of New Pentax Products

Today Pentax officially announced a whole slew of new products, including the ones we've been predicting. There are two new dSLRs, the Q10 and lots of new lenses.

We'll be examining the announcements and posting about the new products in the next few days.

New Lens for Pentax SLRs

We found this post o the Pentax Forum.

Samyang has announced a 24 mm tilt and shift lens, the Samyang T-S 24mm F3.5 ED AS UMC, that will be available in Pentax K-mount among the usual others. It is a wide-angle, full-frame lens fitted with perspective control and tilt-shift functions. Its unique optical and mechanical construction makes it an ideal tool for architecture and landscape photography.  This is the first lens of its kind for Pentax- the last update along these lines occurred in the 1970's, with the debut of the SMC Pentax-K 28mm F3.5 Shift lens.

The Tilt-Shift function in the Samyang T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC allows for smooth and fine adjustment of the focal plane by an angle of +/-8.5 degrees and enables parallel shift of the optical axis by +/-12 mm. Both the lens mount and the Tilt-Shift section may be rotated on the optical axis. The Tilt-Shift section may be rotated left by 90 degrees (with 30 degree adjustment) and the mount of the lens may be rotated in both directions by 90 degrees (with 30 degree adjustment).

This lens will be showcased at Photokina and will go on sale shortly thereafter.

If you don’t know what this type of lens is used for then I’d better explain. A tilt and shift lens allows a digital SLR to be able to be able to alter focus plane and keep vertical lines vertical. It gives the photographer some of the capabilities of a view camera without having the bulk and weight. It really is a wonderful tool for a studio photographer.

Pentax Q Camera Rumors

The rumor mill is full of news about the new cameras that Pentax will be introducing very soon. One of the most credible rumors concern a new Pentax Q10 because of the number of pictures we've seen. According to what we've seen it has a 12-megapixel sensor and a redesigned body. The Q10 will reportedly be available starting in mid-October for around $450 and will be available in black, silver, and red variants


Hopefully Pentax will improve the sensor dramatically. The Q we reviewed a while back has a point-and-shoot quality sensor that takes mediocre pictures. If they want the new Q10 to be taken seriously then they'll need to work on the sensor a lot!.


Accompanying it will be an announcement of a 06 15-45mm telephoto zoom lens, which seems like it will go well together with the current 02 5-15mm.

New Kobo eReaders

Kobo is bringing out a whole new line of eBook readers. Here’s an except from the press release:

Starting at $79.99 the New Kobo Family will be available at World's Largest Network of Booksellers and Leading Retailers including Best Buy and Walmart

Kobo, a global leader in eReading, today unveiled its new Kobo Family of eReading devices: the Kobo Glo, Kobo Mini, Kobo Touch and the Kobo Arc – a 7" Android tablet. Designed by booklovers for booklovers, the new Kobo Family starts at $79.99 and provides readers with more choice and more ways to personalize their eReading experience than ever before – including new stylish colors, accessories, lighting and multimedia options.

For more information, visit www.kobo.com.

New Western Digital Drives

We saw this press release online and we know our readers will want to know about the new Western Digital portable hard drives.

WD® , a subsidiary of Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), today introduced its newest version of My Passport® line of portable hard drives for PC and Mac with the debut of My Passport Edge™. The My Passport Edge and My Passport Edge for Mac® feature 500 GB of storage and a USB 3.0 interface for fast read/write speeds to help consumers effectively manage, share and enjoy digital content everywhere they go. Its sleek, ultra-slim design makes transport easy and convenient while a variety of security features protects the drive's content from unauthorized access.

The My Passport Edge for Mac portable hard drive complements popular MacBook® computers and MacBook Air® computer designs with an all-aluminum exterior to protect the drive and its contents from everyday bumps. The My Passport Edge for Mac is also compatible with Apple Time Machine® for added peace-of-mind and seamless operation out of the box with one's Mac computer.

The My Passport Edge (PC-version) portable hard drive incorporates WD SmartWare™ continuous and automatic backup software to create a copy of users' computers' content to ensure personal digital files are backed-up and protected in the event of computer loss or theft. For a sleek look, the My Passport Edge was also re-engineered with a new design for a premium finish.

"WD's new My Passport Edge portable drives for Mac and PC offer mobile users a safe, compact, attractive way to conveniently work or play anywhere life or business may take them," said Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager of WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups. "We know that people who bring personal and business content along with them on their travels are concerned with portability and with maintaining privacy while also protecting their data. We design all My Passport products with a small footprint and with security and protection in mind."

Pricing and Availability
My Passport Edge and My Passport Edge for Mac 500 GB portable hard drives come with a 3-year limited warranty and are available on the WD store at www.wdstore.com and at select retailers and distributors. MSRP (USD) of the My Passport Edge is $109.99 and $119.99 for the My Passport Edge for Mac portable hard drives.  For more information regarding the My Passport Edge portable hard drives please visit the WD website at http://www.wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=850 and http://www.wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=880 for the My Passport Edge for Mac.